The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

The Golden Arm

A long time ago a man had a wife named Elvira who had a
golden arm and had her husband promise her that if she
died that her golden arm would be buried with her. She
soon died and the she was buried with the golden arm but
he soon changed his mind and went back to his wife's
grave and dug it up to get the arm. On his way home it
started to rain and hale and became very cold but he made
it home all right and put the arm in the bed, for he had
no place else to hide it. Later in bed he heard a voice
cry out in the darkness,
"W-H-E-E-R-E'-S M-Y G-O-O-L-D-E-N A-A-A-R-M?"
The man hid under the covers but still heard the voice
on the road...
W-H-E-E-R-E'-S M-Y
on the porch...
G-O-O-L-D-E-N
at the door...
A-A-A-R-M?
as the winds howled at the door...
W-H-E-E-R-E'-S M-Y G-O-L-D-E-N A-A-R-M?
as the man peeked out from under the covers he saw it.
It was by the bed.
And-(a pause)- it pounced
YOU'VE GOT IT

Submitter comment: At the point when the man peeks under the covers the
person telling the story will lunge at another person's
arm unexpectedly to scare him. This was told by Roy
at a Halloween party.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROCHESTER HILLS

Date learned: 00001980S