Between Rounds (Henry): Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 08:37, 14 May 2023

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Between Rounds

Summary of the Short Story
from the Collection «The Four Million»

Microsummary: In a city boarding house, a couple constantly argued. When the owner's son went missing, the couple shared a tender moment, imagining their own child lost. The boy was found, and life resumed.

In a bustling city, Mrs. Murphy owned a private boarding house where various tenants lived. Among them were Mr. and Mrs. McCaskey, a constantly bickering couple.

👩🏻‍🦱

Mrs. Murphy — owner of the boarding house; mother of young son Mike; heavyset, emotional, and distraught when her son goes missing.

👨🏻‍🦰

Mr. McCaskey (Jawn) — husband in the bickering couple; often argues with his wife; rough, sarcastic, but shows a tender side when imagining their own child.

👩🏻‍🦳

Mrs. McCaskey (Judy) — wife in the bickering couple; often argues with her husband; sentimental, imagines having a child with her husband during a rare moment of tenderness.

One day, Mrs. Murphy's young son, Mike, went missing, causing panic and concern among the boarders.

👦🏻

Mike — Mrs. Murphy's young son; 6 years old, mischievous, and goes missing in the story, causing panic among the boarders.

As the search for Mike went on, the tenants tried to console Mrs. Murphy and offered their help in finding the boy. During this time, Mr. and Mrs. McCaskey had a rare moment of tenderness, imagining how they would feel if their own child were lost. They even discussed what they would have named their child if they had one. This moment of vulnerability brought them closer together, and they shared their feelings of fear and sadness over the thought of losing a child.

'Tis an awful thing for a bit of a bye to be lost in this great big city. If 'twas our little Phelan, Jawn, I'd be breakin' me heart.

Meanwhile, the other boarders were also affected by the situation. Mr. Toomey and Miss Purdy, for example, found comfort in each other's company as they worried about Mike's safety. Major Grigg, another tenant, went out to search for the boy, even asking around at local establishments.

As the search continued, the tenants and neighbors gathered on the street, sharing rumors and speculations about Mike's whereabouts. Policeman Cleary, who patrolled the area, was amused by the commotion and decided not to intervene in the situation.

Finally, Mrs. Murphy discovered that Mike had been hiding under a bed in her room the entire time. The tenants were relieved to learn that the boy was safe, and life in the boarding house returned to normal. Mr. and Mrs. McCaskey resumed their usual fighting, much to the amusement of Policeman Cleary, who had grown accustomed to their constant bickering. Despite the chaos and worry caused by Mike's disappearance, the incident brought the tenants closer together and revealed their shared concern for one another.

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 {{Summary
 | Title = Between Rounds
-| Cycle = [[Four Million (Henry)| Four Million]]
+| Cycle = [[The Four Million (Henry)|The Four Million]]
 | Author = O. Henry
-| Genre = short story
+| Literary form = short story
 | Year of publication =
-| Microsummary = A couple living in a boarding house have a heated argument, but are interrupted by a missing child. They put aside their differences to help search and eventually find the child safe.
+| Microsummary = In a city boarding house, a couple constantly argued. When the owner's son went missing, the couple shared a tender moment, imagining their own child lost. The boy was found, and life resumed.
 | Wikidata =
+| Wikisource = The Four Million/Between Rounds
 }}
 {{Start of text}}
+In a bustling city, Mrs. Murphy owned a private boarding house where various tenants lived. Among them were Mr. and Mrs. McCaskey, a constantly bickering couple.
-It was a beautiful May night and the windows of the boarding house were open. Everyone was seated on the stoop, enjoying the warm evening air. Inside, a woman was waiting for her husband to come home for supper.
+{{Character
+| Name = Mrs. Murphy
+| Description = owner of the boarding house; mother of young son Mike; heavyset, emotional, and distraught when her son goes missing
+| Emoji = 👩🏻‍🦱
+}}
+{{Character
+| Name = Mr. McCaskey (Jawn)
+| Description = husband in the bickering couple; often argues with his wife; rough, sarcastic, but shows a tender side when imagining their own child
+| Emoji = 👨🏻‍🦰
+}}
+{{Character
+| Name = Mrs. McCaskey (Judy)
+| Description = wife in the bickering couple; often argues with her husband; sentimental, imagines having a child with her husband during a rare moment of tenderness
+| Emoji = 👩🏻‍🦳
+}}
+One day, Mrs. Murphy's young son, Mike, went missing, causing panic and concern among the boarders.
+{{Character
+| Name = Mike
+| Description = Mrs. Murphy's young son; 6 years old, mischievous, and goes missing in the story, causing panic among the boarders
+| Emoji = 👦🏻
+}}
-When he arrived, she scolded him for his drinking habits, and the two began to argue. The argument quickly escalated into a full-blown food fight, with the two hurling dishes and food at each other.
+As the search for Mike went on, the tenants tried to console Mrs. Murphy and offered their help in finding the boy. During this time, Mr. and Mrs. McCaskey had a rare moment of tenderness, imagining how they would feel if their own child were lost. They even discussed what they would have named their child if they had one. This moment of vulnerability brought them closer together, and they shared their feelings of fear and sadness over the thought of losing a child.
-Suddenly, a loud scream was heard from downstairs. A child had gone missing. Everyone was flustered and someone offered to search the city for the missing boy. The woman was in hysterics, wailing for her lost son.
+{{Quote|'Tis an awful thing for a bit of a bye to be lost in this great big city. If 'twas our little Phelan, Jawn, I'd be breakin' me heart.}}
-Someone asked when she had last seen him, but she couldn't remember. The search for the child continued, with people rushing around and filling the air with rumours and speculation. Eventually, he was found asleep behind a roll of old linoleum under her bed. Everyone was relieved and the search was called off.
+Meanwhile, the other boarders were also affected by the situation. Mr. Toomey and Miss Purdy, for example, found comfort in each other's company as they worried about Mike's safety. Major Grigg, another tenant, went out to search for the boy, even asking around at local establishments.
-The woman and her husband had also reconciled, with her forgiving him for his bad behaviour. The story ends with everyone relieved that the boy had been found safe and sound.
+As the search continued, the tenants and neighbors gathered on the street, sharing rumors and speculations about Mike's whereabouts. Policeman Cleary, who patrolled the area, was amused by the commotion and decided not to intervene in the situation.
+Finally, Mrs. Murphy discovered that Mike had been hiding under a bed in her room the entire time. The tenants were relieved to learn that the boy was safe, and life in the boarding house returned to normal. Mr. and Mrs. McCaskey resumed their usual fighting, much to the amusement of Policeman Cleary, who had grown accustomed to their constant bickering. Despite the chaos and worry caused by Mike's disappearance, the incident brought the tenants closer together and revealed their shared concern for one another.
 {{End of text}}