GHOST STORIES IN SINGAPORE

GHOST STORIES IN SINGAPORE

1.THE HAUNTED EAST COAST YELLOW TOWER

Many years ago, a loving couple was taking a stroll at East Coast Park at night. They arrived at the quiet and isolated Amber Beacon Tower near Carpark C. Suddenly a group of thugs appeared and knocked the guy  unconscious. They brutally gang-raped the poor.

Ever since then, passers by-claimed to see sightings of a female apparition near the yellow tower. Others heard screams of help, but found nothing when they searched the tower. It was said that the criminals were never caught and the spirit of the girl was weeping about her ill-fated life every night.

2.THE BANANA SPIRIT

The desperate man heard a story on how to control a banana spirit to help him strike 4D, so he went and struck a needle into the trunk of a banana tree, tying a long thread between the needle and himself. The man waited patiently until the night fell. Soon he heard a wailing sound. It was a banana spirit pleading him to remove the needle as it hurt her terribly. Having the bargaining chips, the man asked for the winning 4D numbers in exchange of her freedom.

Weeks after Weeks, the man's greed grew and he keep asking for more winning numbers, failing to keep his promise to release her. Soon, he become a rich towkay. Arrogant and unscrupulous, the man soon offened many people. One of them found out the source of his wealth and subsequently removed the needle from the banana tree.

The next day, the man was found dead, in a horrible manner. The banana spirit finally had her revenge.

3.HAW PAR VILLA STATUES 

Today, it is a sad plight to a former popular place of interest and tourist attraction, but Haw Par Villa is more than a place that showcases Chinese mythology. It's lively statues, and the famous Ten Court's of Hell, are the source of nightmares to the young kids who used to come here for school excursions during the eighties and nineties.

It was once  rumored that Haw Par Villa was the location of the gates to the Hell. Security guards would tell their stories that how the place became alive when nights fell. Others had heard painful screams from the statues depicting gruesome punishments in the Ten Courts of Hell.

4.PONTIANAKS 

The pontianaks was perhaps the most famous supernatural being in Singapore and Malaysia. In Malay folklore, it was the vengeful spirit of a woman who died tragically during childbirth (pregnancy). Long haired and dressed in white, the pontianak flew around between trees, sometimes taking forms of birds, looking for pregnant women to kill for their foetus.

In the early kampong days, young pregnant women were particularly concerned about the legends of pontianaks. Usually wails or sounds of scratching at nights were signs that a pontianak was nearby, ready to prey on it's next victim. Long nails were kept within the house as pontianaks were afraid of sharp objects.

There was a well-known story about pontianak in Malaysia, in which a couple travelled on the North-South Highway (NSHW) at night. Halfway through their journey, their car broke down, beside some ulu plantations. The husband decide to find help elsewhere, while his wife locked herself in the car. After a while, a police patrol car passed by and stopped some distance away. the policeman rushed out of the car and screamed to the woman, urging her to get out. The wife obliged and ran towards the police car. When she eventually turned back to take a look, she saw a pontianak eating the flesh of her dead husband on top her car.

AMAZING GHOST STORIES IN SINGAPORE

AMAZING GHOST STORIES IN SINGAPORE

1.Selling Salt in Cemetery

Only a brave or a desperate man would do this. It was rumoured that selling salt in a cemetery is one of the easiest way of earning money. Ghosts need salt, lots of salt, to preserve their decomposing state.

The courageous one first had to pack salt in many packets for his business, so that his supply would not run out. Before dusk, he would make his way to a suitable spot in the cemetery.

There he sit comfortably with his head bowed, and waited patiently for his 'customers' . There were two important rules for his business; he must not look up all times, and he must never fall asleep or leave his spot before dawn. Any violation would endanger his life greatly.

The brave man had to resist any urge to peep at his 'customers', who would place the money on his hands after taking the salt. When the first light arrived, the man must quickly pack up and leave with his stack of cash, which would not turn to hell notes, unlike the poor taxi driver whose story was discussed in my last post.

2.Black Magic (Gong tau)

Black magic or Gong tau (???), was a popular topic for discussion especially in the Southeast 

Asia.  Scorpions, centipedes, snakes, spider, corpse oil stands of hairs or bits of fingernails were often the items associated in making powerful charms for revenge, love enhancement or simply a change of luck.

Likely to be originated from Yunnan of China; some said it was the work of Maoshan Taoist Priest, Black Magic flourished in Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Indonesia.

Many locals in Singapore also believed in black magic, especially when things in life went wrong. It is said to be extremely difficult to heal a person suffered under a strong curse, and the one who placed the curse usually had to pay a high price in the end.

Interest in black magic reached it's peak in Singapore in the seventies, thanks to influence of many scary Gong tau movies made popular during that era.

3.Toyol (Gui Kia)

Toyol, on the other hand, was a child spirit used to create mischief or steal money from others.

It was also known as qi gui kia (???) in Hokkien. In the early days, there were consistent  rumors that the hardcore gamblers would keep toyols to help them win money in chap ji kee.

The way of creating a toyol was gruesome. The bomoh would get his human foetus, usually just died from abortion or  miscarriage, from the cemetery and placed it in a jar. After the some rituals, the spirit of the fetus was revived, and it was sold to anyone who wanted to keep it for his own personal gains. He would then need too feed it everyday, sometimes with his own blood.

It was not uncommon to hear the stories that the toyol would later become too rebellious and uncontrollable. Or it simply went berserk after the owner forgot to feed it regularly. In the end, he was killed by his "money-making too".

GHOST STORIES IN SINGAPORE

GHOST STORIES FROM SINGAPORE

1. Tekong's Three-Door Bunk

This might be Singapore's most popular army ghost story ever, spread by batches after batches of National servicemen since the eighties. The story had several variations, but the most popular version goes like this:

The recruits from Charlie company were having a tiring route march on Pulau Tekong.

One of the recruits was feeling sick but he pushed himself to continue. The night was falling and it began to drizzle. Finally the recruit could not catch up with the rest and fell out from the company. At about the same time, another recruit who had reported sick earlier joined the route march. The sergeant did not suspect anything after a headcount check.

Concerned that the sick recruit did not catch up after some distance, his buddies decided to inform the sergeant. The route march was quickly called off and two search parties were dispatched to find the lost boy. But the search prove to be  unsuccessful. It was not untill the next morning when the recruit's cold body was found sitting by a tree near by the track, with his fullpack, helmet and rifle lying nearby neatly.

After the incident, other recruit's from the Charlie company started to experience sighting of the dead recruit in the bunk. A medium was consulted after several complaints to the officers. The medium proposed the opening of a third door in the bunk to allow the trapped spirit to escape.

The old bunks, including The Three-Door Bunk, had since been replaced by newer facilities in the early 2000s.

2.Hell Money for Taxi

While the  Philippians has their fair share of ghost stories of the notorious Balete Drive, where a female ghost in white scared the hell of taxi drivers, We have our own supernatural stories whispered by our local taxi drivers too.

For years, the story was almost certain to be one of the talking points during a kopi session. t usually took place after midnight at an ulu place such as Old Tampines Road, Punggol Road, Mount Pleasant Road, Old Upper Thomson Road or Lim Chu Kang Road, Where a lady in white or red flagged down the taxi.

Her destination was always the cemetery, Which made the innocent taxi driver wondering why on Earth would someone visit the cemetery at such an ungodly hour.The journey was eerily silent even though the taxi driver tried to strike a conversation.

Upon reaching, it seemed nothing was wrong when the lady paid her fare, but after the taxi driver finished his night shift, he received a big scare when hell notes were not found among his daily income.

