Literature

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Lamb to the Slaughter
Roald Dahl
The room was warm and clean, the curtains drawn, the two table lamps alight -
hers and the one by the empty chair opposite. n the sideboard behind her, two
tall glasses, soda water, whiskey. !resh ice cubes in the Thermos bucket.
"ary "aloney was waiting #or her husband to come him #rom work.
Now and again she would glance up at the clock, but without an$iety, merely to
please hersel# with the thought that each minute gone by made it nearer the time
when he would come. There was a slow smiling air about her, and about
e%erything she did. The drop o# a head as she bent o%er her sewing was
curiously tran&uil. 'er skin - #or this was her si$th month with child - had
ac&uired a wonder#ul translucent &uality, the mouth was so#t, and the eyes, with
their new placid look, seemed larger darker than be#ore. (hen the clock said ten
minutes to #i%e, she began to listen, and a #ew moments later, punctually as
always, she heard the tires on the gra%el outside, and the car door slamming, the
#ootsteps passing the window, the key turning in the lock. She laid aside her
sewing, stood up, and went #orward to kiss him as he came in.
)'ullo darling,* she said.
)'ullo darling,* he answered.
She took his coat and hung it in the closer. Then she walked o%er and made the
drinks, a strongish one #or him, a weak one #or hersel#+ and soon she was back
again in her chair with the sewing, and he in the other, opposite, holding the tall
glass with both hands, rocking it so the ice cubes tinkled against the side.
!or her, this was always a bliss#ul time o# day. She knew he didn,t want to speak
much until the #irst drink was #inished, and she, on her side, was content to sit
&uietly, en-oying his company a#ter the long hours alone in the house. She lo%ed
to lu$uriate in the presence o# this man, and to #eel-almost as a sunbather #eels
the sun-that warm male glow that came out o# him to her when they were alone
together. She lo%ed him #or the way he sat loosely in a chair, #or the way he
came in a door, or mo%ed slowly across the room with long strides. She lo%ed
intent, #ar look in his eyes when they rested in her, the #unny shape o# the mouth,
and especially the way he remained silent about his tiredness, sitting still with
himsel# until the whiskey had taken some o# it away.
)Tired darling.*
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)/es,* he said. )0,m tired,* 1nd as he spoke, he did an unusual thing. 'e li#ted
his glass and drained it in one swallow although there was still hal# o# it, at least
hal# o# it le#t. She wasn,t really watching him, but she knew what he had done
because she heard the ice cubes #alling back against the bottom o# the empty
glass when he lowered his arm. 'e paused a moment, leaning #orward in the
chair, then he got up and went slowly o%er to #etch himsel# another.
)0,ll get it2* she cried, -umping up.
)Sit down,* he said.
(hen he came back, she noticed that the new drink was dark amber with the
&uantity o# whiskey in it.
)Darling, shall 0 get your slippers.*
)No.*
She watched him as he began to sip the dark yellow drink, and she could see
little oily swirls in the li&uid because it was so strong.
)0 think it,s a shame,* she said, )that when a policeman gets to be as senior as
you, they keep him walking about on his #eet all day long.*
'e didn,t answer, so she bent her head again and went on with her sewing+ but
each time he li#ted the drink to his lips, she heard the ice cubes clinking against
the side o# the glass.
)Darling,* she said. )(ould you like me to get you some cheese. 0 ha%en,t
made any supper because it,s Thursday.*
)No,* he said.
)0# you,re too tired to eat out,* she went on, )it,s still not too late. There,s plenty o#
meat and stu## in the #ree3er, and you can ha%e it right here and not e%en mo%e
out o# the chair.*
'er eyes waited on him #or an answer, a smile, a little nod, but he made no sign.
)1nyway,* she went on, )0,ll get you some cheese and crackers #irst.*
)0 don,t want it,* he said.
