(originally published anonymously and subtitled “A Tale in
Imitation of the German”
published January 24 in Philadelphia
Saturday Courier)
“Near neighbors are seldom friends….” The Berlifitzing and
the Metzengerstein families have been rivals for generations. When the
Berlifitzing house catches fire, Frederick, the young new head of the Metzengerstein
household, is suspected of having caused it. Shortly after the head of the
Berlifitzings dies in the fire, Frederick comes into possession of a strange
horse. Frederick grows mysteriously obsessed with the horse, shunning human
companionship for long rides on the animal instead. This horror story, set in
Hungary, starts with a fire and it ends with a fire too. It was Poe's first
published short story.
Summary written by Taylor Colegrove, May 2011. Title links to the full text of the story.
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