The Toll House

by W.W. Jacobs

William Wymark Jacobs (8 September 1863 – 1 September 1943), was an English author of short stories and novels. Although much of his work was humorous, he is most famous for his horror story The Monkey's Paw. Jacobs is now remembered for his macabre tale "The Monkey's Paw" (published 1902 in the collection of short stories The Lady of the Barge) and several other ghost stories, including "The Toll House" (published 1909 in the collection of short stories Sailors' Knots) and "Jerry Bundler" (published 1901 in the collection Light Freights). However, the majority of his output was humorous in tone. His favourite subjects were marine life: "men who go down to the sea in ships of moderate tonnage" said Punch, reviewing his first collection of stories, Many Cargoes, which achieved great popular success on its publication in 1896. Michael Sadleir described Jacobs' fiction thus: "he wrote stories of three kinds; describing the misadventures of sailor-men ashore; celebrating the artful dodger of a slow-witted village; and tales of the macabre". Many Cargoes was followed by the novel The Skipper's Wooing in 1897, and another collection of short stories, Sea Urchins (1898) set the seal on his popularity. Among his other titles are Captains All, Sailors' Knots, and Night Watches. The title of the last reflects the popularity of perhaps his most enduring character: the night-watchman on the wharf in Wapping, recounting the preposterous adventures of his acquaintances Ginger Dick, Sam Small, and Peter Russet. These three characters, pockets full after a long voyage, would take lodgings together determined to enjoy a long spell ashore; but the crafty inhabitants of dockland London would soon relieve them of their funds, assisted by the sailors' own fecklessness and credulity. Jacobs showed a delicacy of touch in his use of the coarse vernacular of the East End of London, which attracted the respect of such writers as P. G. Wodehouse, who mentions Jacobs in his autobiographical work Bring on the Girls! written with Guy Bolton, published in 1954. The stories which made up Many Cargoes had a varied previous serial publication, while those in Sea Urchins were, for the most part, published in Jerome K. Jerome's Idler. From October 1898 Jacobs' stories were being published in The Strand, an arrangement which lasted almost to his death, and provided him with financial security. He also had a lot of financial problems in his story business. John Drinkwater described Jacobs' fiction as being "in the Dickens tradition".

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, Christmas, Audiobook, British Literature

26 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1909

About the author

William Wymark Jacobs was an English author of short stories and novels. Quite popular in his lifetime primarily for his amusing maritime tales of life along the London docks (many of them humorous as well as sardonic in tone). Today he is best known for a few short works of horror fiction. One being "The Monkey's Paw"(published 1902). It has in its own right become a well-known and widely anthologized classic.


~Literary Works

Many Cargoes (1896)
The Skipper's Wooing (1897)
Sea Urchins (1898) /aka More Cargoes (US) (1898)
A Master of Craft (1900)
The Monkey's Paw (1902)
The Toll House (1902)
Light Freights (1901)
At Sunwich Port (1902)
The Barge (1902)
Odd Craft (1903) : contains The Money Box, basis of Laurel and Hardy film Our Relations (1935)
Dialstone Lane (1902)
Captain's All (1905)
Short Cruises (1907)
Salthaven (1908)
Sailors' Knots (1909)
The Toll House (1909)
Ship's Company (1911)
Night Watches (1914)
The Castaways (1916)
Deep Waters (1919)
Sea Whispers (1926)

Reviews

[karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

"There is no fun in passing a night in an ordinary empty house. Let us make sure that it is haunted."

in a story that has ZERO to do with cookies, four traveling companions spend the night together at an old house with a reputation - "It has taken toll of at least one life of every family that has lived there--however short the time," all to prove to the skeptic among them that ghosts are real.

FOUR MEN ENTER, FOUR MEN FRATERNIZE!

it becomes a gentleman's slumber party - playing cards, smoking, telling stories, hearing noises and trying to freak each other out about what might be making those noises; all fun and games until a couple of them start drifting off into sleep. which would be fine and normal at a regular slumber party, but their sleep seems... unnatural, and they will not be awakened by even the most determined shaking and stern remonstrations.

