Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. One of many collections setting a perfect example of ghost stories being told and passed along from generation to generation. Whether we’re sitting around the campfire roasting marshmallows or braiding hair and painting nails at a slumber party, telling scary stories is something most everyone can share a fond memory of.
Some of the first horror stories and folklore were written in the 1700s (from what I can find). Each generation has their own adaptation of stories they can pass down to the next. However, there’s something special about the stories told to the kids of the 90s. The stories we read very well could be the last of the adaptations that were uncensored. There was no regard for any worry or anxiety these stories would cause us kids. At least looking back now as an adult, it sure does seem like there wasn’t any.
In recent nostalgia talk with my bestie, we started reminiscing about scary stories we read in grade school. The one we both went to first was, “The Green Ribbon.” It took a few iterations of sharing our memories to get the story right.
I remember it being titled, “The Yellow Ribbon,” and for some reason distinctly remember the ribbon being yellow. After looking online, we find the book from which it came. In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories, by Alvin Schwartz. Turns out, the ribbon is green.
Her distinct memory was at the very end of the story; the main character’s head just straight falls off. And that’s the end of the story. How traumatic! But was it really? We managed to survive the story just fine.
At this point, the rest of the stories must be read right away! So naturally, I purchase this book and Schwartz’s other popular book, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is a collection of horror stories and folklore dating all the way back to the 1940s. The book was first published in 1981. It includes urban legends, jokes, and even songs (with sheet music)! I can’t actually read music but maybe Michael can play some of these on the guitar for us someday?
As my bestie and I read through these stories, one in particular made us laugh for what felt like hours. “Aaron Kelly’s Bones.” Now, I really don’t remember this story from grade school but I am for certain, none of us would have had any clue as to what seemed to really be happening here.
The story’s premise is set pretty quick… “Aaron Kelly was dead.” Well, alright! Here we go.
Aaron Kelly’s body returns to his house where his widow seemed to have no issue with his return other than the fact she couldn’t collect his life insurance unless he was in his coffin. One evening, the best fiddler in town came to court the widow; he intended to marry her since Aaron was dead. At this point it appears the story is starting to get really juicy! While his skeleton is just sitting around the house, Aaron becomes bored and decides to dance. The fiddler played his fiddle while the skeleton danced.
The widow chimes in and demands that the fiddler play faster and louder, all while Aaron’s skeleton begins to crumble to the floor, bone by bone. “How that dead man danced!”
Eventually the fiddler becomes frustrated and leaves the widow and never returns. The family cleans up Aaron’s bones and places them back in his coffin, not before mixing them up so he can’t return home. The widow never remarried… “Aaron had seen to that.”
Thirty years later and I read the story again. This is not at all the same story as I remember as a kid. Now we have a story of a widow who basically just wants to be fiddled by the town fiddler, and is cockblocked by her dead husband’s dancing skeleton. There is no way kids would pick up on this. The question is, did our teachers? My bet is yes, and kudos to them for never letting on in front of us. The way my bestie and I burst out in uncontrollable laughter while reading this story, it must have been really hard to hold back the tears.
Don’t find yourself without a copy of these books this Spooky Season! Both books are available on Amazon: