Welcome back, everyone to 1001 classic short stories and tales. This is your host, John Haggardorn.

Today's story, Keeping Watch by W.W. Jacobs.

Visits that time-worn battlefield where watchful parents attempt to keep young lovers apart.

Though Jacobs is famous for his horror story, The Monkey's Paw, much of his work is quite

humorous and rich in comedy. Keeping Watch is a rather representative

sample of Jacob's writing, and it features common elements that appear again and again in his writing.

It's set on the seafront. It's peopled by seafaring folks, and it's written in the vernacular of sailors

and dock workers. Enjoy this funny story where young love outwits a watchful father and the two old goats he

hires to keep watch on his daughter.

Human nature, said the night watchman, gazing fixedly at a pretty girl and a passing

waterman's skiff.

Human nature.

He sighed, and striking a match, applied it to his pipe, and sat smoking thoughtfully.

That young fellow's pretending that his arm is at the back of her by accident.

He continued, and she's pretending not to know that it's there.

When he's allowed to put it round her waist whenever he wishes, he won't want to do it.

She's artful enough to know that, and that's why they are all so standoffish until the thing is settled.

I betcha she'll move forward half an inch presently, and half a minute afterwards, she'll lean back again without thinking.

She's a nice-looking gal, and what she can see in a tailor's dummy like that, I can't think.

He leaned back on his box, and, folding his arms, emitted a cloud of smoke.

Yep, human nature is a funny thing.

I've seen a lot of it in my time.

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