10/24/97

Ghost Stories

Halloween trick-or-treating probably originated with a ninth-century European custom called souling. On All Souls Day (November 2), early Christians would walk from village to village begging for soul cakes, square pieces of bread with currants. In exchange for the cakes, the beggars would promise to say prayers on behalf of the donor's dead relatives. Thus the Halloween association with ghosts and souls in limbo. This week's collection of Halloween treats are for those who like to read and write ghost stories.

Collaborative Ghost Story

In 1903, Mark Twain published "Ghost Story", a little-known short story about meeting the Cardiff Giant (a famous American hoax "discovered" buried beneath a New York farm in 1869). You'll find Twain's story and more about the hoax at The Cardiff Giant Hoax site. After you've read Twain's story, come join the fun at Connect-Time's collaborative ghost story. Starting with Twain's opening paragraph, the story twists and turns as each Internet reader adds to the plot.

Ghost Stories

"There was a bright, eerie light surrounding the cave, where the man stood transfixed to the spot as if hypnotized. He could feel the fear in his mind and the evil presence that was haunting it." Come sit by the virtual campfire and read ghost stories written by the fifth and sixth grade classes of Upper Canada College Prep and Bishop Strachan School. Use the keyword search tool to find specific stories.

Ghost Stories for Scouts

Scoutmaster R. Gary Hendra from Milpitas, California has collected ghost stories over the years, and invites readers to send more. One story, written by Lord Baden-Powell, Chief Scout, is reprinted from the December, 1932 Christmas issue of "The Scouter" in England. In Britain, reading ghost stories (such as Dickens's "Christmas Carol") in front of a flickering hearth are part of the Christmas tradition. In this country, of course, we tell ghost stories around the campfire or at Halloween.

Goosebumps Scary Story Winners

"The creature twisted and turned. Green ooze bubbled out of the monster's huge, gaping mouth and sizzled on the carpet. It ran after Matthew, through the kitchen, into the living room." Sound like a quip from a Goosebumps book? Nope, these stories are not written by famous Goosebumps author R.L. Stine, but by kids. Met the four kids (ages six to fourteen) that won the Goosebumps Scary Story contest, and read their winning entries.

Ghostwriter Mysteries Contest

The CBS television show "New Ghostwriter Mysteries" presents this Write On contest. Submit your spooky ending to their mystery, and you could win a tee shirt and get your story published. A new story to finish is introduced every two weeks. Follow the link to Story Starter to read the current opening. To fuel your imagination, a list of clues and questions follows the story starter. "Entries will be judged on how fun and mysterious they are." Entrants must be between six- and twelve-years old.

The following links are either new discoveries or sites that didn't make it into my newspaper column because of space constraints. Enjoy!

alt.folklore.ghost-stories FAQ

Ghost Story Club

Gothic Tales & Novels

Please send questions or comments to feldman@surfnetkids.com.