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Born of Man and Woman is a science fiction short story by Richard Matheson, originally published in...

Born of Man and Woman is a science fiction short story by Richard Matheson, originally published in 1950. This extremely short story is written in the form of a diary by a deformed eight year old child, that is kept chained in the basement by its parents, and frequently beaten. It is, however, able to pull its chain out of the wall and is able to observe outside society. Once it listens in to a dinner party, but is overheard and returned to the basement. On another occasion it climbs to a small window and observes its siblings outside, playing with friends. Some of the normal children spot the child, and it is again beaten, and bleeds green blood. In a final incident, its young sister (to whom it refers as "little mother") comes into the basement with her pet. The child hides from them in the coal pile, but is forced to crush the pet to death when it scents the child and attacks. The story ends with the child hitting a stick out of its father's hands and promising violence against its parents if they beat it further. It thinks about running along walls and refers to having more than one set of legs, suggesting that it is extraordinarily different from a normal child. Born of Man