Summary
The bachelor goes on with his story. He says that though there were no sheep in the park, there were a variety of colored pigs. Bertha also finds that there were no flowers in the park, which made her sad because she had promised not to pick any flowers and now was not even tempted. The children appreciate the fact that the park in the bachelor's story had pigs and no flowers.
The prince described the rest of the park, which was full of colored fish, parrots, and "hummingbirds that could hum popular music" (7). Bertha entertained herself by walking around the park and listening to her medals clink together.
Suddenly, a wolf entered the park. The wolf was brown, black, and gray. He came to the park to find a pig to eat; however, because Bertha's white dress was so clean, the wolf saw her first. Bertha ran away, but the wolf followed her. As Bertha ran away from the wolf, she wished that she had never been allowed into the park.
Bertha hid in a bush which masked her smell. The wolf nearly decided to go catch a pig instead. However, Bertha started to shake from fear, causing her medals to make noise. The wolf heard the medals and came back for Bertha.
The wolf found Bertha and ate her. The man finishes the story by noting, "All that was left were her shoes, pieces of clothing, and the three medals for goodness" (8). The children ask if any of the pigs were killed and the man replies that they all escaped.
The children praise the man's story, saying it is the most beautiful - or even the only beautiful - story they ever heard. Their aunt, however, scolds the man for telling a story that is inappropriate for children. The man replies that the story kept them quiet, directly comparing his abilities to the aunt's.
The bachelor gathers his things and leaves the train. As he leaves, he thinks to himself with amusement that the children will now want to hear more inappropriate stories.
Analysis
One interesting detail the man gives in the story is that all that was left behind after Bertha was eaten were her clean clothes and medals. This could symbolize a number of things. On one hand, the man seems to pose a dark, even theological question of whether one's goodness follows one after death. In another sense, these remains could be seen as a warning to the rest of Bertha's kingdom, especially other children, of the dangers of being good. Finally, the fact that her clothing and medals were left behind creates a more vivid image of her death, painting a scene in which she was not simply swallowed whole but attacked in such a way that her clothing and medals would be removed. This verges on a suggestion of the sexual, adding a further level of inappropriateness to the story.
The animals in the story can be seen as symbols. Sheep, cows, and pigs are mentioned in the story, all animals which are kept in packs and controlled by humans. These animals symbolically suggest stupidity and lack of direction. This parallels the lack of curiosity the aunt desires from the three children.
Another symbolic animal is the wolf, which attacked the pigs and Bertha, and can be seen as a symbol of impurity in the world - all of the things the aunt wants to prevent the children from knowing about. The wolf, therefore, parallels the man who tells the story, since he kills, in a sense, the innocence of the children. Saki is known for including conflict between violent animals and children in his stories to raise questions about human nature, particularly the innocence of children.
Paying attention to the colors used in the bachelor's story deepens the reader's understanding of the themes Saki is trying to communicate throughout. Contrast is drawn between the animals the bachelor uses to establish the beauty and magic of the park (such as colorful fish and birds) and the darkly colored animals discussed above (pigs and the wolf) that represent the harsh reality of the world permeating such a space of wonder and innocence. Saki chooses white, a clear symbol of innocence and purity, as the color of Bertha's dress, which contrasts with the darkness of the wolf (described as mud-colored with black and gray facial features) to add another layer of metaphor to Bertha's death.
It is interesting to note that there is not a clear protagonist in the story. While the aunt is undoubtedly an antagonist, hated as she is by the bachelor and the children and described only negatively by Saki, the bachelor is not a hero by any means. Though the bachelor is able to answer the children's questions imaginatively, he is still lying to them and acting as if he is an expert. Furthermore, at the end of the story he leaves the children with their aunt - rather than feeling pity or camaraderie for the children, he feels only a sense of amusement. Thus, the reader is left to decide whether the bachelor's views on education and children were truly more correct or more noble than the aunt's.
