Lawyer Quince by W. W. Jacobs (1843)
The story follows the titular character, Lawyer Quince, a small-town lawyer who is known for his eccentric behavior. He is a bit of a recluse, and his only friend is his pet parrot, Polly. One day, a stranger arrives in town and visits Quince's office. The stranger is looking for a lawyer to help him with a legal matter, and Quince agrees to take the case. The stranger's case is a strange one. He claims to have been cursed by a witch, and he needs Quince to help him break the curse. Quince is skeptical, but he agrees to help the stranger. Quince and the stranger travel to the witch's house, where they find her in a trance. Quince is able to break the curse, and the stranger is freed from his plight. The story ends with Quince and the stranger parting ways, and Quince returning home with Polly. Quince is happy to have helped the stranger, and he is content to return to his quiet life.
By W. W. Jacobs · First published 1843 · Genre: Humor, Fiction, Mystery · 4,102 words
First lines
Lawyer Quince, so called by his neighbours in Little Haven from his readiness at all times to place at their disposal the legal lore he had acquired from a few old books while following his useful occupation of making boots, sat in a kind of wooden hutch at the side of his cottage plying his trade. The London coach had gone by in a cloud of dust some three hours before, and since then the wide village street had slumbered almost undisturbed in the sunshine.
What this Textopian page supports
Lawyer Quince is listed on Textopian as a short story by W. W. Jacobs, dated 1843 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: W. W. Jacobs
- Date: 1843 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Humor, Fiction, Mystery, Satire
- Length: 4,102 words
- Structure: 1 section, 149 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Lawyer Quince by W. W. Jacobs
- 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 Lawyer Quince?
- How does this short story by W. W. Jacobs fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Humor first become important in the reading?
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Genres
- Humor — The book is a humorous short story written by W. W. Jacobs, a renowned British humorist.
- Fiction — The book is a work of fiction, as it is a short story written by a renowned British humorist.
- Mystery — The book contains elements of mystery, as the protagonist, Lawyer Quince, is tasked with solving a mysterious case.
- Satire — The book contains elements of satire, as it is a humorous story that pokes fun at the legal profession.
Tags
lawyer · humor · short story · British literature · satire · courtroom · legal drama · character study · dialogue · social commentary · 19th century · fiction