THE MESSENGERS AT THE WINDOW by HENRY VAN DYKE

🎙️ SUMMARY — The Messengers at the Window by Henry van Dyke 1001 Classic Short Stories & Tales

Henry van Dyke's The Messengers at the Window is a gentle, mystical tale set on a lonely lighthouse island in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. The story is told by a visitor staying with Baptiste Thibault, the current lighthouse‑keeper, and his daughter Nataline — descendants of the legendary original keeper, Nataline Fortin. As the September storm rages outside, a small bird strikes the window, and Baptiste explains an old Breton belief: sometimes birds are "the messengers of God" who bring warnings or truth to a household.

Baptiste then recounts a haunting family story from nearly fifty years earlier. His father, Marcel Thibault, returning home by boat one night, discovered a drowned man floating in the water — a man wearing a heavy gold ring with a red stone. Overcome by greed, Marcel chopped off the dead man's swollen finger to steal the ring.

That night, as Marcel tried to hide his crime, strange blows struck the lighthouse window. Marcel saw — or believed he saw — a hand with the little finger missing pressed against the glass. His wife, Nataline Fortin, saw only stunned birds, but she understood the meaning: the birds were messengers, urging confession. One bird was a cedar‑bird, another a blackbird, and finally a wounded cross‑bill — the sacred bird whose twisted beak, she said, came from trying to pull the nails from Christ's hands.

Under her steady, fearless guidance, Marcel confessed everything. Together they rowed out under the moonlight to return the severed finger — and the ring — to the sea where the drowned man had come from.

Get all of our shows at one website: www.1001storiespodcast.com

REVIEWS NEEDED . My email works as well for comments: 1001storiespodcast@gmail.com

SUPPORT OUR SHOW BY BECOMING A PATRON! www.patreon.com/1001storiesnetwork. Its time I started asking for support! Thank you. Its a few dollars a month OR a one time. (Any amount is appreciated).

YOUR REVIEWS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS AT APPLE/ITUNES AND ALL ANDROID HOSTS ARE NEEDED AND APPRECIATED! LINKS BELOW...

Open these links to enjoy our shows!

APPLE USERS

Catch 1001 Heroes on any Apple Device here (Free):