A Vendetta

"A Vendetta" is a short story by French writer Guy de Maupassant, first published in 1824 in the newspaper Le Gaulois, and included in his 1885 collection .

Plot

The poor widow Saverini lives in Bonifacio, Corsica, with her only son, Antoine, and his hound, Sémillante. Antoine is stabbed to death by a neighbour, who flees to Sardinia. The old woman has no male relative who could exact revenge, but devises a plan. She half-starves the bitch, and trains her to attack the neck of a straw dummy on command, for a reward of boudin. When she is ready, she dresses in man's clothing and crosses the strait to Sardinia. As they return, no-one pays any attention to the elderly peasant, or to what the dog might be chewing. She sleeps well that night.