Transcription of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark - Internet Archive
1 Scholastic0-590-43197-8 SCARYSTORIEStoTellintheDarkCollectedfrom FolkloreandRetoldbyAlvinSchwartzDrawings byStephenGammellScaryStoriestoTellintheD arkALSOBYALVINSCHWARTZMoreScaryStoriesto TellintheDarkCollectedfromAmericanFolklo reATwisterofTwists,aTangierofTonguesTomf ooleryTrickeryandFoolerywithWordsCrossYo urFingers,SpitinYourHatSuperstitionsandO therBeliefsChinMusicTallTalkandOtherTalk FlapdoodlePureNonsensefromAmericanFolklo recaryStories11mtheDarkedfromFolkloreand RetoldbyAlvinSchwartzdrawingsbyStephenGa mmedSSPfc\ \"TheThing"isadaptedfromanuntitledstoryi nBluenoseGhostsbyHelenCreightonwithpermi ssionofMcGraw-HillRyersonLtd.
2 , "TheHauntedHouse" ,1971byDoverPublications."AaronKelly'sBo nes"isadaptedfrom"DaidAaronII"inDoctorto theDeadbyJohnBennettwithpermissionofRuss ell&Volkening,Inc., , "MeTieDough-tyWalker!"isadaptedfromtheta le"TheRashDogandtheBloodyHead"whichappea redintheHoosierFolkloreBulletin, , ,collectorofthetale."Alligators"isadapte dfrom"TheAlligatorStory" "TheWhiteWolf" "ANewHorse"isadaptedfromthetale"Bridling theWitch"inUpCutshinandDownGreasy:TheCou chesTalesandSongs(reprintedasSangBranchS ettlers:FolksongsandTalesofanEasternKent uckyFamily) ,orstoredinaretrievalsystem,ortransmitte dinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechan ical,photo-copying,recording,orotherwise , ,writetoHarper&Row,Publishers,Inc.
3 ,10 East53rdStreet,NewYork, ,730 Broadway,NewYork,NY10003,byarrangementwi thHarper&Row,Publishers, ,October198923 ContentsSTRANGEANDSCARYTHINGS1.'AAAAAAAA AAAH!"TheBigToe7 TheWalk11"WhatDoYouComeFor?"12 MeTieDough-tyWalker!14 AManWhoLivedinLeeds17 ,THEYEATYOURNOSETheHearseSong39 TheGirlWhoStoodonaGrave41 ANewHorse43 Alligators45 RoomforOneMore47 TheWendigo49 TheDeadMan'sBrains54"MayICarryYourBasket ?"56 vii TheBabysitter695."AAAAAAAAAAAH!" ' 'scabin,oraroundafire,andseewhocouldscar etheothersthemost. 1 'shouse,andtheyturnoutthelightsandeatpop corn, , 'tanydanger, ,devils,bogey-men,zombies, , , , ' 'sdaythathismother,thequeen,askedhimfora story.
4 "Asadtale'sbestforwinter,"hesaid."Ihaveo neofspritesandgoblins.""Doyourbesttofrig htenmewithyoursprites,"shesaid."You'repo werfulatit."'Ishalltellitsoftly,"hesaid. "Yondcricketsshallnothearit." 2 Andhebegan,"Therewasamandweltbyachurch-y ard." , ,whatwouldyoutell?Mostscarystoriesare,of course, ,thebestwayistospeaksoftly,sothatyourlis tenersleanforwardtocatchyourwords,andtos peakslowly, , ,NewJerseyAlvinSchwartz 3iAaaaaaaaaaah!Thischapterisfilledwith"j umpstories"youcanusetomakeyourfriendsJUM P withfright. 5 THEBIGTOE , , "Itlooksniceandplump,"shesaid.
5 "I'llputitinthesoup,andwe'llhaveitforsup per."Thatnighthisfathercarvedthetoeintot hreepieces. 7 , , ,anditwascallingtohim."Whereismyto-o-o-o -o-e?" , ' " " "I'llgotosleep,"hethought."WhenIwakeupit willbegone."Butsoonheheardthebackdoorope n,andagainheheardthevoice."Whereismyto-o -o-o-o-e?" ,intothelivingroom, "Whereismyto-o-o-o-o-e?" , "thevoicegroaned. 8 (Atthispoint, :)"YOU'VEGOTIT!""TheBigToe" , ' :"W-w-w-whatyougotsuchbigeyesfor?"Andthe creatureanswers:"Tolookyouthro-o-o-ughan dthro-o-o-ugh!""W-w-w-whatyougotsuchbigc lawsfor?""Toscra-a-a-tchupyourgra-a-a-a- ve!
