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Faye tells lot of stories, including scary ones for kids in the fall, at halloween. The following action-packed story, rewritten by Faye, is well received by children everywhere. The humor scattered throughout the story makes it an excellent choice for introducing shy or fearful children to the scary story genre. This story, and other storytelling tips by Faye are found in the October, 2004, issue of CityView
The Ghost with the ONE Black Eye
Once there was a family with a Mommy, a Daddy, a Big Brother who was six years old and a Baby Sister who was two years old. When the weather became cold and the leaves began to fall, Mommy went to the basement and brought up all the Halloween decorations. There was a great big pumpkin with a scary face, a tall scarecrow that danced in the wind and lots of spider webs and ghosts. The yard and house looked scary in a fun sort of way when the decorations were scattered about.
Big Brother carried his candy basket into the kitchen and said, “I hope I get enough candy to fill my basket this year.”
Baby Sister was sitting in her high chair eating her breakfast cereal. She looked for her candy basket, but it was no where to be seen. Baby frowned and stuck her lip out. She said, “I want my candy basket!” (Ask the listeners to make a mad face and say “I want my candy basket.” Tell them to remember this line so they can say it again.)
Mommy said, “Oh dear, we left your basket in the basement. I'll get it later.”
But Baby said (Pause here and look at your listeners so they will know it is time to repeat their line.), “I want my CANDY basket!”
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Brother was feeling sad that Baby's basket was still in the basement. He said, “I'll get your candy basket right now. I know where it is, and I'm not afraid.” He walked to the basement door and opened it. (Mime opening the door and invite your listeners to make a creaking sound with you.) Then he walked down the stairs. (Pat your hands on your knees to make a walking sound and invite listeners to follow your lead.) When he reached the bottom of the stairs Brother stopped and looked around. Then he stood up tall. “It is dark down here, but I'm not afraid. That basket is right over there.” He began to walk slowly across the basement floor. (Pat your hands on your knees again and look around fearfully.) When he reached the middle of the floor he stopped because he saw something.
And it said:
“I am the ghost with the one black eye!” (Make a telescope with your hand and look through your fingers with one eye as you make up a little tune and sing this line. Inviting the listeners to sing along is much more important than the notes or your singing ability.)
“ARRRRRRRGhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!” Brother yelled. He ran across the basement floor and up the basement stairs. (Slap hands on knees and look scared. Encourage listeners make the same motions.) Brother slammed the basement door. “I'm not going back down there. There is a ghost down there!”
Baby looked at Brother and waved her little fists in the air. She threw cereal all over the kitchen and whined, “I want my CANDY BASKET!!” (Whine loudly and give young listeners free reign to follow your lead.)
Mommy came into the kitchen. When she saw what was wrong she said, “Oh my goodness! I'll go get your candy basket.” (Be sure to go through exactly the same motions during this action sequence.) Mommy opened the basement door. She walked down the stairs, and when she reached the basement it was dark. “Oh, I can't see very well, but I think that candy basket is right over here.” Mommy began to walk across the basement floor. When she was halfway across she stopped because she saw something.
And it said:
“I am the ghost with the one black eye!”
“OHHhhhhhhhhhhhh NOOOoooooooooooo!!” Mommy shouted. She ran across the basement floor and up the stairs, and she slammed the basement door. “There is a ghost down there! I'm not going back down there!!”
Baby was really mad now. She waved her fists in the air and screwed up her face. Then she began to yell and whine louder than before, “I want my CANDY BASKET!”
By this time Daddy was home, and everyone know that Daddies are not afraid of anything. So Daddy wiped Baby's tears away and said, “Now stop crying. I'll go get your candy basket.” (By this time your listeners will follow your motions enthusiastically. Relax and enjoy their fun.) Daddy opened the basement door. He walked down the stairs, and when he reached the bottom it was dark. “Oh, my,” he said. “Now where is that candy basket?” He walked across the basement floor, and when he was halfway across he stopped because he saw something.
And it said:
“I am the ghost with the one black eye!”
“WOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!” Daddy yelled. He ran across the basement floor and up the stairs. He slammed the basement door. “T-t-there's a g-g-ghost down there!” he shouted. “I'm not going back down there!!”
By now Baby was so mad she kicked her feet and waved her fists and yelled as loud as she could, “I WANT MY CANDY BASKET!!!” Then Baby climbed down out of her high chair and walked to the basement door. She crawled backward down the stairs. Baby was so mad she did not even notice that it was dark. She walked across the basement floor, and when she was halfway across she stopped because she saw something.
And it said:
“I am the ghost with the one black eye!”
Baby was so mad she shook her fist at that ghost and shouted, “If I DON”T GET MY CANDY BASKET YOU ARE GOING TO BE THE GHOST WITH THE TWO BLACK EYES!!” (Pause and enjoy the surprise with your listeners.)
Baby scared that ghost so bad he flew out the basement window, and no one has ever seen that ghost again.
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From an article by Mitch Moore:
Fear Factor
Storyteller Faye Wooden pauses between phrases, her timing honed to pointed precision as she allows the suspense to build like thickening steam in a kettle. Her dark eyes maintain a magnetic grip on her unlikely audience, a classroom full of University of Tennessee students who no doubt think they’re too hip for a ghost story. But their rapt silence is irrefutable evidence that Wooden has them in her spell.
“Everybody loves a ghost story,” says Wooden, who retired as a UT administrator in 1999 to become a full-time storyteller. “We love to be scared. We pay for scary movies and rides that shake us up, things that get the adrenaline glands going. Ghost stories do the same thing but in a subtle way.”
To read more of this article, pick up the October,2003 issue of CityView
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