Lamb to the slaughter

"Lamb to the Slaughter" is a short story written by Roald Dahl, first published in 1953. The story begins with Mary Maloney waiting for her husband Patrick to come home from work. She is six months pregnant and is eagerly anticipating his arrival. As she waits, she wonders what he will say when she tells him that she loves him. When he finally comes home, however, he tells her that he is leaving her.

Mary is stunned by this news, but she quickly recovers and decides to make him a meal. She goes to the freezer to get a leg of lamb and puts it in the oven to cook. While it is cooking, she thinks about what she will do without Patrick. She is worried about how she will take care of herself and her unborn child.

As she is thinking, Patrick comes into the kitchen and tells her that he has to go out. He says that he will be back in an hour or so. Mary is pleased that he is leaving, as it gives her time to prepare for his departure. However, when he turns his back to her, she picks up the leg of lamb and strikes him on the head.

Patrick falls to the floor, dead. Mary is shocked by what she has done, but she quickly realizes that she needs to cover up the crime. She decides to get rid of the evidence by cooking the lamb and serving it to the police officers who will inevitably come to investigate the murder.

When the officers arrive, Mary is crying and telling them that she found her husband dead when she came back from the store. She offers them a drink and some food, and they accept. As they eat the lamb, Mary watches them carefully, hoping that they won't discover her secret.

As the officers finish their meal, one of them comments that the murder weapon is probably right under their noses. Mary starts to panic, but then realizes that they are talking about the murder weapon being something like a knife. She is relieved that they haven't discovered her secret.

After the officers leave, Mary goes back to the kitchen to clean up. She throws away the lamb bone and puts the murder weapon in the fire. She is relieved that she has gotten away with the crime and that no one suspects her.

The next day, Mary goes about her business as usual. She goes to the grocery store, runs errands, and even stops by the police station to ask about the investigation. The officers tell her that they are still looking for the murder weapon, and Mary realizes that she has gotten away with the crime.

As the weeks go by, Mary begins to feel more and more confident. She starts to enjoy her freedom and even starts to date again. However, one day, she receives a call from the grocer, asking if she would like to buy some more lamb. The sound of the word "lamb" triggers a memory in Mary, and she starts to feel sick.

She realizes that she can't go on living with the guilt of what she has done, so she confesses to the crime. The police are shocked by her confession, and they can't believe that she could have done such a thing. However, they have no choice but to arrest her and charge her with murder.

In court, Mary's lawyer argues that she was driven to commit the crime by her pregnancy and the stress of her husband's sudden departure. However, the judge doesn't buy this argument and sentences her to life in prison.

As she is taken away to serve her sentence, Mary thinks about what she has done. She realizes that she was once a happy and contented person, but that she allowed her anger and frustration to get the best of her. She knows that she will never be able to go back to that happy life.