"Galloping Foxley" is a

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter ace of Norwegian descent. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Dahl has b ...

first published in '' Town & Country'' in 1953. It was included in the short-story collection '' Someone Like You'', and was later adapted into an episode of '' Tales of The Unexpected''.

Published story

"Galloping Foxley", which Dahl claimed was based on a true story, is about a man named William Perkins, described as a "contented commuter" but in fact obsessed by routine. Every day he arrives at the station and catches the same train, taking the same seat in the carriage. One day his routine is shattered by the arrival of a newcomer who takes first his place at the station, and then sits in the carriage Perkins normally has to himself. The outraged Perkins slowly realises he recognises the newcomer as a former schoolmate; but the newcomer clearly does not recognize Perkins, allowing the author to fill the void. The newcomer is Bruce Foxley. At school, Foxley was a

prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...

who used Perkins as his personal slave, viciously abusing him mentally and physically. Indeed, the name "Galloping Foxley" is in recognition of the way Foxley would take a run-up when delivering a beating. After reliving his troubled past with Foxley in his mind, Perkins musters up the courage to introduce himself to the man as William Perkins, who attended

Repton School Repton School is a 13–18 co-educational, independent, day and boarding school in the English public school tradition, in Repton, Derbyshire, England. Sir John Port of Etwall, on his death in 1557, left funds to create a grammar school ...

in 1907. To his surprise, the man opposite states he is pleased to meet him, before introducing himself as Jocelyn Fortescue, who went to

Eton College Eton College () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI of England, Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. i ...

in 1916.

Television episode

The ending used in '' Tales of The Unexpected'' differs from the original written version. In the short story, Perkins decides to seek

revenge Revenge is committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. Francis Bacon described revenge as a kind of "wild justice" that "does... offend the law ndputteth the law out of office." Pr ...

by publicly humiliating Foxley. He introduces himself and without a shred of emotion Foxley introduces himself but he gives a different name and school. This ending, while ambiguous – the man could indeed be Foxley and simply lying to confuse and humiliate Perkins – the implication is the man is not Foxley at all and Perkins has simply been wrong all along. In the television version, however, Perkins creates a scene and recounts to the other passengers the misery he suffered at the hands of the newcomer. Again the newcomer shows no emotion but denies being Foxley and gives a different name and school. However, he gives a knowing look and rests his cane on his shoulder exactly as the viewer saw Foxley do earlier on.

References

{{reflist, 25em Short stories by Roald Dahl 1953 short stories Works originally published in Town & Country (magazine) Obsessive–compulsive disorder in fiction Commuting