3.Oily Ghost

Not to be confused with the delicious and crispy you zha kueh (???), the story of the oily ghost or orange minyak (known as ??? in Chinese) was rief in the old kampong days in the sixties. Said to be a ghost, covered in thick black oil, who went around violating unmarried woman sleeping alone. His power would increase if "it" succeeded in raping 40 virgins in a week. The method to counter orang minyak was to bite it's left thumb and cover it with batik.

However, the more rational theory is that orang minyak was actually a human rapist who soaked himself in oil so that other's could not catch hold of him. The legend of orang minyak has slowly faded in Singapore of modern era but it is widely believed that the oily ghost still  occasionally disturbs the villages of Malaysia.

20 FACTS ABOUT EVIL SPIRITS.

20 FACTS ABOUT EVIL SPIRITS

1.Spirits that haunt, want your attention.

2.Spirits have absolutely no sense of time.

3.spirits do not always realize that they are dead. To them, it's like they are stuck in an  awful nightmare.

4.Spirits can communicate with us in various ways. In dreams, through subliminal thoughts, automatic writing, via the use of a pendulum, and  intuition. other, more scientific ways are through white noise and evp.

5.Spirits are sometimes  mischievous and always curious.

6.Spirits have a profound sense of smell! They are often attracted to certain scents.

7.Spirits are more active at night. Some people think that this is due to less electronic disturbance and that they are able to produce more energy when not having to compete with various electric and electronic devices.

In the same sense, you are more likely to experience the ghostly disturbances when your house is quite.

8.Spirits can and often do, manifest. Orbs, streaks of light,mists, dark shadows, shadows within shadows and blurs within the air are the most common. Full body appritions are always possible, but are not likely.

9.Most ghostly disturbances are actually residue or residual huntings. Events that play themselves out over and over again, often without the spirit have any control over it whatsoever.

10.Ghostly activity is often more prevalent around children and young adults due to the amount of energy they give off. The higher your personal energy, the more spirits are able to absorb.

11.Spirits often retain memories and emotions of their physical life. And more certainly the memories and emotions associated with the time right before their death.

12.Not all ghosts are "trapped." Some choose to stay within the earthly realm.

13.Spirits retain their personalities.

14.Animals and children are more likely to see a "ghost"

15.Even the spirits of animals can "haunt."

16.Spirits can often be helpful.

17.Spirits can often be protective of the families they "haunt."

18.Ghosts may actually exist in a state of confusion and not have a clue as to what happened to them, why they are here, why you cannot see and hear them.

19.When spirits are bored, They often cause trouble or become  mischievous.

20.Certain locations are vortexes or portals where ghosts/spirits can transport themselves from one realm or place to another.

SCRIPTURES EVIL SPIRITS.

THE TEN SCRIPTURES SATAN HATE MOST

In more than twenty-five years of dealing with demons, I have never encountered an evil spirit that doubted God’s Word.  Satan twists Scripture and misapplies the Bible, but he never doubts the veracity of what God has said. Indeed, “Even the demons believe - and tremble,” James 2:19 tells us.

Satan believes every word in the Bible, but he especially dreads certain passages because these Scripture have a direct bearing on overcoming his strategy to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).  During the hundreds of exorcisms I have conducted, I’ve noticed that certain Bible verse are particularly feared by the forces of darkness. Quoting these scriptures during a demonic confrontation readily illustrates which portions of the Bible are most effective in defeating the attacks of Satan.

I encourage every Christian to memorize these verses.  Have them ready to use in any instance when the devil tempts or oppresses.  Stand on the truth of Scripture, just as Jesus did during the temptation of the devil, when He thrice declared, “It is written!” You can have the same victory over evil that Christ did. Just as “the devil left him” (Matthew 4:11), Satan will also flee from you as you trust in the truth of God’s Word.

1. Luke 10: 19: “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.”

Satan hates this Scripture because of its assurance that nothing is to be feared when advancing against the enemy. The disciples of Christ had just returned from their first evangelism expedition. During this time of training, the disciples exorcized evil spirits.  Luke 10:17 tells us they rejoiced that demons were subject to them when they used the name of Jesus Christ. Though exorcism had been previously practiced among devout Jews, no one had ever attempted to expel demons by the mention of a name.  Even today, Satan tries to keep God’s people in ignorance of the authority Christ extended to His disciples and to every born again believer.  When we walk in faith and dare to deal with demons, nothing the enemy can do will hurt us. When we shrink back in fear and fail to boldly confront the forces of darkness, we are more susceptible to Satan’s attacks. Use this verse to enforce your authority over Satan.

2. Romans 8:1: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

Satan hates this Scripture because it liberates God’s people from false self-condemnation.   Intimidation by false guilt is one of the devil’s most frequent tactics. When we ask Christ to forgive our sins, His mercy blots out every transgression. Satan, who is the “accuser of our brethren” (Revelation 12:10) delights in heaping false guilt on forgiven Christians. Those who heed Satan’s word of condemnation can’t fight effectively against satanic forces because they feel unworthy.  But a forgiven Christian cannot be spiritually indicted for any evil he has committed.  Romans 8:1 must be thrown back in Satan’s face as the spiritual anecdote to his judgmental accusations. Use this verse to silence the reproaches of Satan.

3. Philippians 2:9,10: “Therefore God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth.”

 Satan hates this Scripture because it explains how effectively Christians can enforce the authority invested in the name of Jesus.  This passage establishes the supremacy of Christ’s name.  Angels in heaven, men on earth, and every demon in Hell, all are obligated, by choice or by compulsion, to acknowledge Jesus Christ is Lord.  The sovereign power of God is all-encompassing. His dominion over all forces the demons to flee. Use this verse to demonstrate the might in Christ’s name.

4. 1 John 3:8: “He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.”

Satan hates this Scripture because it proclaims the eternal victory of Christ over Satan.  Jesus Christ, by his crucifixion and resurrection, conquered death. Thus, Satan, the angel of death and darkness, was defeated.  1 John 3:8 gives every Christian the right to declare a victory which has already been won through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, and His rising from the dead.  Though the devil’s works may appear dreadful, by faith we can perceive them as destroyed. Use this verse to remind demons their power over Christians has been shattered.

5. James 4:7: “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

Satan hates this scripture because he knows if we continue to resist him he will eventually have to give up. Some Christians wrongly assume that this passage of Scripture is enforceable by single declaration of resistance.  The meaning of the verb “resist” is to continue to enforce the authority of God’s Word even when it initially appears that Satan may not obey the command.   Christians need to tell the devil where to go and what to do, and then walk in faith believing he has complied despite appearances to the contrary.  Persistent resistance to Satan brings about the eventual surrender of the devil.  Use this verse to demand that Satan leave you alone.

6. Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Satan hates this Scripture because his evil agenda is defeated when we quote God’s Word in spiritual warfare.  During exorcism I have learned to literally apply this truth. I have actually held a Bible in my hand and waved it in the air as if brandishing a sword. I’ve watched demons duck and swerve to avoid being smitten by the sword of God’s Word.  This literal application in the spiritual realm illustrates how effective God’s Word can be to cut through error and establish the truth.  Because the Word can divide soul and spirit, it is able to reach the heart of unbelievers by separating the condition of their spirit from the lies their soul/mind nature has believed.  Use this verse as an offensive weapon to turn back Satan’s attacks.

