The Ledge
Encyclopedia
"The Ledge" is a short story by Stephen King
, first published in the July 1976 issue of Penthouse
, and later collected in King's 1978 collection Night Shift
.
narrator
and opens with the protagonist , Stan Norris in the clutches of a wealthy, cruel criminal overlord, Cressner, intent on exacting revenge on Norris, who has been having an affair with his wife. Instead of killing him outright, Cressner reveals his penchant for striking wager
s, and offers a chilling ultimatum: if Norris is able to circumnavigate the titular 5-inch ledge surrounding the multistory building which houses Cressner's penthouse
, he can have Cressner's wife, along with a large sum of money, no strings attached. If he refuses to take the bet, he'll be framed for heroin possession and never see his lover again. Cressner also reveals that this was done to six others, three professional athletes who crossed his path and three ordinary people who got into serious debt with Cressner.
Seemingly without any other choice, Norris accepts the wager, and proceeds to carefully make his way around the building's cold, windswept exterior. Norris encounters multiple obstacles, including an obstinate pigeon. The narrator completes the harrowing ordeal, only to discover that Cressner had already murdered his unfaithful wife. Cressner slyly claims that he "never welches" on his bets, stating that the heroin has been removed from his car and gives him the large amount of cash. Mad with rage, Norris overpowers Cressner and his bodyguard and takes the bodyguard's gun, shooting Cressner's bodyguard and turning the tables on a frightened Cressner, who then pleads he will give the narrator as much as $10 million in a Swiss bank account. The narrator says that it is time Cressner got a taste of his own medicine of what he has done to others; proposing to spare his life if only he is able to complete a trip around the ledge. However, as Cressner starts out, Norris reveals to the reader that he has been known to "welsh" on bets, implying that he will kill Cressner even if he completes the task.
and Kenneth McMillan
. Unlike the story, where Cressner leaves the narrator alone on the ledge, Cressner resorts to tricks, ranging from childish pranks using a toot horn to blasting the protagonist with a fire hose should he linger around a roomier sector of the ledge. One notable scene in the film version is when Cressner's bodyguard "Ducky" is killed and Cressner is overpowered, he is seen stumbling by an issue of Penthouse, the magazine in which the story was first published. The film did give a decisive ending for Cressner; the narrator did not need to welch on his bet as a frightened Cressner is knocked off balance by the pigeon. He falls off the ledge and lands on the same toot horn he used to tease the protagonist.
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
, first published in the July 1976 issue of Penthouse
Penthouse (magazine)
Penthouse, a men's magazine founded by Bob Guccione, combines urban lifestyle articles and softcore pornographic pictorials that, in the 1990s, evolved into hardcore. Penthouse is owned by FriendFinder Network. formerly known as General Media, Inc. whose parent company was Penthouse International...
, and later collected in King's 1978 collection Night Shift
Night Shift (book)
Night Shift is the first collection of short stories by Stephen King, first published in 1978. Many of King's most famous short stories were included in this collection.-Stories collected:-Details:...
.
Plot summary
King employs a first personFirst-person narrative
First-person point of view is a narrative mode where a story is narrated by one character at a time, speaking for and about themselves. First-person narrative may be singular, plural or multiple as well as being an authoritative, reliable or deceptive "voice" and represents point of view in the...
narrator
Narrator
A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
and opens with the protagonist , Stan Norris in the clutches of a wealthy, cruel criminal overlord, Cressner, intent on exacting revenge on Norris, who has been having an affair with his wife. Instead of killing him outright, Cressner reveals his penchant for striking wager
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
s, and offers a chilling ultimatum: if Norris is able to circumnavigate the titular 5-inch ledge surrounding the multistory building which houses Cressner's penthouse
Penthouse apartment
A penthouse apartment or penthouse is an apartment that is on one of the highest floors of an apartment building. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other apartments by luxury features.-History:...
, he can have Cressner's wife, along with a large sum of money, no strings attached. If he refuses to take the bet, he'll be framed for heroin possession and never see his lover again. Cressner also reveals that this was done to six others, three professional athletes who crossed his path and three ordinary people who got into serious debt with Cressner.
Seemingly without any other choice, Norris accepts the wager, and proceeds to carefully make his way around the building's cold, windswept exterior. Norris encounters multiple obstacles, including an obstinate pigeon. The narrator completes the harrowing ordeal, only to discover that Cressner had already murdered his unfaithful wife. Cressner slyly claims that he "never welches" on his bets, stating that the heroin has been removed from his car and gives him the large amount of cash. Mad with rage, Norris overpowers Cressner and his bodyguard and takes the bodyguard's gun, shooting Cressner's bodyguard and turning the tables on a frightened Cressner, who then pleads he will give the narrator as much as $10 million in a Swiss bank account. The narrator says that it is time Cressner got a taste of his own medicine of what he has done to others; proposing to spare his life if only he is able to complete a trip around the ledge. However, as Cressner starts out, Norris reveals to the reader that he has been known to "welsh" on bets, implying that he will kill Cressner even if he completes the task.
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
It was dramatized as a section of the film Cat's Eye, starring Robert HaysRobert Hays
Robert Hays is an American actor and is arguably most well known for his role in the movie Airplane!-Life and career:...
and Kenneth McMillan
Kenneth McMillan (actor)
Kenneth McMillan was an American actor. McMillan was usually cast as gruff, hostile and unfriendly characters due to his rough image...
. Unlike the story, where Cressner leaves the narrator alone on the ledge, Cressner resorts to tricks, ranging from childish pranks using a toot horn to blasting the protagonist with a fire hose should he linger around a roomier sector of the ledge. One notable scene in the film version is when Cressner's bodyguard "Ducky" is killed and Cressner is overpowered, he is seen stumbling by an issue of Penthouse, the magazine in which the story was first published. The film did give a decisive ending for Cressner; the narrator did not need to welch on his bet as a frightened Cressner is knocked off balance by the pigeon. He falls off the ledge and lands on the same toot horn he used to tease the protagonist.