6 ""W-w-w-whatyougotsuchabigmouthfor?""Tos wallowyouwho-o-o-le!""W-w-w-whatyougotsu chsharpteethfor?""TOCHOMPYOURBONES!"(Asy ougivethelastline,pounceononeofyourfrien ds.) 9 THEWALK , , , , , , , , , , ,andmyunclewasterriblescaredof (NowSCREAM!) 11 "WHATDOYOUCOMEFOR?" Therewasanoldwomanwholivedallbyherself, ,shesaid, Oh,IwishIhadsomecompany.' ' ,thentwoarms,andaman' ,thepartscametogetherintoagreat, ,andhelookedintohereyes. Whatdoyoucomefor?"sheaskedinasmallvoicet hatshiveredandshook. WhatdoIcomefor?"hesaid. Icome forYOU! (Asyoushoutthelastwords,stampyourfootand jumpatsomeonenearby.)
7 12 METIEDOUGH-TYWALKER! ' ,hestartedafirein 14 , :"Metiedough-tywalker!""It'sjustsomebody singing,"theboytoldhimself, !Softlyandsadly,itsang:"Lyncheekinchycol lymollydingodingo!" , ,butthewordswerethesame:"Metiedough-tywa lker!" ,andagainitsang:"Lyncheekinchycollymolly dingodingo!" ,andthesongwasthesame:"Metiedough-tywalk er!" :"Lyncheekinchycollymollydingodingo!" 15 :"Metiedough-tywalker!"Thedogsangrightba ck:"Lyncheekinchycollymollydingodingo!" ,and (Turntooneofyourfriendsandscream:)"AAAAA AAAAAAH!" 16 Somesaythisrhymedoesn' ; (Nowdropyourvoice.)
8 (Turnoutanylights.)Iwasdead,dead,deadind eed!(Jumpatyourfriendsandscream:)"AAAAAA AAAAAH!" !Shethoughtshe' !Andwhenshecametothechurch-housestileShe thoughtshe' !WhenshecameuptothedoorShethoughtshe' ! !FromitsnosedowntoitschinThewormscrawled out, !Thewomantothepreachersaid, ShallIlooklikethatwhenIamdead?"O-oo-oo-o !Thepreachertothewomansaid, You'lllooklikethatwhenyouaredead!"(Nowsc ream:) AAAAAAAAAAAH!" 18 K- , Pmtr1* )nS 31 21 THING , , , ,theydecidedthey 23 ' , ,awhiteshirt, ,"I' 'llknowifit'sreal." ,andagainheandSamran, 'shouse, , ,Samsaidhelookedjustliketheskeleton.
9 24 , , ,Jimgotsick, 'sdeath, 25 ,Jimwasstandingthere."Yourfatheraskedmet ogetyou,"hesaid."Icameonhisbesthorse.""I sthereanythingwrong?"sheasked."Idon'tkno w," , , "Itachessomethingterrible," "Why,youareascoldasclay,"shesaid."Ihopey ouarenotill," "Didn'tyousendforme?"sheasked."No,Ididn' t," , ,herfathertoldherthetruthaboutJim' ' 'shandkerchief. 26 , 27 , , ,butthebulletsdidn' , ' , 'tcomeback, , , ' ,itwasneverseenagain. 28 , wentonin,builthimselfagoodfire, walkingbackandforth, , ,butbeforehecouldstartreading, , ,andwhenthedoorbegantoopen,hejumpedupand hollered,"Whatdoyouwant?
10 "Thedoorshutbackeasy-like,andtherewasn' , step! step! step! , ,"Whoareyou?Whatdoyouwant?" 29 Thehauntsortofswayedlikeshedidn'tknowwha ttodo ,waited,andwhenhedidn'thearanymorenoises , ,buthewasabravemanandhethoughthe' , 'tlongbeforeheheardthehauntstartupagain, slowly step! step! step! step! closer,andcloser step! step! , ,"InthenameoftheFather,theSon,andtheHoly Ghost whoareyouandwhatdoyouwant?"Thehauntcamer ightacrosstheroom,straighttohim, , , , ,andtolayitinthecollection 31 plateatthenextchurchmeeting andhe' ,"Ifyoucomebackhereoncemoreafterthat you'llhearmyvoiceatmidnight,andI'lltelly ouwheremymoneyishid,andyoucangiveittothe church.