FOUR MEN ENTER, TWO MEN SLEEP!

after that, things fall apart a bit for the men left awake and aware, one of whom, naturally, is the skeptic. it's an ambiguous frantic night that puts the "mad" in "madcap." what happens in the dark stays in the dark, and all we really know at the end is

FOUR MEN ENTER, THREE MEN LEAVE!

mission statement copied from my review for One Who Saw:

this holiday season, i am going to read through 'seth's christmas ghost stories' line on biblioasis, and i encourage you to do the same. the books are so cute and tiny, you can stuff someone's stocking or dreidel with 'em! the cover art and interior illustrations are by seth, and they are seasonally spoooooky, blending the spirit of halloween with christmas cheer the way nature, and jack skellington, intended.

9 more to go!

come to my blog!

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the author of The Monkey's Paw short story. Short, sweet, not particularly memorable but a nice diversion. Thanks to the Literary Darkness group for bringing it to my attention.

Here is a link to an online version: https://americanliterature.com/author...

[Duane Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A 1909 short story about ghosts in an abandoned toll house, written by the author who wrote the more famous story, The Monkey Paw.

[Quirkyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a major stand your hair on end creeper.

[Latasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short story that could’ve been written today. A group of guys decide to stay in a haunted house but they are dude bro’s and they aren’t scared. Uh huh. Ok. It’s a quick read so check it out and find out what happens.

[Tom Mathews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this story on a recently published list of haunted house stories recently posted by the moderator of the Literary Darkness group.

English author W.W. Jacobs is best known for The Monkey's Paw but has written several books and stories mostly during the early 20th century.

This is an entertaining story based on the age old plot device of the challenge to spend a night in a haunted house.

An electronic version of the story can be found here.

An audio recording of the story can be found here.

[PinkPanthress · Rating 4 out of 5]

We have got four jolly chaps here by the names Meagle, Barnes, White and Lester.
While drinking tea the topic moves to the supernatural and a certain haunted house.
Out of a whim they head to the said haunted house's landlord to pay him and stay the night there for a little challenge.
Soon enough they find themselves in an interesting situation.

A very fast read, which 'went by' quickly.
Well written even though I had read a similar classic horror short-story some time ago… BUT the twist at the end made me rethink my initial rating of 3.2 Stars.
So in the end I'll give it a 3.8. With the roundup this will make a 4 Star rating.

Here are the Links if you would like to have a go at it.
For your ears -> »The Toll-House« @ Youtube
For your eyes -> »The Toll-House« @ Gutenberg

[GoldGato · Rating 3 out of 5]

W.W. Jacobs was an English writer who was best known for his short supernatural story, The Monkey’s Paw. That story was a reminder to readers that wishes were not always something that would cure one’s unhappiness. This ghostly tale, published in his 1909 collection of short stories entitled, Sailors' Knots, is a good old-fashioned example of haunted-house-erism.

As seems to be the usual introductory route to horror, some friends are supping at a local inn, enjoying the banter and endless cups of tea when they haphazardly decide to spend the night at an old, abandoned house feared by the locals.

"Well, there is a house," said Meagle, "a large house at an absurdly low rent, and nobody will take it. It has taken toll of at least one life of every family that has lived there—however short the time—and since it has stood empty caretaker after caretaker has died there. The last caretaker died fifteen years ago."

The men press the inn’s landlord on the history of the house but the good common sense (which never seems to be taken by horror story protagonists) he imparts to them (don’t go near it) is ignored. They simply laugh, so he requests they pay their bills first, as he fears they may not return. As the inn closes and the locals return to their homes where the lights are quickly turned off, the four men trudge off toward their destiny. Yes, fools, the house IS haunted! Don’t go walking down unlit hallways!

This tale proceeds at a brisk clip and ends much quicker than I would have liked, but it’s a nifty little read when one needs a late-night haunting to put oneself to sleep. Again…listen to the locals when they say, DON’T GO THERE!

Book Season = Winter (rank growths)

[Lydia · Rating 3 out of 5]

explicitness: 0/5 (sex: none)
violence: 0/5
language: 0/5
alcohol/drugs/smoking: 1/5
-Mentions of having a drink of whiskey.
intense scenes: 2.5/5
-Characters creepily start to fall asleep without warning.
-A chase ensues between a character and a supposed ghost.
-The character falls down the stairs and dies. There are no descriptions of blood or gore whatsoever.
age rating: 13+

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Toll House: A Ghost Story for Christmas, by W.W. Jacobs, was a ghost tale about a group of friends who challenge each other to stay overnight in a haunted house. This book felt like a good, turn of the century, early horror book. Haunted house, bumps in the night, and so forth abound, and the tale touches on the concept of hubris. Jacobs prose was fair and this was an entertaining short story for what it is. A fun, entertaining little read for Christmas morning.

