Detailed Summary of The Landlady by Roald Dahl

Detailed Summary of The Landlady by Roald Dahl

The story begins with Billy Weaver, a young man of seventeen, who arrives in the city of Bath for business. He is new to the place and looking for somewhere cheap to stay the night. His boss has told him to find a boarding house, as it is more homely and affordable than a hotel.

As Billy wanders through the streets, he notices a signboard that reads “Bed and Breakfast.” Something about the place attracts him strangely, almost as if he is being drawn toward it. Curious, he rings the bell.

The door opens instantly, as though someone had been waiting for him. A middle-aged woman stands there—the landlady. She is friendly, polite, and seems very kind. She tells Billy that she has a room available. Her manner is motherly, and Billy, though slightly uneasy, feels comforted and decides to stay.

When Billy signs the guest book, he notices only two other names in it: Christopher Mulholland and Gregory W. Temple. Both names seem oddly familiar to him, though he cannot recall exactly where he has heard them before. The landlady confirms that both were previous guests, but she says it with a strange smile.

Billy observes that the boarding house feels warm and welcoming, yet oddly too quiet. There are no other guests around. He also notices that the landlady’s pet animals, a parrot in a cage and a dachshund lying by the fire, seem almost unnaturally still. On closer observation, he realizes that both are stuffed.

This realization unsettles him, and he begins to connect the dots. The landlady insists that Billy must drink her tea, which tastes faintly of bitter almonds—a hint at poison (cyanide).

The story ends with Billy starting to feel sleepy after drinking the tea. He recalls where he had heard the names in the guest book—they had been in the newspapers, missing under mysterious circumstances. At that moment, he finally realizes the landlady’s dark secret: she stuffs not only her pets, but also her guests.

The tale closes abruptly, leaving readers with a chilling sense of horror.