The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

CEMETERY STORY

THERE WAS AN OLD MAN IN THIS TOWN WHO DIED. HE WAS MEAN TO THE
KIDS WHILE HE WAS ALIVE SO NOW A RUMOR WAS GOING AROUND THAT HE
COULD REACH OUT OF HIS GRAVE AND GRAB PEOPLE. ONE NIGHT ABOUT
12:00 MIDNIGHT SOME BOYS WENT TO THE CEMETERY. JOHN, WHO WAS THE
LEADER OF THE GROUP, WAS DARED TO STAB THE GRAVE WITH HIS KNIFE.
JOHN SAID HE WASN'T AFRAID OF THE OLD MAN WHEN HE WAS ALIVE AND
HE STILL ISN'T AFRAID. IN FACT, HE SAID, HE'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY
TO GET HIM BACK CAUSE HE NEVER LIKED THE OLD MAN. JOHN RAN UP
TO THE GRAVE AND STUCK THE KNIFE IN. HE TRIED TO RUN AWAY BUT
SOMEONE WAS HOLDING HIS PANT LEG! HE SCREAMED SO LOUD ALL THE
BOYS GOT SCARED AND RAN AWAY. THE NEXT DAY THE BOYS WENT BACK
TO THE CEMETERY TO FIND JOHN. HE HADN'T COME HOME ALL NIGHT!
WHEN THEY GOT TO THE OLD MAN'S GRAVE THEY FOUND JOHN DEAD ON
THE GRAVE! HE HAD DIED OF FRIGHT. HE HAD STUCK THE KNIFE IN
THE GRAVE, ALRIGHT, BUT HE ALSO HAD PUT THE KNIFE THROUGH HIS
PANT LEG.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DEARBORN HEIGHTS