The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

TALE

ONCE THREE HUNTERS AND THEIR DOG WERE HUNTING IN THE
FOREST. NIGHT CAUGHT THEM UNAWARES AND SOON AFTER
IT BEGAN TO RAIN. LOST, THEY STUMBLED AROUND IN THE
FOREST UNTIL ONE OF THEM SPOTTED AN OLD ABANDONED
HOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FOREST. THE HUNTERS
DECIDED TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN ITS SHELTER.
AROUND MIDNIGHT, THE HUNTERS WHO HAD BEEN SLEEPING
UPSTAIRS, HEARD THEIR DOG BEGIN TO HOWL. CHECKING
TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG, THEY WERE SHOCKED TO SEE A
COFFIN DRAPED WITH A SHEET, FLOATING AROUND THE FIRST
FLOOR. THE DOG WAS BARKING AT IT. SOON THE COFFIN
HEADED FOR THE DOG, HOVERED OVER IT, AND SUDDENLY
DRUSHED IT. THE DOG DIED INSTANTLY. THE MEN WERE
TERRORIZED. THE COFFIN THEN STARTED UP THE STAIRS
---BUMP, BUMP, BUMP.
THE HUNTERS FLED BACK TO THEIR ROOM ON THE SECOND
FLOOR. ONE HUNTER TRIED RUNNING PAST IT ON THE
STAIRS. THE COFFIN STOPPED, FOLLOWED HIM AND
CRUSHED HIM JUST AS HE WAS ABOUT TO RUN OUT THE DOOR.
THE SECOND HUNTER GRABBED HIS GUN AND FIRED AGAIN
AND AGAIN INTO THE COFFIN. HE TOO WAS CRUSHED.
THE THIRD HUNTER LOCKED HIMSELF IN HIS ROOM, BUT THE
COFFIN BROKE THE DOOR DOWN AND KEPT COMING. THE MAN
REACHED FOR HIS BAG AND THREW SHOES, CLOTHES, WHATEVER
HE COULD REACH AT THE COFFIN, BUT IT KEPT COMING.
SOON THERE WAS ONLY ONE JAR LEFT IN HIS BAG. HE HIT
THE COFFIN WITH IT, AND TO HIS SURPRISE, THE COFFIN
DISAPPEARED INTO THIN AIR. HE RETRIEVED THE JAR
AND READ THE LABEL;
AND READ THE LABEL:
VIX: IT STOPS ANY COUGHIN'.

Where learned: FRANKLIN SETTLEMENT CAMP