She mo%ed uneasily in her chair, the large eyes still watching his #ace. )But you
must eat2 0,ll #i$ it anyway, and then you can ha%e it or not, as you like.*
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She stood up and placed her sewing on the table by the lamp.
)Sit down,* he said. )4ust #or a minute, sit down.*
0t wasn,t till then that she began to get #rightened.
)5o on,* he said. )Sit down.*
She lowered hersel# back slowly into the chair, watching him all the time with
those large, bewildered eyes. 'e had #inished the second drink and was staring
down into the glass, #rowning.
)Listen,* he said. )0,%e got something to tell you.*
)(hat is it, darling. (hat,s the matter.*
'e had now become absolutely motionless, and he kept his head down so that
the light #rom the lamp beside him #ell across the upper part o# his #ace, lea%ing
the chin and mouth in shadow. She noticed there was a little muscle mo%ing
near the corner o# his le#t eye.
)This is going to be a bit o# a shock to you, 0,m a#raid,* he said. )But 0,%e thought
about it a good deal and 0,%e decided the only thing to do is tell you right away. 0
hope you won,t blame me too much.*
1nd he told her. 0t didn,t take long, #our or #i%e minutes at most, and she say %ery
still through it all, watching him with a kind o# da3ed horror as he went #urther and
#urther away #rom her with each word.
)So there it is,* he added. )1nd 0 know it,s kind o# a bad time to be telling you, bet
there simply wasn,t any other way. # course 0,ll gi%e you money and see you,re
looked a#ter. But there needn,t really be any #uss. 0 hope not anyway. 0t
wouldn,t be %ery good #or my -ob.*
'er #irst instinct was not to belie%e any o# it, to re-ect it all. 0t occurred to her that
perhaps he hadn,t e%en spoken, that she hersel# had imagined the whole thing.
"aybe, i# she went about her business and acted as though she hadn,t been
listening, then later, when she sort o# woke up again, she might #ind none o# it
had e%er happened.
)0,ll get the supper,* she managed to whisper, and this time he didn,t stop her.
(hen she walked across the room she couldn,t #eel her #eet touching the #loor.
She couldn,t #eel anything at all- e$cept a slight nausea and a desire to %omit.
6%erything was automatic now - down the steps to the cellar, the light switch, the
deep #ree3e, the hand inside the cabinet taking hold o# the #irst ob-ect it met. She
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li#ted it out, and looked at it. 0t was wrapped in paper, so she took o## the paper
and looked at it again.
1 leg o# lamb.
1ll right then, they would ha%e lamb #or supper. She carried it upstairs, holding
the thin bone-end o# it with both her hands, and as she went through the li%ing-
room, she saw him standing o%er by the window with his back to her, and she
stopped.
)!or 5od,s sake,* he said, hearing her, but not turning round. )Don,t make
supper #or me. 0,m going out.*
1t that point, "ary "aloney simply walked up behind him and without any pause
she swung the big #ro3en leg o# lamb high in the air and brought it down as hard
as she could on the back o# his head.
She might -ust as well ha%e hit him with a steel club.
She stepped back a pace, waiting, and the #unny thing was that he remained
standing there #or at least #our or #i%e seconds, gently swaying. Then he crashed
to the carpet.
The %iolence o# the crash, the noise, the small table o%erturning, helped bring her
out o# he shock. She came out slowly, #eeling cold and surprised, and she stood
#or a while blinking at the body, still holding the ridiculous piece o# meat tight with
both hands.
1ll right, she told hersel#. So 0,%e killed him.
0t was e$traordinary, now, how clear her mind became all o# a sudden. She
began thinking %ery #ast. 1s the wi#e o# a detecti%e, she knew &uite well what the
penalty would be. That was #ine. 0t made no di##erence to her. 0n #act, it would
be a relie#. n the other hand, what about the child. (hat were the laws about
murderers with unborn children. Did they kill then both-mother and child. r
did they wait until the tenth month. (hat did they do.
"ary "aloney didn,t know. 1nd she certainly wasn,t prepared to take a chance.
She carried the meat into the kitchen, placed it in a pan, turned the o%en on high,
and sho%ed t inside. Then she washed her hands and ran upstairs to the
bedroom. She sat down be#ore the mirror, tidied her hair, touched up her lips
and #ace. She tried a smile. 0t came out rather peculiar. She tried again.
)'ullo Sam,* she said brightly, aloud.
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The %oice sounded peculiar too.
)0 want some potatoes please, Sam. /es, and 0 think a can o# peas.*
That was better. Both the smile and the %oice were coming out better now. She
rehearsed it se%eral times more. Then she ran downstairs, took her coat, went
out the back door, down the garden, into the street.
0t wasn,t si$ o,clock yet and the lights were still on in the grocery shop.
)'ullo Sam,* she said brightly, smiling at the man behind the counter.
)(hy, good e%ening, "rs. "aloney. 'ow,re you.*
)0 want some potatoes please, Sam. /es, and 0 think a can o# peas.*
The man turned and reached up behind him on the shel# #or the peas.
)7atrick,s decided he,s tired and doesn,t want to eat out tonight,* she told him.
)(e usually go out Thursdays, you know, and now he,s caught me without any
%egetables in the house.*
)Then how about meat, "rs. "aloney.*
)No, 0,%e got meat, thanks. 0 got a nice leg o# lamb #rom the #ree3er.*
)h.*
)0 don,t know much like cooking it #ro3en, Sam, but 0,m taking a chance on it this
time. /ou think it,ll be all right.*
)7ersonally,* the grocer said, )0 don,t belie%e it makes any di##erence. /ou want
these 0daho potatoes.*
)h yes, that,ll be #ine. Two o# those.*
)1nything else.* The grocer cocked his head on one side, looking at her
pleasantly. )'ow about a#terwards. (hat you going to gi%e him #or a#terwards.*
)(ell-what would you suggest, Sam.*
The man glanced around his shop. )'ow about a nice big slice o# cheesecake.
0 know he likes that.*
)7er#ect,* she said. )'e lo%es it.*
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1nd when it was all wrapped and she had paid, she put on her brightest smile
and said, )Thank you, Sam. 5oodnight.*
)5oodnight, "rs. "aloney. 1nd thank you.*
1nd now, she told hersel# as she hurried back, all she was doing now, she was
returning home to her husband and he was waiting #or his supper+ and she must
cook it good, and make it as tasty as possible because the poor man was tired+
and i#, when she entered the house, she happened to #ind anything unusual, or
tragic, or terrible, then naturally it would be a shock and she,d become #rantic
with grie# and horror. "ind you, she wasn,t e$pecting to #ind anything. She was
-ust going home with the %egetables. "rs. 7atrick "aloney going home with the
%egetables on Thursday e%ening to cook supper #or her husband.
That,s the way, she told hersel#. Do e%erything right and natural. 8eep things
absolutely natural and there,ll be no need #or any acting at all.
There#ore, when she entered the kitchen by the back door, she was humming a
little tune to hersel# and smiling.
)7atrick2* she called. )'ow are you, darling.*
She put the parcel down on the table and went through into the li%ing room+ and
when she saw him lying there on the #loor with his legs doubled up and one arm
twisted back underneath his body, it really was rather a shock. 1ll the old lo%e
and longing #or him welled up inside her, and she ran o%er to him, knelt down
beside him, and began to cry her heart out. 0t was easy. No acting was
necessary.
1 #ew minutes later she got up and went to the phone. She knew the number o#
the police station, and when the man at the other end answered, she cried to
him, )9uick2 :ome &uick2 7atrick,s dead2*
)(ho,s speaking.*
)"rs. "aloney. "rs. 7atrick "aloney.*
)/ou mean 7atrick "aloney,s dead.*
)0 think so,* she sobbed. )'e,s lying on the #loor and 0 think he,s dead.*
)Be right o%er,* the man said.
