The Monkey's Paw of Dunkerque

A few weeks back I found this French Victorian era glass souvenir casket box featuring a brightly back-painted lid image of the port of Dunkirk, where the famous Bataille de Dunkerque was to eventually be fought in 1940. And with its ornate, golden metal framework, glass sides, and tufted silk cushion within (unfortunately, quite rotted and disintegrating at this point), it was decided this was still the perfect casing to hold yet another macabre memento for Mr. Karswell's museum of miniature curiosities. And being of course more a horror buff than one of war history, --and turning to W. W. Jacobs for further inspiration-- a shriveled monkey's paw seemed to be the pawfect, final furry ingredient! Ideal for the overall size of the box, it is only after the lid is opened to reveal the petrified paw inside that we suddenly realize this sinister, spider-like appendage, in fact, does not wish to be contained at all, and it will quickly scurry out for an eerie escape almost instantaneously. It is also believed that the paw will grant you three wishes, and if you do wish to test this, I recommend that one does so very carefully and with much thought put into each and every single desire. I assure you, simply putting the paw back into the box and tightly securing the lid instead, becomes the wiser, more sound decision, as it is always best to avoid a trio of miscalculated, backfiring wishes of epically, deadly proportions.