DID you ever finish a story and feel that there should have been more? A Canadian with a puckish sense of humor feels moved to let us know he's had similar experiences, including one with regard to a certain consulting detective . . .
WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?
The Sequel to Some Famous World Stories
I think it was Mark Twain who once explained that most of the famous anecdotes and stories stopped too soon and ought to have been carried on to show what happened next. It was either Mark Twain or Artemus Ward or somebody. At any rate, the idea is a good one.
Pursuing that thought . . .
It has occurred to me also that the same principle might be applied to the elucidation of our fiction. Very often it stops just at the point where the reader would like to know what happened next. For example—to take one random example out of an infinite number—take the very familiar ending of a certain type of detective story. The mystery, thanks, let us say, to the penetrating logic and the tireless patience of Sherlock Holmes, has been solved. Lord Bughouse’s documents, the loss of which would have carried down the United Kingdom, have been found. The country is safe, and with it is saved the honor of Lord Bughouse. It is the final scene of the story. “Mr. Holmes,” said Lord Bughouse, deeply moved, “words cannot express my obligation to you. I know that you do not work for money, but you must at least let me defray the expenses to which you have been put.”
After which Lord Bughouse is shown downstairs to his Brougham, and the story ends. But it shouldn’t. There ought to be another chapter under the heading:
SHERLOCK HOLMES SENDS IN HIS BILL
There can be no doubt that if the activities of the great detective in fiction were charged up, like those of a lawyer, or an engineer, or a doctor, the cost would be high. Such as this:—
(1) Remaining in profound thought (opening chapter) at $25.00 an hour: $50.00
(2) Forging an inexorable chain of logic, at $10.00 a link: $2,000.00
(3) Intense reflection in armchair pursued apparently for six months at $30.00 an
evening: $5,000.00
(4) Outside activities for 6 months, including railroad fares to Constantinople and back: $10,000.00
(5) Taxi Cab left with engine running in Chapter III and forgotten: $15,000.00
(6) Services of 16 railway porters, 20 nightwatchmen, and 80 taxi cab drivers in gathering clues at $5.00 per day per clue: $20,000.00
Total: $52,050.00
“After all,” said Lord Bughouse, as he wrote a check on the Treasury for the amount, “I doubt if it was worth it.”
From Stephen Leacock's Funny Pieces (1936) at Fadedpage (HERE; page 123).
Resources:
- Fadedpage of Canada has an impressive collection of Stephen Leacock's productions (HERE).
- It has been quite a while since we last ran into Leacock ("The Criminal Face," "Confessions of a Super-Extra-Criminal," "A Midsummer Detective Mystery," and "Living with Murder"), which are all (HERE).
The bottom line:
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Unless otherwise noted, all bibliographical data are derived from The FictionMags Index created by William G. Contento & edited by Phil Stephensen-Payne.
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