Mr Hoddy

Mr Hoddy is a short, sharp, amusing story from Roald Dahl, the master of the macabre tale.
In Mr Hoddy, Roald Dahl, one of the world's favourite authors, tells a comic story of human folly. Here, a man trying to convince the father of his beloved of his good prospects unwisely brings up his new career . . .
Mr Hoddy is taken from the short story collection Someone Like You, which includes seventeen other devious and shocking stories, featuring the wife who serves a dish that baffles the police; a curious machine that reveals the horrifying truth about plants; the man waiting to be bitten by the venomous snake asleep on his stomach; and others.
'The absolute master of the twist in the tale.' (Observer )
This story is also available as a Penguin digital audio download read by Jessica Hynes.