Mr. Swiddler’s Flip-Flap by Ambose Bierce, reviewed by Shivani Tanwar

Mr. Swiddler’s Flip-Flap by Ambose Bierce

Reviewed by
Name: Shivani Tanwar
School: Gyan Mandir Public School

About the Author

The best known Master’s of the craft of dark humour were Ambose Bierce (1842-1915) one an American, the other an Englishman. He had written so many fantabulous stories like – ‘An imperfect conflagration, The cat lovers etc. He had written so many types of stories like – Horror, Mysterious, comedious etc.

Characters

Characters Role
1. Swiddler -Main role
2. Jerome Bowles -Swiddler’s friend
3. Jim Peasley -Joker and Magician

Book Review

There was a man called Mr. Swiddler. He want to save is friend’s life from hanging as he didn’t done any wrong thing and is a innocent person. The government had decided to hang the Jerome Bowles, his friend. Swiddler requested a lot. Finally, the government set a condition that he had to take a telegram and give it to the telegraph office which is at the distance of fifteen miles and only in seven hours. Swiddler thought that it is so simple. I can do it in one to two hour. But when he reached to railway station. The station master said there is a holiday as the staff is gone for watching the hanging of Mr. Bowles. Then he went to the stable for looking horse – he got same answer from there too that all horses are booked as everybody is going to watch hanging. Then he decided to go by his feet. In a way, he met a joker/ magician named ‘Jim Peasley’. He gave a suggestion that if he (Mr. Swiddler) will help him in circus he will do a magic and make Mr. Swiddler go to telegraph office. Mr. Swiddler agreed and Mr. Peasley make his one foot in air and one of the ground and asked him to create a noise of flip-flap by your had and Mr. Swidder do the same and something strange happened that his heel start spinning and Jim pushed him and he goes very fast and getting faster and faster. Atleast he reached and able to save his friend’s life.

My Opinion

This was a wonderful story I had ever read and it was comedious as well as mysterious too. After reading this story I remember a quotation ‘The friend in need, the friend in deed’. Aleast, I suggest all to read this story, accept the moral and use it in your daily life and enjoy the story a lot.