The car came %ery &uickly, and when she opened the #ront door, two policemen
walked in. She know them both-she know nearly all the man at that precinct-and
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she #ell right into a chair, then went o%er to -oin the other one, who was called
,"alley, kneeling by the body.
)0s he dead.* she cried.
)0,m a#raid he is. (hat happened.*
Brie#ly, she told her story about going out to the grocer and coming back to #ind
him on the #loor. (hile she was talking, crying and talking, Noonan disco%ered a
small patch o# congealed blood on the dead man,s head. 'e showed it to
,"alley who got up at once and hurried to the phone.
Soon, other men began to come into the house. !irst a doctor, then two
detecti%es, one o# whom she knew by name. Later, a police photographer
arri%ed and took pictures, and a man who knew about #ingerprints. There was a
great deal o# whispering and muttering beside the corpse, and the detecti%es
kept asking her a lot o# &uestions. But they always treated her kindly. She told
her story again, this time right #rom the beginning, when 7atrick had come in, and
she was sewing, and he was tired, so tired he hadn,t wanted to go out #or supper.
She told how she,d put the meat in the o%en-)0t,s there now, cooking*- and how
she,d slipped out to the grocer #or %egetables, and come back to #ind him lying on
the #loor.
(hich grocer.* one o# the detecti%es asked.
She told him, and he turned and whispered something to the other detecti%e who
immediately went outside into the street.
0n #i#teen minutes he was back with a page o# notes, and there was more
whispering, and through her sobbing she heard a #ew o# the whispered phrases -
)...acted &uite normal...%ery cheer#ul...wanted to gi%e him a good supper...
peas...cheesecake...impossible that she...*
1#ter a while, the photographer and the doctor departed and two other men came
in and took the corpse away on a stretcher. Then the #ingerprint man went away.
The two detecti%es remained, and so did the two policemen. They were
e$ceptionally nice to her, and 4ack Noonan asked i# she wouldn,t rather go
somewhere else, to her sister,s house perhaps, or to his own wi#e who would
take care o# her and put her up #or the night.
No, she said. She didn,t #eel she could mo%e e%en a yard at the moment. (ould
they mind aw#ully o# she stayed -ust where she was until she #elt better. She
didn,t #eel too good at the moment, she really didn,t.
Then hadn,t she better lie down on the bed. 4ack Noonan asked.
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No, she said. She,d like to stay right where she was, in this chair. 1 little later,
perhaps, when she #elt better, she would mo%e.
So they le#t her there while they went about their business, searching the house.
ccasionally on o# the detecti%es asked her another &uestion. Sometimes 4ack
Noonan spoke at her gently as he passed by. 'er husband, he told her, had
been killed by a blow on the back o# the head administered with a hea%y blunt
instrument, almost certainly a large piece o# metal. They were looking #or the
weapon. The murderer may ha%e taken it with him, but on the other hand he
may ha%e thrown it away or hidden it somewhere on the premises.
)0t,s the old story,* he said. )5et the weapon, and you,%e got the man.*
Later, one o# the detecti%es came up and sat beside her. Did she know, he
asked, o# anything in the house that could,%e been used as the weapon. (ould
she mind ha%ing a look around to see i# anything was missing-a %ery big
spanner, #or e$ample, or a hea%y metal %ase.
They didn,t ha%e any hea%y metal %ases, she said.
)r a big spanner.*
She didn,t think they had a big spanner. But there might be some things like that
in the garage.
The search went on. She knew that there were other policemen in the garden all
around the house. She could hear their #ootsteps on the gra%el outside, and
sometimes she saw a #lash o# a torch through a chink in the curtains. 0t began to
get late, nearly nine she noticed by the clock on the mantle. The #our men
searching the rooms seemed to be growing weary, a tri#le e$asperated.
