Born of Man and Woman (Short story)

Published for the first time in 1950 in Magazine of Fantasy ans Science Fiction, Born of Man and Woman is a very short story (two pages top) at the first person relating the everyday life of a young boy so monstrous that his parents confine him to the cellar, attached to the wall by a chain.

The horror of the situation is amplified by a very childish narrative style. The little boy relates, day after day, the “things” he does, without the consciousness of the terror he causes. For example, an adult would say: « From his mouth came out a hollow sound, a terrifying roar which turns blood to ice. » The little guy confines himself to say with a child’s naivety: « Today, I did my noise and they ran away. »

A short story that sends shivers down your spine and that, paradoxically, provokes pity for this poor little “boy” rejected and persecuted by his family.

Notes

The short story in PDF : Born of Man and Woman