7. John 8:32: “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Satan hates this Scripture because God’s Word brings true freedom in contrast to the “freedom” of sin that leads to spiritual slavery. Satan is a liar and is referred to in the Bible as the father of lies. Just as Adam and Eve were first tempted with a lie, we too are spiritually misled when we succumb to the falsehood of the enemy.  When we fail to stand on Scripture our thinking can be twisted and we may experience defeat because we believe the lies of the devil instead of the truth that God declares.  Spiritual freedom comes when use this verse to make the devil accountable to God’s truth.

8. John 16:13: “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”

Satan hates this Scripture because he knows Christians can be easily deceived by his lies when they are not spirit-led.  Knowing truth is a consequence of reading, meditating on, and understanding God’s Word.  It also depends on the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit.  The ability to discern demonic deception is a spiritual gift that sovereignly comes from God. Many times when battling demons I have prayed that the Holy Spirit would empower me with wisdom to know what to do next. I have seen God miraculously intervene in such circumstances because the Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth, has supernaturally given me direction. Use this verse to seek more of the Holy Spirit’s presence in your life.

9. Isaiah 14:12: “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son on the morning! How you are cut down to the ground.  You who weakened the nations!”

Satan hates this scripture because it reveals the eternal defeat he suffered when he dared to rebel against God. Satan delights in reminding each of us of our sinful past, but he doesn’t want to be reminded of his own past. Chapter fourteen of Isaiah tells us that Satan is a “fallen” being. Though he appears pompous and powerful, the devil forfeited his first estate and now only mimics the glory he had in heaven.  Jesus as Christ was foreordained to trample the devil under his feet (Genesis 3:15). We too can conquer Satan through Christ’s power (“And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.” – Romans 16:20).  Use this verse to put Satan’s power in perspective.

10.  Ephesians 6:11: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

Satan hates this Scripture because he knows the armor of God cannot be penetrated and every tactic of his warfare is useless against it.  Satan has no offense against the defense of God’s armor.  Just as every vital part of the physical body is protected by the accouterments of armor described in Ephesians chapter six, we are also spiritually protected in every aspect of our relationship with Christ when we appropriate this protection.  When I face a difficult spiritual battle, or when I sense I’m under the attack of extreme spiritual oppression, I sometimes stand and go through the motions of putting on God’s armor.  By physically emphasizing what God’s Word says, I demonstrate to the devil how serious I am about protecting myself against his advances. Use this verse to assume a defensive posture when the devil oppresses you.

 FINAL INSTRUCTIONS

These are the Scriptures I have found most helpful to ward off the devil’s attacks.  I encourage you to contemplate other passages which may be equally effective in your own life.   When you discover that the Holy Spirit has used a certain Bible verse to help you overcome evil, note it, write it down on a piece of paper to carry with you, and then memorize it. Have the Word of God with you always to defeat the devil daily, in every way.

JOKES RELATED GHOSTS

JOKES RELATED GHOSTS

JOKES ABOUT GHOSTS (FOR KIDS AND ALL)

What's a haunted chicken?
A poultry-geist.

What's the first thing ghosts do when they get in a car?
They boo-kle their seatbelts.

When can't you bury people who live opposite a graveyard?
When they're not dead.

When do ghosts usually appear?
Just before someone screams.

When does a ghost have breakfast?
In the moaning.

Where do Australian ghosts go on holiday?
Lake Eerie.

Where do baby ghosts go during the day?
Dayscare centers.

Where do fashionable ghosts shop for sheets?
At boo-tiques.

Where do ghost trains stop?
At devil crossings.

Where do ghosts buy their food?
At the ghost-ery store.

Where do ghosts get an education?
High sghoul.

Where do ghosts go on vacation?
The Eerie canal, the Ghosta Brava, the sea ghost, Lake Eerie, or Mali-Boo.

Where do ghosts live?
In a terror-tory or in dread-sitters.

Where do ghosts mail their letters?
At the ghost office.

Where do undertakers go in October?
The hearse of the year show.

Where does a ghost go on Saturday night?
Anywhere where he can boo-gie.

Where does a ghost refuel his porche?
At a ghastly station.

Where does Sitting Bull's ghost live?
In a creepy teepee.

Who did the ghost go with to the Halloween party?
With No-Body.

Who did the ghost invite to his party?
Anyone he could dig up.

Who greets you at the door of a haunted house?
A ghost host.

Who protects the shores where spirits live?
The Ghost Guard.

Who represents ghosts in Congress?
The Spooker of the House.

Who speaks at the ghosts' press conference?
The spooksperson.

Who was the most famous ghost detective?
Sherlock Moans.

Who writes all the books about haunted houses?
Ghostwriters, who else?

Who writes ghosts jokes?
Crypt writers.

Who's the most important member of a ghost's football team?
The ghoulie.

Why are cemeteries in the middle of towns?
Because they're dead centres.

Why are ghosts bad at telling lies?
Because you can see right through them.

Why are ghosts cowards?
Because they've got no guts.

Why are graveyards so noisy?
Because of all the coffin.

Why are so few ghosts arrested?
It's hard to pin anything on them.

Why can't a boy ghost have baby?
Because he has a Hallo-weenie.

Why did the car stop when it saw a ghost?
It had a nervous breakdown.

Why did the doctor tell the ghost to go on a diet?
So she could keep her ghoulish figure.

Why did the game warden arrest the ghost?
He didn't have a haunting license.

Why did the game warden arrest the ghost?
He didn't have a haunting license.

Why did the ghost cross the road?
To get to "THE OTHER SIDE".

Why did the ghost go into the bar?
For the Boos.

Why did the ghost go to the amusement park?
He wanted to go on a rollerghoster.

Why did the ghost go to the doctor?
To get a Booster shot.

Why did the ghost rush home from school?
To watch an after-ghoul special on TV.

Why did the ghost starch her sheet?
She wanted everyone to be scared stiff.

Why did the ghosts put a fence around the cemetery?
People were dying to get in.

Why do ghosts and demons get along so well?
Because demons are a ghosts best friend.

Why do girl ghosts go on diets?
So they can keep their ghoulish figures.

Why don't ghosts go out in the rain?
It dampens their spirits.

Why is a ghost such a messy eater?
Because he is always a goblin.

Why is the letter G scary?
It turns a host into a ghost.

Why wasn't the ghost popular at parties?
He wasn't much to look at.

Why wasn't the ghost successful?
He didn't believe in himself.

JOKES RELATED GHOSTS (NOT APPROPRIATE FOR KIDS)

What do you call a roomful of ghosts?
A bunch of boo-boos.

What do you get if you cross a cocker spaniel, poodle, and a ghost?
A cocker-poodle-boo.

What do you get when you bite a ghost 
A mouth full of sheet.

What do you get when you cross Bambi with a ghost?
Bamboo.

What do you have to take to become a coroner?
A stiff exam.

What do young ghouls write their homework in?
Exorcise books.

What does a ghost eat for lunch?
A Boo-logna sandwich.

What does a ghost go if they want to swim?
The Dead Sea.

What does a ghost put on his cereal in the morning?
Boonanas and Booberries.

What does a little ghost call his mother and father?
His trans-parents.

What fairy tale do all ghosts like best?
Sleeping Boo-ty.

What ghost helped the Little Leaguers win their game?
The team spirit.

What happened when the ghost asked for a whiskey at his local bar?
The bartender said “Sorry sir, we don't serve spirits here.”

What happened when the ghosts went on strike?
A skeleton staff took over.

What happens when a ghost gets lost in the fog?
He is mist.

What is a drunkards last drink?
His bier.

What is a ghost favorite article of clothing?
Boojeans.

What is a ghost proof cycle?
One with no spooks in it.

