Beware of the Dog is a short story by Roald Dahl. You can read it online here. It begins,
Down below there was only a vast white undulating sea of cloud. Above there was the sun, and the sun was white like the clouds, because it is never yellow when one looks at it from high in the air.
He was still flying the Spitfire. His right hand was on the stick, and he was working the rudder bar with his left leg alone. It was quite easy. The machine was flying well, and he knew what he was doing.
Everything is fine, he thought. I'm doing all right. I'm doing nicely. I know my way home. I'll be there in half an hour. When I land I shall taxi in and switch off my engine and I shall say, help me to get out, will you. I shall make my voice sound ordinary and natural and none of them will take any notice. Then I shall say, someone help me to get out. I can't do it alone because I've lost one of my legs. They'll all laugh and think that I'm joking, and I shall say, all right, come and have a look, you unbelieving bastards.
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...everything look different looking from the top down.
ReplyDeleteYes, it definitely does
DeleteThat was an exciting story. I had a feeling how it was going to end.Also a surprise because I thought Dahl only wrote children's stories. I read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when I was a kid. I think my girlies read Matilda and of course we loved the movies.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to come across this. His children's books were the only of his writings I knew about.
DeleteI love Roald Dahl. He's written so many great stories, but I don't know this one. Thanks for introducing me to a new one.
ReplyDeleteI thought he only wrote books for children...
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