The Destructors

The Destructors is a short-story by Graham Green which happens during the mid 50s in London.
Its about a boys gang named the "Wormsley Common Gang". The leader of the gang, Trevor, elaborates a plan to destroy a very old house which survived the German attacks during world II.
They decide to execute this plan while the owner of the house, Mr. Thomas who they call Old Misery, is away during a holiday. The plan is mainly to destroy the house with some tools stolen from nearby, they will work their way from the inside out. While they are working in the house Mr. Thomas returns home early and they lock him inside while they finish the job. The final damage is done when a lorry pulls away a support pole from the house and the building collapses. The gangs escapes and Old Misery is left with a pile of trash which was once his home. This story is funny because it makes fun of the misery of a poor old man. The things that happen in the story are serious and devastating for Old Misery, however its funny for the reader. The humor of this story is often described as "black".