What is a ghost's favorite dessert?
Boo-berry pie with I-scream

What is a ghost's favorite bird?
Scare crow.

What is a ghost's favorite party game?
Hide-and-go-shriek.

What is a ghost's favourite day of the week?
Frightday.

What is a ghost's favourite desert?
Knickerbocker ghouly.

What is one room a ghost's house doesn't need?
A living room.

What keeps ghouls happy?
The knowledge that every shroud has a silver lining.

What kind of cars do ghosts drive?
Boo--icks.

What kind of ghost has the best hearing?
The eeriest.

What kind of ghost haunts skyscrapers?
High spirits.

What kind of ghosts haunt operating theatres?
Surgical spirits.

What kind of horses do ghost kids like to ride?
Night-mares.

What kind of jewels to ghosts wear?
Tombstones.

What kind of makeup do ghosts wear?
Mas-scare-a.

What kind of mistakes do spooks make?
Boo boos.

What kind of street does a ghost like best?
A dead end.

What kind of tie does a ghost wear to a formal party?
A boo-tie.

What medicine do ghosts take for colds?
Coffin drops.

What patriotic song do ghosts like best?
America the Boo-tiful.

What rides do ghosts like best at the amusement park?
The roller ghoster.

What should you say when you meet a ghost?
How do you boo, sir?

What spirit serves food on a plane?
An airline ghostess.

What story do little ghosts like to hear at bedtime?
Ghoul Delocks and the Three Scares.

What time is it when a ghost haunts your house?
Time to move to a new house.

What tops off a ghost's ice cream sundae?
Whipped scream.

What trees do ghouls like best?
Ceme-trees.

What type of music do ghosts prefer?
Spirituals, of course.

What vehicle does a kid ghost like to ride?
A boocycle.

What was written on the hypochondriac's tombstone?
I told you I was ill.

What would you call the ghost of a door-to-door salesman?
A dead ringer.

What would you do if you were walking down the street and saw three ghosts following you?
Hope it is Halloween.

What would you get if you crossed a chicken and a ghost?
A peck-a-boo.

What would you get if you crossed a ghost and an owl?
Something that frightens people — but doesn't give a hoot.

What's a ghosts favorite Broadway play?
Phantom of the opera.

What's a ghosts favorite fruit?
Booberries.

What's a ghost's favorite ride?
A roller ghoster.

What's a ghoul's favorite game?
Hide-and-Go-Shriek.

How can you tell if a corpse is angry?
It flips its lid.

How did the ghost patch his sheet?
With a pumpkin patch.

How did the ghost song and dance act make a living?
By appearing in television spooktaculars.

How did the glamorous ghoul earn her living?
She was a cover ghoul.

How do ghosts keep fit?
By regular exorcise.

How do ghosts learn songs?
They read the sheet music.

How do ghosts like their drinks?
Ice ghoul.

How do ghosts like their eggs cooked?
Terri-fried.

How do ghosts like to send their letters?
Scare mail or parcel ghost.

How do undertakers speak?
Gravely.

How do well-groomed ghosts keep their hair in place?
With scare spray.

How do you know if your being haunted by a parrot?
He keeps going "Ooo's a pretty boy then."

How do you know that you are talking to a undertaker?
By his grave manner.

This woman wanted to marry a ghost.
I don't know what possessed her.

What airline do ghouls fly on?
American Scareways.

What is a ghost's favorite kind of street?
A dead end.

What are little ghosts dressed in when it rains?
Boo-ts and ghoul-oshes.

What color are ghosts?
Boooo.

What country is haunted by ghosts?
No country, just a terror-tory.

What day of the week do ghosts look forward to?
Moanday.

What did one ghost say to another?
Do you believe in people?

What did one ghost say to the other ghost?
Do you really believe in people?

What did one ghost say to the other when they fell down?
I got a booo booo.

What did the boy ghost say to the girl ghost?
You look boo-tiful tonight.

What did the ghost bride throw to her bridesmaids?
Her boo-quet.

What did the ghost say to the man at the coffee shop?
Scream or sugar.

What did the ghost teacher say to her class?
Watch the board and I'll go through it again.

What did the guard at the haunted house say?
Halt! Who ghost there?

What did the little ghost have in his rock collection?
Tombstones.

What did the mother ghost say to the baby ghost?
Put your boos and shocks on.

What did the mother ghost say when the little ghosts got into the car?
Boo-kle up your sheet-belts.

What did the polite ghost say to her son?
Don't spook until you're spooken to.

What do baby ghosts wear on their feet?
Boo-ties.

What do ghosts dance to?
Soul music.

What do ghosts do when they're in hospital?
They talk about their apparitions.

What do ghosts drink at breakfast?
Coffee with scream and sugar.

What do ghosts eat for breakfast?
Ghost Toasties with booberries, Scream of Wheat, or Dreaded Wheat.

What do ghosts eat for dinner?
Ghoulash or spook-ghetti.

What do ghosts have in the seats of their cars?
Sheet belts.

What do ghosts mail home while on vacation?
Ghostcards.

What do ghosts say when a girl footballer is sent off?
Ban-she Ban-she.

What do ghosts say when something is really neat?
Ghoul.

What do ghosts serve for dessert?
Ice Scream.

What do goblins and ghosts drink when they're hot and thirsty on Halloween?
Ghoul-aid.

What do little ghosts drink?
Evaporated milk.

What do little ghosts like to play with instead of Frisbees?
Boo-merangs.

What do short-sighted ghosts wear?
Spooktacles.

What do the ghosts of dead gingerbread men wear?
Cookie sheets.

What do you call a ghost in a torn sheet?
A holy terror.

What do you call a ghost who stays out all night?
A fresh air freak.

What do you call a ghost with a broken leg?
Hoblin Goblin.

What do you call a ghost's mother and father?
Transparents.

What do you call a goblin who gets too close to a bonfire?
A toasty ghosty.

What do you call a prehistoric ghost?
A terror-dactyl.

GHOST STORIES IN NEW YORK.

GHOST STORIES IN NEW YORK.

Aunty Greenleaf and the White Deer

Aunty Greenleaf was a scrawny old woman with a wild thatch of gray hair and a crooked nose. She lived in a hut surrounded by pines just outside Brookhaven, and she sold herbal remedies to the folks in town. Mostly, people avoided her, except when someone got sick because it was said that Aunty Greenleaf was a witch. Her home remedies worked too well to be natural. Folks figured she had to have help from the devil or one of his familiars.
There were many stories whispered in Brookhaven about Aunty Greenleaf. People said she had hexed a farmer's pigs once after he spoke rudely to her, so that they all died, one right after another. One prominent citizen dreamed of Aunty Greenleaf, and the next morning her daughter fell ill with a fever and nearly died. It was also rumored that Aunty Greenleaf and her witch friends crossed the Atlantic in an egg-shell and frolicked with the witches in England. Then they put a spell on the egg-shell so that it brought them back here before sunrise
In the early fall, folks in town began talking about a large, pure-white deer that was seen roaming the woods near Brookhaven at night. Several hunting parties were gathered to go after the large animal, but it seemed to be impervious to bullets, and folks began saying it was a phantom deer. Around about that time, several women in the town began having trouble with their churning and a number of cows and pigs began to sicken and die. Folks blamed the incidents on the phantom deer, though each of the people afflicted with the trouble had crossed Aunty Greenleaf at some time in the last month.
The men of Brookhaven got up a hunting party to chase down the animal. They were gone all day, and well into the night. Finally they spotted the white deer. It was the largest deer any of them had ever seen, and was fast too. They couldn't keep up with it. The men got several good shots in, and swore that at least one of them hit the deer, but it just kept running. They returned home empty-handed.
One local farmer became obsessed with the white deer. Every moment he could spare from his work, the farmer would take his gun and go hunting in the woods around town. He saw the white deer several times, but he his shots always seemed to go astray. Finally, he decided the white deer must be a witch of some sort. The farmer melted silver to make bullets, and then he took his gun and went out hunting the white deer. He managed to make three shots with his silver bullets and the white deer actually stumbled as if one of the shots had hit it. Then it jerked upright and ran away. He tracked it almost to Aunty Greenleaf's hut, but then he lost it in the dark somehow, which was mighty strange, seeing as the deer was pure white.
The next day, the farmer learned that Aunty Greenleaf was ill. From the moment she took to her bed, the local farm animals stopped dying and the families who were having trouble with their churning were back to normal. Less than a week later, Aunty Greenleaf died and the doctor who cared for her told the minister he found three silver bullets in her spine.
After the death of Aunty Greenleaf, the phantom white deer was never heard of or seen again in Brookhaven

