It first appeared in Harper's Monthly in September, 1902,[1] and was reprinted in his third collection of short stories, The Lady of the Barge, later that year.

[3] It has been adapted many times in other media, including plays, films, TV series, operas, stories and comics, as early as 1903.

[5] Mr. and Mrs. White, and their grown son, Herbert, are visited by Sergeant-Major Morris, a friend who served with the British Army in India.

That night, an employee arrives at the Whites' home, telling them that Herbert was killed in a terrible machine accident that mutilated his body.

A week after the funeral, Mrs. White, mad with grief, insists that her husband use the paw to wish Herbert back to life.