The Three Strangers by Thomas Hardy
"The Three Strangers" is a short story by Thomas Hardy that unfolds in an isolated cottage during a rainy winter evening. The narrative centers around a christening party hosted by Shepherd Fennel and his wife, where a warm and welcoming atmosphere contrasts sharply with the encroaching storm outside. The story takes a turn when three strangers arrive sequentially, each seeking shelter. The first stranger, who is secretive and evasive, is later revealed to be a condemned prisoner. The second stranger, more jovial and open, is a public hangman, whose presence introduces an unsettling element to the gathering. Meanwhile, a third stranger, terrified and panicked, rushes out as the sounds of a gunshot signal an escaped prisoner.
Amidst humor and camaraderie, the local guests are unaware of the true identities and motivations of the strangers. As the evening unravels, a local constable leads a search for the supposed escaped prisoner, only to discover that the third stranger is actually the brother of the condemned man, come to bid farewell. In a twist of fate, the first stranger escapes detection, revealing the complexities of human identity and societal perceptions of crime and punishment. This story highlights themes of fate, irony, and the human condition, inviting readers to reflect on compassion and the nature of justice.
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The Three Strangers by Thomas Hardy
First published: 1883
Type of plot: Realism
Time of work: The 1820's
Locale: Southwestern England
Principal Characters:
Thomas Summers , the first stranger, an escaped prisonerThe hangman , the second strangerThe prisoner's brother , the third strangerShepherd Fennel , the host to a christening partyMrs. Fennel , the shepherd's wife
The Story
Higher Crowstairs is an isolated cottage some three miles from Casterbridge, the county town where the county jail is situated. It is late winter, in the evening of a very rainy day. Shepherd Fennel and his wife are holding a christening party, to which about twenty relatives and neighbors have come, all well known to one another. Inside it is warm and snug, with a blazing fire in the hearth. Mrs Fennel, a somewhat frugal lady, is hoping to strike a balance between dancing and talking, so that no one gets too thirsty or too hungry. The musicians are a twelve-year-old fiddler and the parish clerk, who plays the serpent, an old-fashioned brass instrument.
Into this festive scene, three strangers intrude, one by one. The first has come from the direction of town and asks shelter from the rain. He dries off by the hearth but is evasive when asked about himself. Although he enjoys smoking, he has neither pipe, tobacco, nor pouch.
Shortly after, a second stranger knocks, this one is headed toward Casterbridge. Again, he wishes to dry off and sits down at the table, right next to the first stranger, penning him in. He is much more jovial than the first stranger and asks for drink. He drinks the mead (a fermented honey drink) in large quantities, much to Mrs. Fennel's consternation. When asked about his occupation, he sings a song for the locals to guess. Only the first stranger joins in the chorus. It is obvious from the song that he is a public hangman, coming to hang a prisoner slated for execution the next day at the county jail.
A third stranger enters during the song, looks terrified, and rushes out. Just then a gun is heard firing from the town, indicating a prisoner has escaped. One of the guests, "the engaged man of fifty," declares himself a constable and, after some knockabout humor, eventually sets off in pursuit of the third stranger with a posse.
While the women exit upstairs to comfort a wailing baby, the first two strangers creep back into the cottage, having made little effort to search for the man supposed to be the prisoner. After eating and drinking a little more, they part.
The posse captures the third stranger. By the time they return, the local magistrate and two jailers are at the cottage. They realize the third stranger is not the escaped prisoner, but his brother, come to pay his last respects. The real prisoner was the first stranger, but now it is too late and too dark to look for him. In the morning, a desultory search is made for him, but as his crime was only that of stealing a sheep to feed a starving family, there is much local sympathy for him, and the search is soon abandoned. His calmness has saved him.