Question

Place the following list of events in the correct order. (The piece of String)

A police officer states that Maitre Hauchecorne is accused of taking the wallet by Maitre Malandain.
The wallet is returned.
Maitre Hauchecorne tries to persuade anyone who will listen that he did not take the wallet.
A missing wallet and reward for its return is announced to the residents of Goderville.
The townspeople believe that Maitre Hauchecorne had someone else turn in the wallet for him.
On his deathbed, Maitre Hauchecorne still fruitlessly begs for someone to believe him.
Maitre Hauchecorne sees a piece of string on the road and bends down to pick it up.
The people of Goderville mock Maitre Hauchecorne and his pleas of innocence.
Maitre Hauchecorne wastes away.
Maitre Hauchecorne is going into Goderville for the market-day.
Maitre Malandain sees Maitre Hauchecorne pick up the piece of string but does not know what he actually picked up.
Maitre Hauchecorne is upset by the accusation and pleads his innocence.
Everyone's comments about Maitre Hauchecorne make him sick.

Answer 1

The question concerns Guy de Maupassant's 1883 short story named The Piece of String. The correct order of the events for the story is in the following way:

• Maitre Hauchecorne is going into Goderville for the market-day which is describes how the story begins.
• Maitre Hauchecorne sees a piece of string on the road and bends down to pick it up.
• Maitre Malandain, the harness-maker sees Maitre Hauchecorne pick up the piece of string but does not know what he actually picked up.
• A missing wallet and reward for its return is announced to the residents of Goderville by a public-crier.
• A police officer states that Maitre Hauchecorne is accused of taking the wallet by Maitre Houlbreque.
• Maitre Hauchecorne is upset by the accusation and pleads his innocence.
• The wallet is found by a farmer and returned.
• Maitre Hauchecorne tries to persuade anyone who will listen that he did not take the wallet.
• The people of Goderville mock Maitre Hauchecorne and his pleas of innocence.
• The townspeople believe that Maitre Hauchecorne had someone else turn in the wallet for him.
• Everyone's comments about Maitre Hauchecorne make him sick.
• Maitre Hauchecorne visibly wastes himself away.
• On his deathbed, Maitre Hauchecorne still fruitlessly begs for someone to believe him when he dies in delirium.

Answer 2

The correct order of the events is the following:

1 - Maitre Hauchecorne is going into Goderville for the market-day.

2 - Maitre Hauchecorne sees a piece of string on the road and bends down to pick it up.

3 - Maitre Malandain sees Maitre Hauchecorne pick up the piece of string but does not know what he actually picked up.

4 - A missing wallet and reward for its return is announced to the residents of Goderville.

5 - A police officer states that Maitre Hauchecorne is accused of taking the wallet by Maitre Malandain.
6 - Maitre Hauchecorne is upset by the accusation and pleads his innocence. 7 - The wallet is returned.8 - Maitre Hauchecorne tries to persuade anyone who will listen that he did not take the wallet. 9 - The people of Goderville mock Maitre Hauchecorne and his pleas of innocence. 10 - The townspeople believe that Maitre Hauchecorne had someone else turn in the wallet for him.
11 - Everyone's comments about Maitre Hauchecorne make him sick.12 - Maitre Hauchecorne wastes away.13 - On his deathbed, Maitre Hauchecorne still fruitlessly begs for someone to believe him.
"The Piece of String" is a short story written by the French author, Guy de Maupassant, in 1883, and was included in his collection of short stories called "Miss Harriet".