)4ack,* she said, the ne$t tome Sergeant Noonan went by. )(ould you mind
gi%ing me a drink.*
)Sure 0,ll gi%e you a drink. /ou mean this whiskey.*
)/es please. But -ust a small one. 0t might make me #eel better.*
'e handed her the glass.
)(hy don,t you ha%e one yoursel#,* she said. )/ou must be aw#ully tired. 7lease
do. /ou,%e been %ery good to me.*
)(ell,* he answered. )0t,s not strictly allowed, but 0 might take -ust a drop to keep
me going.*
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ne by one the others came in and were persuaded to take a little nip o#
whiskey. They stood around rather awkwardly with the drinks in their hands,
uncom#ortable in her presence, trying to say consoling things to her. Sergeant
Noonan wandered into the kitchen, come out &uickly and said, )Look, "rs.
"aloney. /ou know that o%en o# yours is still on, and the meat still inside.*
)h dear me2* she cried. )So it is2*
)0 better turn it o## #or you, hadn,t 0.*
)(ill you do that, 4ack. Thank you so much.*
(hen the sergeant returned the second time, she looked at him with her large,
dark tear#ul eyes. )4ack Noonan,* she said.
)/es.*
)(ould you do me a small #a%or-you and these others.*
)(e can try, "rs. "aloney.*
)(ell,* she said. )'ere you all are, and good #riends o# dear 7atrick,s too, and
helping to catch the man who killed him. /ou must be terrible hungry by now
because it,s long past your suppertime, and 0 know 7atrick would ne%er #orgi%e
me, 5od bless his soul, i# 0 allowed you to remain in his house without o##ering
you decent hospitality. (hy don,t you eat up that lamb that,s in the o%en. 0t,ll be
cooked -ust right by now.*
)(ouldn,t dream o# it,* Sergeant Noonan said.
)7lease,* she begged. )7lease eat it. 7ersonally 0 couldn,t touch a thing,
certainly not what,s been in the house when he was here. But it,s all right #or
you. 0t,d be a #a%or to me i# you,d eat it up. Then you can go on with your work
again a#terwards.*
There was a good deal o# hesitating among the #our policemen, but they were
clearly hungry, and in the end they were persuaded to go into the kitchen and
help themsel%es. The woman stayed where she was, listening to them speaking
among themsel%es, their %oices thick and sloppy because their mouths were #ull
o# meat.
)'a%e some more, :harlie.*
)No. Better not #inish it.*
)She wants us to #inish it. She said so. Be doing her a #a%or.*
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)kay then. 5i%e me some more.*
)That,s the hell o# a big club the guy must,%e used to hit poor 7atrick,* one o#
them was saying. )The doc says his skull was smashed all to pieces -ust like
#rom a sledgehammer.*
)That,s why it ought to be easy to #ind.*
)6$actly what 0 say.*
)(hoe%er done it, they,re not going to be carrying a thing like that around with
them longer than they need.*
ne o# them belched.
)7ersonally, 0 think it,s right here on the premises.*
)7robably right under our %ery noses. (hat you think, 4ack.*
1nd in the other room, "ary "aloney began to giggle.
..
Plot
This is probably the most well;known o# all Dahl<s short stories, simply because
=in my opinion> it<s so simple. There isn<t a single wasted word in it. 0t<s gripping,
shocking, and yet the story proceeds in such a rational manner that the reader<s
suspension o# disbelie# is ne%er broken. (e are with "ary "aloney #rom the #irst
sentence o# the story, and only at the end do we reali3e that we ne%er really
knew her at all.
