World Fairy Tales

THE HAUNTED CASTLE (British 🇬🇧)

"The Haunted Castle: A British Fairy Tale" in 1970 is a captivating story that unfolds in the ancient and eerie corridors of an old castle nestled in the misty hills of the British countryside. As the moon casts long shadows through the ivy-covered windows, the secrets of the castle's past begin to reveal themselves, sending shivers down the spines of those brave enough to tread its haunted halls.

Let's Read;

A young soldier, a gentleman's son, he was bold and fearless and was often in trouble by his wild pranks. The Colonel and his officers knew he was clever and would be a credit to his ranks if they could get him steadied down, but he was always out for some exploits. There was a big dark dungeon with a heap of straw where any of the soldiers were put when they had done something wrong. One day there were a lot of soldiers in this dungeon, including this young man, the door was flung open and an officer entered. And a boot was flung at him, and the officer was badly hurt. The other officers came to his assistance, and to know who threw the boot; none of them would answer. The officer said if he did not get an answer in five minutes the whole lot of them would be punished. The young soldier stepped out and said he would not let his mates be punished for his work, and he owned up that it was he who threw the boot. So he was taken to headquarters where he was court-martialed, and his punishment was that he would carry his full kit on his back and travel to the headquarters of their Colonel for his punishment, which they said would be very severe; and he was not to get any meat for his journey, which would be two days' travel. If he could beg any meat on the road. He would be free to take it, otherwise he could go hungry. So he set out on the road. The sun was hot, and about midday, he began to get hungry and thought of asking at the first house he came to for some meat; but when he came to the house he did not like to beg, and he had no money. So he had to pass it, but at the next house, he would ask for some meat. But when the next house came, he could not ask - that was one thing he did not like to do. The day was wearing on, and in the evening he was coming to a village, so he thought, "Surely I will get something here!"... But ask or beg he could not, and had to pass it also. At last, he came to some large gates and a big board, and on it was written, "Meat and Lodgings Free." Here was the place he was looking for, and he rang the bell at the gate. A woman came, and he pointed to the board on the gate and asked if this was all right. "Perfectly right," said the woman, "but I must warn you that the Castle is haunted, and anyone that goes there and stays all night gets such a fright that they go wrong in the mind, and sometimes it kills them."

"Oh, I'm not afraid of ghosts. If I get food and a bed for the night, I will be all right."

"Very well," said the woman, "but you have been warned, and you know the castle is haunted every night." So the young soldier passed on to the castle. He knocked on the door, and a young lady came to the door, he asked her if food and lodgings were free there. "Yes," said the young lady, "but I hope you have been warned of the danger of staying here all night, as this castle is haunted."

"Oh, I don't mind your ghosts as long as I get a feed and a bed."
"All night," said the lady, "you know I and the maids don't stop here at night. You will be by yourself in the Castle, and the castle doors will be locked."

So the young lady got the soldier some dinner. A good dinner was set before him, and after he had his dinner, a large fire was put on, and she brought him some supper to eat before he went to bed, a roasted partridge, and told him to heat it on the fire before eating it. And she brought him a lot of books to read. Then she and the maids locked up the castle and went away. He sat near the fire and had a look at the books until near bedtime; then he got the frying pan and put his partridge into it, and was just busy frying it when a white hand appeared and seized his partridge. "Hey! Fry for yourself, you bastard," said the soldier. And just then a white lady appeared before him. "You are the first person who has dared to speak, and if you follow me, I will let you see why I cannot rest and disturb this castle. I was murdered by the young gentleman who I was to marry." The soldier followed her, carrying the light, to a room. Then she pointed to some boards on the floor, he said, "If you lift those boards, you will find my body there. And now, when you know all, I can rest in peace."So she disappeared, and he went back to his supper, and then to bed, and had a good night's sleep. In the morning, when the lady and her maids arrived, the lady was surprised to see him in such good spirits and asked him if he saw the ghost. "Yes," he said and told the lady what had happened. They got a carpenter to lift the boards in the room the lady ghost had pointed out, and her bones and part of her bridal dress were lying there. And the soldier told her that the ghost would no longer haunt the castle. The young lady was so pleased with this fearless soldier, that she told him the only way she could repay him for freeing the castle of the ghost was herself. She was willing to marry him."Oh," said the soldier, "I can't do that, my lady, as I am on my way to the Colonel for punishment, and I must get on my way." So he resumed his journey, and at last, he reached the headquarters of the Colonel and handed the Colonel the letter the officers had given him. He had also got a letter from the young lady at the Haunted Castle for him, as she said he was a friend. After reading the letters, the Colonel asked all about his journey, and what happened on his way. So he told him all. "Well," said the Colonel, "your punishment is, you go back to the haunted I see to both of your welfare."

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