Short Fiction · Chapter
The Burglar explained
An old artist recounts a drunken night at the studio of the late Sorieul, where he, Sorieul, and Le Poittevin, costumed as soldiers, discover a real burglar hiding in a cupboard.
What happens
An old artist recounts a drunken night at the studio of the late Sorieul, where he, Sorieul, and Le Poittevin, costumed as soldiers, discover a real burglar hiding in a cupboard. After a mock trial and a series of absurd threats, they eventually befriend the terrified intruder, share punch with him, and let him go at dawn.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
The emotional and psychological peak occurs when Leuillet receives news of Souris’s sudden death and experienc…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Obsession and Delusion
The artists' drunken delusion transforms a real burglar into a plaything for their military fantasy, blurring the line between jest and cruelty.
- Cruelty and Suffering
The burglar is terrorized, bound, and threatened with execution, highlighting the casual cruelty of the artists' prank.
- Illusion vs. Reality
The artists' theatrical role-playing clashes with the very real fear and helplessness of the burglar, only to dissolve into absurd camaraderie by dawn.
Characters to notice
- Sorieul
The host of the dinner, now deceased; he instigates the military costumes and the mock trial of the burglar.
- Guy de Maupassant
The narrator of the story, who participates as a cuirassier and later as prosecutor in the mock trial.
- Mouche
Referenced as Le Poittevin, the marine painter, who plays the grenadier and suggests starving the burglar.
Key passages
“I tell you, you will not believe it.”
The narrator insists the story is true despite its implausibility.
Opening line that sets up the tale's claim to authenticity.
“The funniest part of my story is that it really happened.”
The narrator concludes that the humor lies in the story's factual basis.
Closing line that reinforces the story's veracity.
