The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

THE HOUSE OF CHIN LIN FU (THE DOG WHO WE HOUSESAT FOR)

WHEN MY HUSBAND AND I WERE FIRST MARRIED AND WERE LIVING ON AN ESTATE
IN THE GATEHOUSE, WE FOUND THE HOUSE THAT WE WERE LIVING IN WAS
HAUNTED. WE GOT THE HOUSE RENT FREE BECAUSE A VICIOUS DOG LOVED ME.
ONE NIGHT THE WIND WHISTLED THROUGH THE TREES AND I WAS PREGNANT
AT THE TIME AND THE DOG SAT GUARDING THE HOUSE ON THE FRONT PORCH,
WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE DOG BEGAN TO HOWL AND THE FUR ON HIS COAT
STOOD STRAIGHT UP ON END, AND THE CURTAINS BEGAN TO BLOW VIGOROUSLY
AND A LOUD MOANING NOISE SCARED ME SO THAT I SCREAMED AT THE TOP OF
LUNGS AND CLIMBED THE STAIRS FOUR STEPS AT A TIME, PREGNANT OR NOT.
MY HUSBAND HEARD ME SCREAMING ALL THE WAY UP STAIRS WHERE HE WAS
TAKING A BATH AND HE ALSO HEARD THE MOANING AS IF THERE WAS A
GHOST IN THIS HOUSE. HE CLIMBED OUT OF THE BATHTUB AND RAN DOWN
THE STAIRS IN HIS BIRTHDAY SUIT AND GRABBED A KNIFE FROM THE KITCHEN
AND RAN OUT ON THE PORCH. SINCE THIS WAS AN ESTATE AND COMPLETELY
SURROUNDED BY TREES, NO ONE SAW HIM. I DID NOT LOOK FOR I WAS VERY
FRIGHTENED. HE RAN AROUND IN THE ALTOGETHER LOOKING AND WAVING
THE KNIFE AND WHATEVER WAS OUT THERE HOWLING COMPLETELY STOPPED AND
THE HOUSE BECAME COMPLETELY QUIET AGAIN. WHEN THE OWNERS OF THE
HOUSE CAME BACK FROM FLORIDA AND WERE TOLD OF THE INCIDENT THEY TOLD
THAT THIS HOUSE WAS ONCE THE GATEHOUSE AND THAT A MAN WAS FOUND
MURDERED IN THIS HOUSE AND THE DATE THAT THIS OCCURRENCE HAPPENED
WAS THE DATE THAT THE MOANING AND HOWLING OCCURRED TO US. THIS WAS
A STRANGE HAPPENING THAT WOULD NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.

Date learned: 10-13-1987