[Suki St Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

31 Classic Horror Stories Every Fan Should Read in October: A Literary Advent Calender for Halloween: Day 8:
https://www.oldstyletales.com/single-...

[Ocean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can hardly believe I haven't read this author before today. I went through two shorts at light speed today (thank's to online PDFs) but I must get my hands on collection. The writing is absolutely brilliant, and so engrossing too.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

So another short reading interlude - this time from Seth's Christmas Ghost series. They a fun short stories in the style of the Victorian Christmas Ghost story (there is in fact a brief explanation of this in the front of the book)

So we have here is a classic deserted haunted house and the events that happen after a bet is placed. The story is a prefect example of the genre (and I guess sub-genre) which is then accentuated by the insertion of stylised illustrations.

The whole effect is a short trip through the Toll house and the effects it has on our intrepid explorers.

[Rainy-Night-Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars ⭐

[Canavan · Rating 5 out of 5]

✭✭✭✭½

[TAJ ALGADDAFI | تاج القذافي · Rating 3 out of 5]

بيت الإيتاوات او بيت الرسوم ، قصة قصيرة من كتابة ويليام ويمارك جيكوبس
2025\2\15
3:25 am

[Ruth L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 🌟 There's not much here, unfortunately.

[Adam Carson · Rating 3 out of 5]

4 rather silly travellers decide to spend the night in a haunted house to prove, or disprove the existence of ghosts. It obviously goes horribly wrong!

[Shuggy L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Accidental death or a ghostly phenomena? All the scary actions in this story can be accounted for by natural forces - door closing in the draft, an unstuck candle falling off the mantelpiece unexpectedly and load creaking noises on the stairs.

Four friends - Barnes Meadle, Lester and White - decide to stay overnight in an abandoned Toll house to check out if it is really haunted or not. Barnes is especially skeptical of ghosts. The others less so; nevertheless Lester and White seem to quickly fall asleep after they settle down to play cards; they are followed soon after by Meadle.

When Barnes goes out onto the upstairs land landing to check on what’s going on with all the floorboard noises outside the room, he inadvertently puts one of the friends in mortal danger.

Whether overwrought nerves or false bravado are the cause, most of the locals seem to believe in ghosts with the notable exception of Barnes, who nevertheless feels that it is always wise to be careful around dangerous places.

Simple clear language with a lot of conversation between them all - typical male activities with drinking and play cards to pass the time - also a cup of tea at The Feathers Inn. Portrays life in the British countryside. Evocative of a past era with servants' halls and ghostly servants responding to rusty service bells in the kitchen. Staircases, doors and corridors figure widely in the story suggesting hidden thoughts and feelings.

I read this story as part of a series of ghost stories for Halloween.

[Lydia Schoch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Are ghosts real? Is that your final answer?

The beauty of this story is that how little the initial reactions of the reader to the existence (or non-existence) of the spirits of dead people make a difference. Whether you’re convinced one way, the other, or in no particular way at all, there is food for thought here for every reader. It takes creativity to write for so many different audiences simultaneously, and I commend the author for doing so.

What lead me to go with a three star rating had to do with the lack of character development. Barnes, Meagle, Lester, and White were scarcely described at all, and what little I learned about them in the beginning honestly didn’t seem to matter at all by the end. They could have been replaced by four other characters from any corner of the globe and the plot would have played out exactly the same. While I certainly wouldn’t expect something so plot-driven to dive deeply into characterization or character development, it was disappointing to have such forgettable protagonists in an otherwise thought-provoking adventure.

The plot itself was a clever one, however. I found myself changing my opinion of what was really happening to the characters during the course of the evening as new information was revealed and the stakes of the dare the characters agreed to grew even higher. There were so many different ways to interpret each clue that I could have used most of them to argue for and against just about any perspective.

Anyone who loves open-ended stories should give The Toll House a read.