Death Coach

It is midnight. The streets of Cohoes grow silent as the citizens turn off their lights one by one and go to their well-earned rest. The night is dark, and the wind whispers softly, touching the trees and houses, rattling a window pane here and there. 

In one house, a woman sits beside her window, waiting silently for the doctor to arrive. Her beloved husband lies on the bed next to her. In the light of a single candle, she can see his emaciated face. He is in terrible pain, which even the drugs prescribed by the doctor cannot abate. She clutches his hand tightly, feeling the cold creeping through it. He is barely breathing now. She knows he is slipping away. One part of her is thankful, for she cannot bear to see him in so much pain. Most of her wants to scream out in desperation, begging him not to leave her alone. 

Outside the house, the soft rumble of wheels and the clip-clop of hooves echo through the still night. The woman tears her eyes from her husband's face and looks out of the window, expecting to see the doctor's curricle pulling into the street. Instead, she sees a dark, closed coach with black gaping holes where the windows should be. The shafts at the front of the coach are empty, yet she can hear the sound of invisible horses' hooves, as the coach moves slowly down the street. 

She draws in a deep breath and exhales slowly. It is the Death Coach. Her husband had told her it would come for him that night, but she hadn't believed him. Hadn't wanted to believe him. Yet there it is, rolling slowly up to the front of the house to stop by the front gate. The sight terrifies her, and she clutches her husband's hand tightly. He opens his eyes and smiles feebly at her, trying to squeeze her hand. 

"Is it here?" he asks, his voice barely a whisper. She nods. 

"I love you," he says to his wife. She leans down and kisses him, feels his last breath on her lips. The grip on her hand loosens, and she knows he is dead. She straightens up, looking tenderly at his dead face through her tears. 

A movement by the door causes her to look up. She sees her husband's spirit standing at the door. He gazes first at his dead body, and then smiles at her. Then he turns and walks down the stairs. She moves at once to the window, flinging it open and leaning out, hoping to see him again. The front door opens, and her husband steps out the front porch and walks slowly to the Death Coach. The door opens, and he pauses for a moment to look towards the window, knowing she is watching. He waves and she waves back, tears streaming down her face. Then her husband steps into the coach and the door closes behind him. Slowly, the Death Coach rumbles down the street, turns a corner, and is gone. 

"Goodbye, my love," she calls softly, as the Death Coach disappears. Her husband's pain is over, but hers has just begun. With a heavy heart, she closes the window, and goes down the stairs to telephone the doctor and tell him her husband is dead.

Fifty-Cent Piece

There is a story told in Troy and Albany about a couple returning home from a trip to New England. They were driving home in a carriage, and were somewhere near Spiegletown when the light failed and they knew they would have to seek shelter for the night.
The husband spied a light through the trees and turned their horse into a small lane leading up a hill. A pleasant little house stood at the crest, and an old man and his wife met the couple at the door. They were in nightclothes and were obviously about to turn in, but they welcomed the travelers and offered them a room. The old woman bustled about making tea and offering freshly-baked cakes. Then the travelers were shown to their room. The husband wanted to pay the old couple for their lodgings, but the old lady shook her head and the old man refused any payment for such a small service to their fellow New Yorkers.
The travelers awoke early and tiptoed out of the house, leaving a shiny fifty-cent coin in the center of the kitchen table where the old couple could not miss it. The husband hitched up the horse and they went a few miles before they broke their fast at a little restaurant in Spiegletown.
The husband mention the nice old couple to the owner of the restaurant and the man turned pale.
"Where did you say that house was?" he asked. The husband described the location in detail.
"You must be mistaken," said the restaurant owner. "That house was destroyed three years ago by a fire that killed the Brown family."
"I don't believe it," the husband said flatly. "Mr. and Mrs. Brown were alive and well last night."
After debating for a few more minutes, the couple and the restaurant owner drove the carriage back out of town towards the old Brown place. They turned into the lane, which was overgrown with weeds, and climbed the hill to the crest. There they found a burned out shell of a house that had obviously not sheltered anyone for a long time.
"I must have missed the track," said the husband. And then his wife gave a terrified scream and fainted into his arms. As he caught her, the husband looked into the ruin and saw a burnt table with a shiny fifty-cent piece lying in the center.

A Gift from Saint Nicholas

Claas Schlaschenschlinger was a wealthy cobbler living on New Street in New Amsterdam. He was a contented bachelor who could afford eight - eight mind you! - pairs of breeches and he had a little side business selling geese. He cut quite a figure in New Amsterdam society, and was happy being single, until he met the fair Anitje! She was as pretty as a picture, and Claas fell head over heels for her. He was not her only suitor, by any means. The local burgomaster was also courting the fair Anitje. But the burgomaster was a stingy, hard man, and in the end, Anitje gave her heart and hand to Claas. 

At first, Claas and Anitje were very happy and prosperous, raising geese and children. But the burgomaster was a vengeful sort of fellow, who began a series of "improvements" to the local neighborhood, charging highly for each one, until all their money was gone. The arrival of a blacksmith who repaired shoes with hob nails, so that the shoes lasted a year or more, left Claas, Anitje and their six children as poor as church mice. 

Christmas Eve found the Schlaschenschlinger family down to their last, cold meal of bread and cheese. Claas was wondering what he had left to sell, in order to feed his family. Then he remembered a fine pipe that he had found in one of his stockings on a long ago Christmas morning in Holland. It was a fine pipe, too good for a mere cobbler. Claas knew even then that such a gift could only be from Saint Nicholas himself. 

Claas leapt up and went to dig through an old chest until he found the pipe. As he unearthed it from under a pile of clothes, a draft of cold air came from the open front door. Claas scolded his children for playing with the door and went to close it, but found the doorway filled by the merry, round figure of a stranger. 

"Thank you, thank you, I will come in out of the cold," said the man, stomping in the door and taking a seat by the poor excuse for a fire that blazed in the hearth. 

The family gathered around the white bearded old fellow as he tried to warm himself. He scolded them roundly for not keeping the fire hot, and when Claas admitted that they had nothing left to burn, the old man broke his fine rosewood cane in two and threw it on the fire. The cane blazed up merrily, heating the whole room, and singeing the hair of the cat, which leapt away with a yowl of indignation, making everyone laugh. It was hard to be sober around this merry old man, who made sly jokes, told riddles, and sang songs. 

After sitting for half an hour with the family, the old man began rubbing his stomach and gazing wistfully at the cupboard. 

