Saki: Sredni Vashtar
“Sredni Vashtar” is a short story by British writer Saki (Hector Hugh Munro), first published on May 28, 1910, in the Westminster Gazette and later included in The Chronicles of Clovis (1911). The story centers on Conradin, a sickly and lonely boy who lives under the oppressive guardianship of his cousin, Mrs. De Ropp. In a hidden corner of the garden, Conradin finds refuge in a shed where he secretly raises a ferret, which he worships as a god named Sredni Vashtar. In this small sanctuary, Conradin builds a private world, the setting for his intimate and silent resistance.