The Open Window
short story by Saki
The Open Window, frequently anthologized short story by Saki, first published in the collection Beasts and Super-Beasts in 1914. Vera, a charming teenager, plays a practical joke on a nervous visitor, causing him to flee the house. The story’s surprise ending, its witty, concise narrative, and its slightly sinister tone are all trademarks of Saki’s fiction.