Summary
In a whimsical exploration of identity and the uncanny, Richard Hudson, an unsuspecting bachelor, becomes the unwitting recipient of a bewitched set of silk pajamas, a curious gift from a friend stationed in distant China. Unbeknownst to him, these shimmering garments possess an arcane power, capable of transmuting their wearer into an entirely different persona. The initial donning sees Richard himself dramatically transformed into a formidable Chinese warrior, a spectacle so bewildering that it shocks his long-suffering butler, Jenkins, into a sudden, if temporary, sobriety. The magical garment's capricious nature soon ensnares others; Richard's close confidant, Jack Billings, dispatches his brother Francis for an overnight stay, only for Francis to don the cursed sleepwear and astonishingly morph into Frances Kirkland, Jack's own beloved sweetheart. This bewildering turn of events plunges Richard into a maelstrom of confusion and disbelief. The escalating farce culminates when Jack himself falls victim to the pajamas' enchantment, finding himself incarcerated as a common burglar and even receiving a punitive black eye from his own father, who, understandably, fails to recognize his transmogrified son and perceives him as an imposter. The narrative spirals through a labyrinth of mistaken identities, frantic explanations, and societal faux pas, until the timely arrival of Colonel Kirkland, the very friend who initiated this sartorial pandemonium, from China. His appearance finally unravels the intricate web of magical mischief, providing a much-needed explanation for the extraordinary transformations and restoring a semblance of order to the chaotic lives upended by the haunted pajamas.
Synopsis
When Richard Hudson receives a pair of silk pajamas from a friend in China, he is unaware that they are bewitched and that whoever wears them will be transformed into someone else. Richard puts them on and is transformed into a fierce Chinese warrior, causing his butler Jenkins to quit drinking. The next night, Richard's close friend Jack Billings sends his brother Francis to spend the night, and upon donning the pajamas, Francis becomes Jack's sweetheart, Frances Kirkland, giving Richard a series of shocks. Next, Jack becomes a victim of the pajamas, is locked up as a burglar, and is given a black eye by his own father for "impersonating his son." Complications pile up until Colonel Kirkland, the friend who sent the pajamas, arrives from China and clears up the mystery.
