Comments on: I don’t know what the first two were, but the third was for death https://www.isegoria.net/2020/10/i-dont-know-what-the-first-two-were-but-the-third-was-for-death/ From the ancient Greek for equality in freedom of speech; an eclectic mix of thoughts, large and small Thu, 18 Jun 2026 17:20:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6.1 By: Isegoria https://www.isegoria.net/2020/10/i-dont-know-what-the-first-two-were-but-the-third-was-for-death/comment-page-1/#comment-3291307 Isegoria Sat, 31 Oct 2020 17:49:50 +0000 https://www.isegoria.net/?p=47209#comment-3291307 I think my first direct exposure to “The Monkey’s Paw” was The Simpsons‘ “Tree House of Horror II” — which added the visual detail of the monkey’s fingers counting down the four wishes it granted. I’m sure I encountered the trope in plenty of Twilight Zone episodes and other derivative works.

I don’t recall reading any horror in school, except Poe — although “The Most Dangerous Game” comes close.

]]> By: Buckethead https://www.isegoria.net/2020/10/i-dont-know-what-the-first-two-were-but-the-third-was-for-death/comment-page-1/#comment-3290833 Buckethead Sat, 31 Oct 2020 00:13:07 +0000 https://www.isegoria.net/?p=47209#comment-3290833 I’ve been avoiding it for decades.

]]> By: Kirk https://www.isegoria.net/2020/10/i-dont-know-what-the-first-two-were-but-the-third-was-for-death/comment-page-1/#comment-3290770 Kirk Fri, 30 Oct 2020 22:28:14 +0000 https://www.isegoria.net/?p=47209#comment-3290770 I’m yet again aghast at discovering how another one of my long-held cultural assumptions turns out to be false… I could have sworn that everyone got put through reading this story in middle school. Or, at least, got exposed to it.

Good grief, it’s included in about every single anthology collection of horror short stories I can remember encountering during the late 20th Century. How it would be possible to avoid encountering it is what boggles my mind–I don’t think it would be possible unless you consciously tried to avoid it deliberately.

]]> By: Borepatch https://www.isegoria.net/2020/10/i-dont-know-what-the-first-two-were-but-the-third-was-for-death/comment-page-1/#comment-3290704 Borepatch Fri, 30 Oct 2020 20:48:45 +0000 https://www.isegoria.net/?p=47209#comment-3290704 It’s indeed short, and I think the creepiest thing I’ve ever read.

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