Spoiler Warning! "ary "aloney is a de%oted wi#e and e$pectant mother. She
waits happily each night #or the arri%al o# her husband 7atrick, home #rom work at
the police station. n this particular night, though, she can tell something is
wrong. 0n disbelie#, she listens as 7atrick tells her that he is lea%ing her #or
another woman. ?1ctually Dahl ne%er really says this+ the details are le#t up to the
reader<s imagination.@ Da3ed, she goes into the kitchen to prepare their supper
and pulls a large #ro3en leg o# lamb #rom the deep #ree3e. Still numb, she carries
it into the li%ing room and without warning bashes her husband o%er the head
with it. 1s she looks at 7atrick lying dead on the #loor, she slowly begins to come
back to her senses. 0mmediately she reali3es the rami#ications o# what she has
done. Not wanting her unborn child to su##er as a result o# her crime, she begins
planning her alibi. She places the leg o# lamb in a pan in the o%en and goes down
to the corner grocery to get some #ood #or A7atrick<s dinnerA =making sure the
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grocer sees her normal and cheer#ul state o# mind>. She returns home and
screams when she #inds 7atrick lying on the #loor. She calls the police and
in#orms them that she #ound her husband lying dead on the #loor. (ithin hours
swarms o# o##icers are searching the house and conducting an in%estigation.
"ary<s story o# coming home #rom the grocer and #inding him is corroborated as
she had planned. (hile the police are searching #ruitlessly into the night #or the
murder weapon, "ary o##ers them some lamb that she had prepared #or dinner.
They are happy to oblige. (hile they lounge in the kitchen and discuss the case
=their mouths AsloppyA with meat>, "ary "aloney sits in the li%ing room and
giggles so#tly to hersel#.
1. Jigsaw
The #ollowing e$cerpts all come #rom the short story. They are -umbled up. Try to
arrange them in the correct order.
A!or 5od<s sake,A he said, hearing her, but not turning round, Adon<t make
supper #or me. 0<m going out.A

ATired, darling.A
A/es,A he said. A0<m tired.A

A0t<s the old story,A he said. A5et the weapon and you<%e got the man.A

AThis is going to be a bit o# a shock to you, 0<m a#raid,A he said.

(hen the clock said ten minutes to #i%e, she began to listen, and a #ew
moments later, punctually as always, she heard the tyres on the gra%el
outside...

A7ersonally, 0 think it<s right here on the premises.A

1ll the old lo%e and longing #or him welled up inside her, and she ran o%er
to him, knelt down beside him, and began to cry her heart out.

A9uick2 :ome &uick2 7atrick<s dead2A

Soon, other men began to come into the house. !irst a doctor, then two
detecti%es, one o# whom she knew by name.
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2. The Perfect Murder
(hat would be the ingredients o# the Aper#ect murderA.
7ut the #ollowing ideas into order o# importance. =1dd ideas o# your own i# you
want to.>
a> 0t should be easy to arrange.
b> 0t should lea%e no clues.
c> There should be no noise.
d> 0t should look like suicide.
e> 0t should take place in a lonely, isolated place.
#> 0t should be cheap.
g> No %iolence should be necessary.
h> 0t should look like an accident.
i> 0t should be &uick.
-> The murderer should ha%e a good alibi.
3. Vocaular!
!ind the #ollowing words in the story and try to work out their meaning. 4oin them
to the de#initions on the right. The #irst one has been done to get you started2
Word
"in
e
#nswe
r
$efinition
"ette
r
an$iety B ! con#used, not understanding 1
tran&uil CD
a hea%y stick with a knob at one
end, #or hitting someone
B
punctually CE e$tremely happy :
bliss#ul FG
a %ery strong #eeling which guides
someone
D
amber HH in the building 6
bewildered BI #eeling worried !
instinct CCC
com#orting someone who is sad,
cheering them up
5
club CFE annoyed, irritated '
peculiar CJC turned #rom li&uid to solid 0
#rantic DGJ being kind to %isitors 4
grie# DGJ on time, not late 8
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congealed DKK mad, wild L
on the
premises
DIG calm, peace#ul "
e$asperated FGI
e$treme sadness a#ter someone
dies or goes away
N
consoling FDD strange, unusual
hospitality FFB an orange-yellow colour 7
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