A Face in the Dark Summary

Summary

For a fun animated video explanation, click here: https://youtu.be/s5mdOSC1vlU

Here is a summary of the story A Face in the Dark by Ruskin Bond.

Mr Oliver, an Anglo-Indian teacher who taught at a prestigious school on the outskirts of Simla, was returning to school late one night after a visit to the Simla Bazaar. The Bazaar was almost three miles from the school. Mr Oliver usually visited it in the evening and returned to school after dark. On his way back, he would take. a short cut through the pine forest. Few people did this because the trees made eerie sounds on windy days. But Mr Oliver was not faint-hearted.

As Mr Oliver moved along the narrow path, the flickering light of his torch fell on a boy sitting alone on a rock. Mr Oliver was. annoyed since schoolboys were not supposed to be out after dark. The boy had covered his face with his hands and appeared to be crying. His body shook as he wept soundlessly. Mr Oliver's anger gave way to concern. He gently asked the boy why he was crying, but the boy continued to sob.

Finally, the boy took his hands from his face and looked up. To Mr Oliver's horror, the boy had no face! There was just a head with no ears, mouth, nose or eyes beneath the cap. The torch fell from Mr Oliver's trembling hands, and he ran blindly through the trees calling for help.

He was running towards the school buildings when he bumped into the watchman swinging his lantern. When the watchman asked why he was running, Mr Oliver breathlessly recounted what he had seen. In response to this, the watchman brought the lamp close to his own face and asked if the boy's face was like his. The watchman, too, had no face!

And at that moment, the lamp blew out.

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