"Might there be a bite to eat for an old man on this Christmas Eve?" he asked Anitje. 

She blushed in shame and admitted there was nothing left in their cupboard. 

"Nothing?" said he, "Then what about that fine goose right there?"

Anitje gasped, for suddenly the smell of a tenderly roasted goose filled the room. She ran to the cupboard, and there was a huge goose on a platter! She also found pies and cakes and bread and many other good things to eat and drink. The little boys and girls shouted in delight, and the whole family feasted merrily, with the little white bearded old man seated at the head of the table. As they ate, Claas showed the old man the pipe he meant to sell. 

"Why that pipe is a lucky pipe," said the old man, examining it closely. "Smoked by John Calvin himself, if I am not mistaken. You should keep this pipe all your days and hand it down to your children." 

Finally, the church bells tolled midnight, and the little old man cried: "Midnight! I must be off!" Claas and Anitje begged him to stay and spend Christmas with them, but, he just smile merrily at them and strode over to the chimney. "A Merry Christmas to you all, and a Happy New Year!" he cried. And then he disappeared. Ever afterwards, Anitje and her daughters claimed they saw him go straight up the chimney, while Claas and the boys thought he kicked up the ashes and disappeared out the door. 

The next morning, when Anitje was sweeping the fireplace, she found a huge bag full of silver, bearing the words "A Gift from Saint Nicholas". Outside the house, there arose a clamor of voices. When Claas and Anitje went to investigate, they discovered their wooden house was now made of brick! 

At first, the townsfolk thought they were in league with a wizard, but when Claas told them the story and showed them the new possessions and riches left to them by the old man, they made him the town alderman. 

The transformed "Dutch House" remained a landmark for many years following the death of Claas and Anitje, until the British tore it down to make way for improvements in the neighborhood.

Ghost Pilots of Times Square

He had just graduated from Harvard University and was living in Manhattan. He loved the city and was beginning to feel at home on its streets. World War II was raging in Europe, and like all other good citizens, he followed the headlines daily and did his part for the boys overseas.
Hugging his jacket close, he stood shivering at the corner, waiting for the light to change and wondering where his enlisted friends might be staying on that cold winter night. He hoped they were safe. He shivered, only partially from the cold, and looked around him at the bright lights of Times Square. He never tired of this glittering scene.
His eye was caught by two men who were dressed in the uniforms of the Royal Air Force of England. They must be on leave, he thought. The men stopped beside him, glanced quickly at their watches, and then nodded and grinned at him. The taller of the two asked him, in the clipped accent of the British, if this was Times Square. He suppressed a smile at such a touristy question and said that it was.
The light changed, and the two RAF pilots fell into step with the Harvard graduate as he crossed the street. The three men fell into conversation together as they meandered along the shining streets. The Brits were thrilled to be in Times Square after all they had suffered in the war. They didn't go into detail about their wartime experiences, and he didn't press them. He just enjoyed their pleasure in the scene, which was marred only by the frequent checking of their watches. Finally, he asked if they had someplace to be, but they said they were free for the evening. He promptly invited them to have dinner with him at the Harvard Club, and the RAF pilots accepted with alacrity.
The three men repaired immediately to the Harvard Club, where they dined leisurely and chatted late into the evening. The RAF pilots were good company and told many stories, although they glossed over their experiences in the war. They continued to check their watches frequently throughout the night, but he decided it was just a nervous habit they had picked up somewhere - possibly in the air force.
As midnight approached, the two RAF pilots excused themselves are rose from the table. They thanked the Harvard man for a memorable evening and started for the door. Then the tall pilot turned back and told their host that they had always wanted to visit Times Square, but never had the opportunity. It was strange, the pilot added, that they had to wait until after they were dead - killed in action when their planes were shot down the night before over Berlin - to fulfill this dream.
The Harvard man stiffened, his eyes widening incredulously and his mouth falling open in shock. He gasped but could not speak. The phantom RAF pilot smiled sardonically at him, nodded, and joined his friend in the doorway. Then the pilots vanished before the astonished man's eyes, just at the stroke of twelve midnight.

The Headless Horseman

One cold winter night, early in the New Year, a certain Dutchman left the tavern in Tarrytown and started walking to his home in the hollow nearby. His path led next to the old Sleepy Hollow cemetery where a headless Hessian soldier was buried. At midnight, the Dutchman came within site of the graveyard. The weather had warmed up during the week, and the snow was almost gone from the road. It was a dark night with no moon, and the only light came from his lantern.
The Dutchman was nervous about passing the graveyard, remembering the rumors of a galloping ghost that he had heard at the tavern. He stumbled along, humming to himself to keep up his courage. Suddenly, his eye was caught by a light rising from the ground in the cemetery. He stopped, his heart pounding in fear. Before his startled eyes, a white mist burst forth from an unmarked grave and formed into a large horse carrying a headless rider.
The Dutchman let out a terrible scream as the horse leapt toward him at a full gallop. He took to his heels, running as fast as he could, making for the bridge since he knew that ghosts and evil spirits did not care to cross running water. He stumbled suddenly and fell, rolling off the road into a melting patch of snow. The headless rider thundered past him, and the man got a second look at the headless ghost. It was wearing a Hessian commander's uniform.
The Dutchman waited a good hour after the ghost disappeared before crawling out of the bushes and making his way home. After fortifying himself with schnapps, the Dutchman told his wife about the ghost. By noon of the next day, the story was all over Tarrytown. The good Dutch folk were divided in their opinions. Some thought that the ghost must be roaming the roads at night in search of its head. Others claimed that the Hessian soldier rose from the grave to lead the Hessian soldiers in a charge up nearby Chatterton Hill, not knowing that the hill had already been taken by the British.
Whatever the reason, the Headless Horseman continues to roam the roads near Tarrytown on dark nights from that day to this.
Henry Hudson and the Catskill Gnomes
On September 3rd of 1609, Henry Hudson sailed the Half Moon into the mouth of the great New York river that later bore his name. The explorer and his crew journeyed north for several days, trading with the native residents and searching for the fabled northwest passage to the Orient. By the time he reached the area that would become present-day Albany, Hudson knew that he had not found the passage for which he sought. Reluctantly, he turned the Half Moon and sailed back down the river.
That night, Henry Hudson and his crew anchored the Half Moon in the shadow of the Catskill Mountains. Around midnight, Hudson heard the sound of music floating across the mountains and down to the river. Taking a few members of his crew, he went ashore and followed the sound up and up into the Catskills. The sound of the music grew louder as Hudson and his men marched up to the edge of a precipice. To their astonishment, a group of pygmies with long, bushy beards and eyes like pigs were dancing and singing and capering about in the firelight.
Hudson realized that these creatures were the metal-working gnomes of whom the natives had spoken. One of the bushy-bearded chaps spotted the explorer and his men and welcomed them with a cheer. The short men surrounded the crew and drew them into the firelight and the dance. Hudson and his men were delighted with these strange, small creatures, and with the hard liquor that the gnomes had brewed. Long into the night, the men drank and played nine-pins with the gnomes while Henry Hudson sipped at a single glass of spirits and spoke with the chief of the gnomes about many deep and mysterious things.
Realizing at last how late it was, Hudson looked around for his men. At first, he couldn't locate them. All he saw were large groups of gnomes, laughing and joking as they sprawled around the fire. Then, to his astonishment, he recognized several of the gnomes as his crewmen! They had undergone a transformation. Their heads had swollen to twice their normal size, their eyes were small and pig-like, and their bodies had shortened until they were only a little taller than the gnomes themselves.
Hudson was alarmed, and asked the chief of the gnomes for an explanation. It was, the chief explained to Hudson, the effect of the magical hard liquor the gnomes brewed. It would wear off when the liquor did. Hudson wasn't sure that he believed the little man. Afraid of what else might happen to him and his crewman if they continued to linger in such company, Hudson hurriedly took his leave of the gnomes and hustled his severely drunken crewmen back to the Half Moon. The entire crew slept late into the morning, as if they were under the influence of a sleeping draught. When they awakened, the crewmen who had accompanied Hudson up into the Catskill Mountains, aside from ferocious headaches, were back to normal
Hudson continued on his way down the great river, and by October 4th, the Half Moon had reached the mouth and Hudson and his crew sailed for home. In 1610, Hudson set off on another journey, searching for a northwestern passage to the Orient. Trapped in the ice through a long winter, Hudson's crew eventually mutinied and set Henry Hudson and eight of his crewmen adrift in the Hudson Bay. They were never seen again.
In September 1629, twenty years to the day that Hudson and his crew met the Catskill gnomes, a bright fire appeared on the precipice above the hollow, and dance music could be heard floating through the mountains. The Catskill gnomes spent the evening dancing, and carousing and drinking their magic liquor. At midnight, they were joined by the spirits of Henry Hudson and crew. Merry was their meeting, and the gnomes and the spirits played nine-pins all night long. Each time they rolled the ball, a peal of thunder would shake the mountains, and the fire would flare up in bolts like lightening. The party lasted until daybreak, at which hour the spirits departed from the hills, with promises to return.
Every twenty years, the spirits of Henry Hudson and his crew returned to the Catskill Mountains to play nine-pins with the gnomes, and to look out over the country they had first explored together on the Half Moon. Now and then, one of the Dutch settlers living in the region came across the spirits as they played nine-pins. They claimed that any man foolish enough to drink of the spirits' magic liquor would sleep from the moment the spirits departed the mountain to the day they returned, twenty years later. Most folks discounted the story, although several members of Rip Van Winkle's family swore it was true. True or false, wise folks who walk among the Catskills in September do not accept a drink of liquor when it is offered to them. Just in case.

