Short Fiction · Chapter
The Ash-Tree explained
The chapter recounts the history of Castringham Hall in Suffolk, focusing on a great ash tree that stands near the house.
What happens
The chapter recounts the history of Castringham Hall in Suffolk, focusing on a great ash tree that stands near the house. In 1690, the area was rife with witch trials, and Sir Matthew Fell testified against a local woman, Mrs. Mothersole, who was executed for witchcraft. After her death, Sir Matthew dies mysteriously in his bed. Years later, his descendant Sir Richard Fell also dies in a similar manner. An investigation reveals that the ash tree harbors a nest of monstrous spiders and the skeleton of a woman, suggesting that Mrs. Mothersole's curse has been enacted through the tree.
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
This letter marks the story’s dramatic climax because it delivers the emotional and psychological peak of unre…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Supernatural and the Uncanny
The mysterious deaths of Sir Matthew and Sir Richard Fell, the monstrous spiders, and the skeleton in the ash tree evoke a supernatural curse.
- Folklore and Ancient Beliefs
The witch trials and the belief in witches' power to curse and cause harm through natural objects like the ash tree reflect deep-rooted folklore.
- Decay and Mortality
The dried skeleton of a woman, the seared remains of spiders, and the blackened bodies of the victims highlight themes of decay and death.
Characters to notice
- Sir Matthew Fell
The original proprietor of Castringham Hall who testified against Mrs. Mothersole and died mysteriously after her execution.
- Sir Richard
A descendant of Sir Matthew Fell who also dies in his bed under similar circumstances, with strange marks on his windowsill.
- The Squire
Sir Richard Fell is referred to as the Squire; he is the central figure in the later part of the story.
- The Doctor
A medical professional who examines Sir Richard's body and notes the blackened state of his face and neck.
- Mr. Gregory
The Bishop of Kilmore, who investigates the ash tree and witnesses the events leading to its burning.
- Mr. Williams
Sir William Kentfield, a guest at the Hall who assists in the investigation of the tree.
Key passages
“The lantern must have broken at the bottom, and the light in it caught upon dry leaves and rubbish that lay there, for in a few minutes a dense smoke began to come up, and then flame; and, to be short, the tree was in a blaze.”
The lantern broke and ignited dry debris inside the tree, causing it to catch fire quickly.
Describes the accidental burning of the ash tree that reveals its hidden horrors.
“They found below it a rounded hollow place in the earth, wherein were two or three bodies of these creatures that had plainly been smothered by the smoke; and, what is to me more curious, at the side of this den, against the wall, was crouching the anatomy or skeleton of a human being, with the skin dried upon the bones, having some remains of black hair, which was pronounced by those that examined it to be undoubtedly the body of a woman, and clearly dead for a period of fifty years.”
In the hollow beneath the tree, they discovered the remains of several spiders and the skeleton of a woman, identified as having been dead for about fifty years.
Reveals the grim secret of the ash tree: a woman's skeleton and the lair of the monstrous spiders.
