The Leopard Man's Story
A young man from the city travels to a small town in New Mexico with a leopard he has purchased. The leopard escapes and begins killing people in the town. A detective is sent to investigate and capture the animal, but the townspeople are suspicious of him due to his past experiences with leopards.
By Jack London · First published 1903 · Genre: Adventure, Drama, Suspense · 1,828 words
First lines
He had a dreamy, far-away look in his eyes, and his sad, insistent voice, gentle-spoken as a maid's, seemed the placid embodiment of some deep-seated melancholy. He was the Leopard Man, but he did not look it. His business in life, whereby he lived, was to appear in a cage of performing leopards before vast audiences, and to thrill those audiences by certain exhibitions of nerve for which his employers rewarded him on a scale commensurate with the thrills he produced.
What this Textopian page supports
The Leopard Man's Story is listed on Textopian as a short story by Jack London, dated 1903 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Jack London
- Date: 1903 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Adventure, Drama, Suspense, Tragedy, Psychological Fiction
- Length: 1,828 words
- Structure: 1 section, 27 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Leopard Man's Story by Jack London
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Leopard Man's Story?
- How does this short story by Jack London fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Adventure first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Riding An Avalanche by James Mcintyre
- The Lost Poacher by Jack London
- Simple Psiman by F. L. Wallace
- The Hunter by Hilaire Belloc
- Exploiters End by James Causey
- The Dark Forest by Hugh Walpole
Genres
- Adventure — The story revolves around the thrilling and dangerous life of a lion-tamer, featuring elements of risk and excitement.
- Drama — The narrative explores intense personal conflicts, emotions, and relationships, particularly involving jealousy and revenge.
- Suspense — The plot builds tension through the anticipation of danger and the unfolding of a vengeful plan.
- Tragedy — The story concludes with the downfall and death of a central character, evoking a sense of inevitable fate.
Tags
Adventure · Fiction · Thriller · Mystery · Suspense · Crime · Wildlife · Survival · Predator · Prey · Man vs Nature · Human Nature