Lincoln Death Train

I'd been transferred to the Hudson Division of the New York Central system, and was working the rails on the main line between New York and Albany. I was on the late shift to start with, since I was a bit of a night owl. After six weeks of stomping the tracks and mending the rails, I was feeling right at home in my new job.
Then, just before midnight on a clear spring night in late April, we got a report of some brush on the track near our station. I was sent out immediately to clear it away before the next train came. I had nearly an hour before the next train, and so I did not hurry as I walked along the rails. It was surprisingly pleasant and rather warm. Overhead, the clouds were obscuring the moon, but the light from my lantern made a cheerful glow in the night.
Suddenly, a chilly wind swept over the rails with a whoosh, like a wind just before a thunderstorm. It was so strong that it nearly knocked me over. I staggered backward, swearing and wind-milling my arms to try to keep my balance. I almost dropped the lantern, but managed to get my balance just before it slipped out of my hand.
Shivering in the sudden cold, I squinted down the track and saw a huge blanket of utter darkness rolling toward me. It blanked out the rails, the trees, the sky, everything. "Good lord, what is that?" I gasped. I leapt away from the track and started to run back toward the station, but the darkness swept up and over me before I had moved a yard. The lantern in my hand was snuffed out instantly.
I stopped, unable to see more than a few paces around me. To my right, the rails began to gleam with a strange blue light. I staggered backwards from the tracks, my pulses pounding in fear and dread. What was going on?
Then the headlight of a train pierced the thick darkness. It gleamed blue-white in the strange black fog, and when it appeared, the rails brightened in response. A huge steam-engine draped in black crepe approached, stacks bellowing forth a steady stream of smoke. The brass on the engine gleamed, and it pulled several flat cars along behind it. I stared into the windows of the engine, but couldn't see any crew.
Just at the edge of hearing came the faint sound of music and turned to look at the flat cars behind the engine. I gasped and back up so far that I bumped into the trunk of a tree growing near the tracks. There was a glowing orchestra of skeletons seated in a semi-circle. They were playing a nearly-soundless funeral dirge on glowing black instruments. A violinist played passionately; a skeleton lifted a flute to its lipless mouth; a lone drummer sat waiting patiently for his cue from the skeletal conductor.
Then the orchestra was gone and another glowing headlight pierced the blackness. I was trying unsuccessfully to push my way through the bark of the tree by this time. Another black crepe draped train was approaching. A funeral train, I thought. Again, there was no one manning the engine, and no one appeared on the flat car behind it. The only thing there was a single black-crepe draped coffin. But swirling in the air around the train were the ghostly figures of soldiers dressed in the blue uniforms worn by the North during the civil war. They lined up before my eyes, saluting the solitary coffin as it passed. Some of the ghosts staggered under the weight of their own coffins; some limped on one leg or sat in a wheeled chair, legless. Their eyes were fixed upon the flat-car and the black-creped coffin. Then they were joined by soldiers from the Southern army, and all these lads saluted too, honoring the one who had fallen.
That's when I knew what I was seeing. This was the funeral train of Abraham Lincoln. I straightened up and saluted myself, having done my bit for the North many years ago.
The steam train moved slowly away and with it went the darkness and the chill and the clouds that had obscured the moon. In my hand, the lantern sprang back to life. I blinked a few times and brushed away a tear. As the world around me brightened, I saw the reported brush littering the tracks right in front of me. Mechanically, I cleared it away and made sure the track was safe for the next train. Then I went back to the station.
The next morning, all the clocks on the Hudson Division were six minutes behind and all the trains were running six minutes late. When I asked the stationmaster about it, he shook his head and told me not to worry. It was caused by the Lincoln Death Train, which had stopped time as it ran by in the night.

The Maid of the Mist

She lost her husband and her hope at a young age, and the beautiful girl could not find her way through the sorrow upon sorrow that was her lot in life. So she stepped one day into her canoe, singing a death song softly to herself, and paddle out into the current. Soon the canoe was caught by the rough waves and hurtled toward the falls. But as it pitched over and she fell, Heno, the god of thunder who lived in the falls, caught the maiden gently in his arms and carried her to his home beneath the thundering veil of water.
Heno and his sons ministered to the grieving girl, and she stayed with them until her heart healed within her. Then the younger son spoke words of love to the maiden and they married, to the delight of the god of thunder. A young son was born to the couple, and he followed his grandfather everywhere, learning what it meant to be a god of thunder.
The only shadow on the happiness of the maiden in the mist was a continual longing to see her people one more time. Her chance came in an unexpected and unwelcome way. A great snake came down the mighty river and poisoned the waters of her people. They grew sick and were dying. Soon the snake would return to devour the dead until my people were all gone. It was Heno himself who gave her the news, and she begged that she might return for one hour to warn her people of the danger. The god himself lifted her through the falls and set her down among her people to give warning about the evil snake that was causing such pestilence among them. She advised them to move to a higher country until the danger was past, and they agreed. Then Heno came and took the maiden back to her husband and her home.
In a few days, the giant serpent returned to the village, seeking the bodies of those who had died from the poison it had spread. When the snake realized that the people had deserted the village, it hissed in rage and turned upstream to search for them. But Heno heard the voice of the serpent and rose up through the mist of the falls. He threw a great thunderbolt at the creature and killed it in one mighty blast. The giant body of the creature floated downstream and lodged just above the cataract, creating a large semi-circle that deflected huge amounts of water into the falls at the place just above the god's home. Horrified by this disastrous turn of events, Heno swept in through the falls and did his best to stop the massive influx of water, but it was too late.
Seeing that his home would soon be destroyed, Heno called for the maiden and his sons to come away with him. The younger son caught up his wife and child and followed Heno through the water of the falls and up into the sky, where the Thunderer made them a new home. From this place, they watch over the people of the earth, while Heno thunders in the clouds as he once thundered in the vapors of the great falls. To this day, an echo of the Heno's voice can be heard in the thunder of the mighty waters of Niagara Falls.

