What could the monkey's paw grant?lesson the monkey'spaw

In the short story "The Monkey's Paw" the Whites are visited by a friend who tells them the story of the monkey's paw.  He tells them that it has the power to grant three wishes, but that it has not been a good thing.  He throws it into the fire and before it is able to burn, Mr. White removes it from the fire.  He has been warned, but part of him does not believe that it will even work.

Mr. White and his wife discuss what to wish for.  They wish for a certain sum of money.  They find out that their only beloved son has been killed in a factory accident.  A man brings them the sum to compensate for their son's death.  The grieving mother wishes her son back alive. Something morbid comes banging on their door.  Her husband wishes it away.  Their three wishes have been fulfilled at a dire cost.