[Maria Preston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first audio book actually my first read of 2022 lol , i wanted a short thing just to see if i would like listening .
Ok , i wrote this blog post as i was listening to the audio book on youtube .. now at first i was disappointed with his tone , it sounded like he really never wanted to read it ..like i cant be assed type of tone , you know what i mean ..but i dont know this guy , so i cant judge this by first impressions .
But the more i listened
The story was ok .. but i never found it to be a horror at all .
but i suppose it depends on if you get scared easy or dont like horror altogether
the tone of his voice changed as the story progressed and i felt it was bit better ..
Was goodish story and was read ok by Otis Jiry, Its basically about 4 people exploring a haunted house in the dark . Where they experience spirits and ghosts in the hall ways and old rooms , and they slowly fall asleep one by one , but they cant wake them , even when they try , but its no good . then another falls asleep .
Its all happening in the dark lit by candle light .
you may think its scary but i never thought it was at all .
overall not to bad , short , but not scary
i give it 2**

[Lady Megan Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chances are you already know today's story author -- from a certain sinister tale involving a monkey's paw.

I would argue that W.W. Jacob's "The Toll House" is just as well-written and just as deserving of fame.

The premise is pretty modern and would honestly make a great limited series (so listen up, HBO Max!). Jack Barnes doesn't believe in ghosts, haunts, or spirits of any kind. He shares this with his traveling buddies: Meagle, Lester, and White, who are all discussing ghosts and appear more inclined to believe. They discuss a certain haunted house, The Toll House, which is said to extract a heavy "toll" from anyone who enters it.

The four men decide to go stay in The Toll House. But will all four come back out?

[Sem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodreads being what it is, and Goodreads librarians being what they are, it's worth noting that I read the edition with illustrations by Seth. The only problem with Seth's illustrations - here and elsewhere - is that I want to live inside them. Yesterday I tried to read one of the Lemony Snicket 'All the Wrong Questions' books. I hated it, which came as no surprise, but damn, it has fine illustrations. In the case of 'The Toll House', Seth has a text worthy of his art. If only he could illustrate Harry Stephen Keeler... It would be a perfect marriage.

[Mj Zander · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am making my way through these charming little Victorian ghost tales, published by Biblioasis and illustrated by Seth. None of them have been terrifying, but I've enjoyed the few I've read.

Stories like the Toll House aren't particularly frightening. But, imagine sitting around the fireplace on a cold dark winter night, with your father adding some drama while reading this aloud to the family and you can feel the goosebumps this would have created! This is one of those creepy stories with a fairly predictable ending. But a fun read, nonetheless!

[Paul Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Biblioasis] (2017). SB. 42 Pages. Purchased from Amazon.co.uk.

This story first appeared in “Sailor’s Knots” (1909) - a collection which is predominantly non-supernatural in nature.

The drab, naive drawings by “Seth” (Gregory Gallant (1962-)) bring nothing worthwhile to this book. Additional contextual information, for instance a more detailed biographical sketch of the author*, would have been a welcome substitute. (*A mere four lines… but fifteen(!) for the illustrator…)

Well executed but following narrative lines which have become more than a little tired.

[Lisa Kucharski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Proper creepy story about several guys talking about whether ghosts are real or not and discuss where to settle this debate! Ha, a haunted house they know of that is haunted and has always killed one person of the people who have tried to stay there. They explore about the house and there are sounds of footsteps and doors closing and opening etc... They huddle in a room... and that’s all I’ll say. :)

[Ana on the Shelves · Rating 4 out of 5]

A group of four friends decide to spend a night in a supposed haunted house in order to change the mind of the skeptic one among them. It is said that this old abode requires a fee to be paid. And the currency is human lifes.
The Toll House is a short but very well executed account of that one daring night. What really happened? What was a dream and what was reality? No better way to find out than to read this very well crafted tale.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining listening 🔰😀

Another will written British thriller adventure short story by W. W. Jacobs about friends down on their luck making the best of it. I would recommend this novella to anyone looking for a quick read. Enjoy the adventure of reading 👓 or listening 🎶 to different types of novels 🔰🏡🏰😤 2022

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite of this series. Four friends drinking in a pub decide to test the local haunted house—and their belief in the “toll” it exacts”—by staying overnight. Much of the potential of this story is left on the table: thin characters, underdeveloped plot, and an under-described haunted house.

[Cristine Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jack Barnes and his traveling companions hear of the terrible history of the local Toll House and the spirits that supposedly reside there. Jack is not a believer so his fellow travelers suggest they spend the night in the Toll house to convince Jack otherwise. Four men go in but do four come out?