Nine-Eleven

As a special treat, we decided to take the sunset cruise around lower Manhattan the Sunday before Labor Day. It was a silly thing to do – totally tourist – but sometimes playing tourist is fun, even for someone living and working daily in the shadow of the Big Apple.
We took our cameras – my husband and I – and oooed and ahhhed over Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. We gawked as we went under the huge Brooklyn Bridge and held hands as the sun set in the west, turning lower Manhattan a lovely golden glow. As dusk fell, the lights came on, and that was glorious too.
We were on the East River now, between Brooklyn and lower Manhattan. I sighed happily, gazing at the beautiful glow of the twin towers that made up the bulk of World Trade Center. Then I blinked suddenly in surprise. I saw a large silhouette of what looked like a jet airliner flying toward the North tower. A moment later it intersected with the tower and disappeared. Then a second silhouette – also of a large airplane – appeared from the opposite direction and flew right toward the South tower and vanished. I shook my head in astonishment, and goose bumps rose on my arms and legs. What the heck had I just seen? I rubbed my eyes, but the New York skyline was back to normal. I shivered, and my husband noticed it at once. Turning away from the magnificent glitter of lights, he asked: “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I said shortly, brushing both question and strange occurrence away. I couldn’t explain it, and didn’t want to think about it.
“Wow, look at that,” my husband cried, pointing up-river. Thrusting away the strange appearance of the two planes by the twin towers, I obediently gazed up-river, and drifted back into tourist mode.
A few days later, I was vacuuming the living room after breakfast when the phone rang. It was my husband. “Turn on the television right now,” he said, knowing I rarely watched TV in the morning. His voice sounded strange. I grab the remote control and switched on the television. Immediately, the screen was filled with a picture of the World Trade Center towers, black smoke billowing up around them.
“Two planes just hit the towers,” my husband’s voice said in the phone I had tucked to my ear, as the newscaster’s voice told me the same thing. Together over the phone, we watched our separate newscasts as rescuers tried to get to the people trapped on the upper floors. And then there was a sudden rumble, and first one, then a second tower collapsed.
All those people inside, I thought in horror, knowing I had just seen hundreds of real people with real lives die in an instant. My stomach roiled, and I sat abruptly down on the couch, horrified beyond even tears, my body shaking. Oh, my God, I prayed, and stopped, not knowing what else to say.
Suddenly, I remembered the vision I had seen Labor Day weekend. The memory brought with it all the chills and goose bumps it had when I saw it. Oh my gosh -- had my vision somehow caused this? My body shuddered with fear and reaction. But no -- how could it? I'd seen a vision of disaster, what my grandmother called a forerunner. But I still wasn't prepared for the chaos I saw on the screen in front of me.
This is not your fault, I told myself firmly. Taking up the remote control, I turned up the volume and watched events unfolding in the city. And wondered where the terrible events of today would take us. What day was it, anyway, I wondered abruptly. I glanced suddenly over at the kitchen calendar, and the date burned itself into my mind: It was September 11, 2001.

Piece By Piece

There once was a crazy ghost over Poughkeepsie way that got folks so plumb scared that nobody would stay more than one night in its house. It was a nice old place, or was, until the ghost began making its presence known. It got so no one would enter the house, not even kids on a dare, and you know what they are like!
Now when my friend Joe heard a fancy old house in Poughkeepsie was selling dirt cheap, he decided to go have a look. He asked me about it and I told him about the spook, but Joe just laughed. "I don't believe in ghosts," he said and went to visit the agent selling the house.
Well, the agent gave Joe a key, but refused to look at the old house with him, which should have told Joe something. But Joe's a stubborn man who won't listen to reason. He even waited until after dark to visit the house for the first time, just to prove his point.
Joe got to the house around nine p.m. and he entered the front hallway. It was a large entrance and well-proportioned, but neglected-looking, with creepy cobwebs and dust everywhere. As Joe paused near the door to get his bearings, he heard a thump from the top of the staircase facing him. A glowing leg appeared out of nowhere and rolled down the steps, landing right next to Joe's feet. Joe gasped out loud and stood frozen to the spot. An arm appeared and rolled down to meet the leg. Next came a foot, then another arm, then a hand. Glowing pieces of body kept popping into existence and plummeting down the steps towards Joe.
Joe held his ground a lot longer than anyone else ever had, but when a screaming head appeared at the top of the steps and started rolling towards him, Joe had had enough. With a shriek that could wake the dead - those that weren't already up and haunting the house that is - Joe ran for his life; out of the house, out of the street, and right out of town, leaving his car behind him.
He called me the next day and asked me to drive his car down to the hotel where he had spent the night. Joe was headed back to Manhattan and refused to come within fifty miles of Poughkeepsie ever again. The agent gave up trying to sell the house after that, and the house fell into ruin and was eventually torn down.

Spuyten Duyvil

Once in old New Amsterdam, there was a brave trumpeter named Anthony Van Corlaer who would blow his trumpet when Peter Stuyvesant wanted to call the people together.
One night, Peter received word that the English were going to attack New Amsterdam. He sent Anthony to warn the Dutch colonists along the Hudson and to call the people to fight. A storm was brewing. When Anthony reached the tip of Manhattan Island, there was no ferry to take him across the tide water creek which connects the Harlem and Hudson Rivers at the tip of Manhattan Island. Anthony called out for the ferryman, but there was no answer. Conscious of his important mission, Anthony decided he would swim across that creek in spite of the devil (in spuyt den duyvil).
Well, the Devil heard Anthony calling for the ferryman, and when Anthony was well into the middle of the creek, the Devil caught him by the leg. Anthony pulled out his trumpet and blew a terrific blast, louder than the wind. It startled the Devil so much that he let go of Anthony's leg. But Anthony did not have strength enough after his fight with the Devil to swim the creek, and so he drowned.
For many years after this, folks living at the northern tip of Manhattan claimed they could hear Anthony's trumpet blowing louder than the wind on nights when it stormed. And the creek where Anthony met his fate was called Spuyten Duyvil.

White Lady

In the early 1800s, the White Lady and her daughter were supposed to have lived on the land where the Durand Eastman Park -- part of Irondequoit and Rochester -- now stands. One day, the daughter disappeared. Convinced that the girl had been raped and murdered by a local farmer, the mother searched the marshy lands day after day, trying to discover where her child's body was buried. She took with her two German shepherd dogs to aid in her search, but she never found a trace of her daughter. Finally, in her grief, the mother threw herself off a cliff into lake Ontario and died. Her dogs pined for their mistress and shortly joined her in the grave. 

After death, the mother's spirit returned to continue the search for her child. People say that on foggy nights, the White Lady rises from the small Durand Lake which faces Lake Ontario. She is accompanied by her dogs and together they roam through the Durand Eastman park, still searching for her missing daughter.

The White Lady is not a friendly spirit. She dislikes men and often seeks vengeance against the males visiting the park on her daughter's behalf . There have been reports of the White Lady chasing men into the lake, shaking their cars, and making their lives miserable until they leave the park. She has never touched any females accompanying these unfortunate fellows.