The Fall of the House of Usher

by Edgar Allan Poe

(Adapted book. Elementary book)

It was late autumn. The weather was wet and the wind had blown all the leaves from the trees. I was riding my horse across the wet, empty land. I was traveling alone. I was going toward a dark and strange house-the House of Usher.

Why had I come to this lonely place? I knew Roderick Usher-the owner of the house. We were old friends, but we had not met for many years. A few weeks ago, I had received a letter from Roderick.

I am ill-very ill. Please come and visit me. I am going mad! I want your help. We have been friends since we were boys. Please come!

Roderick Usher

I had been riding all day and it was now late. The pale sun was low in the sky when I arrived at the House of Usher.

A large lake of black water surrounded the house. I stopped by the lake and looked at the house. Roderick Usher's house was a large black building. Its many windows were like empty eyes. Suddenly, I felt cold...and a little afraid.

In front of me, a narrow road went across a bridge toward the house. I walked my horse along the narrow road until I reached the walls of the house.

I knocked on the front door and a servant opened it. He took my horse to a stable. Then he led me inside the house.

We climbed many stairs to his master's room. Lamps burned along the walls, but they gave little light. The long corridors and stairways were full of dark shadows.

The servant opened a big, wooden door and I looked inside a large room.

At first, I did not recognise the man who was lying on a sofa. Then I saw that it was Roderick Usher. My friend had changed! He looked pale and ill. We were the same age, but he looked much older than me. His hair was silver-gray, and as soft as the web of a spider. I thought that Roderick was asleep because his eyes were closed. But as I entered the room, he sat up. Then he opened his eyes. They shone strangely in the weak light from the lamps.

I walked toward him.

"Welcome, my oldest and dearest friend!" he said.

But he did not shake my hand or come near me.

"Please excuse me," he said. "I don't wish to be rude. But I'm ill. I can't touch another man's hand. Please sit down. Rest a moment. A servant will take you to your room very soon. Then we shall have dinner and talk."