"Every Hero Has A Story." My Blogging From A to Z theme bridges the summer library reading programs throughout the U.S. with storytelling opportunities, ideas, and activities.
I love urban legends and so do kids - especially a ghostly urban legend that bonds a mother's love to her child, even beyond death. The tale The Ghost of the Grey Lady can be told to fifth graders on up to adults. Your setting can be just about anywhere. I set mine right here in old town Bulverde, TX about 100 years ago:
Barebones of The Ghost of the Grey Lady:
1. You all know that Shell Gas Station on Bulverde road - that Shell Station. Well, in the 1920's there was a general store sitting in that exact spot. Other than that, not much has changed. The cemetary is down the road a bit, same homes sit on the street, and you can hear some of the same stories they told back then.
2. Store keeper was sweeping up the floor while the shop was empty, about 4 p.m., when he turned and there she was - sad, worn face of a young woman wearing a grey, long dress. Her eyes were desperate. She walked right past him and pointed at the milk bottles.
3. The store keeper went behind the counter, grabbed two and gave them to the woman. She left without paying. Store keepter figured she didn't have any money because of the depression so let her go.
4. The next day, right about the same time, the lady in grey was standing in the store. Storekeeper never heard the door open - she just seemed to appear. She placed the two empty milk bottles on the counter and looked him in the eyes with her forlorn expression. He immediately replaced those bottles with two filled milk bottles. She left again without saying a word.
5. Like clockwork, she came again without any warning. The storekeeper tried to talk to her but she only waited with her two empty milk bottles, pointing at the fresh milk up on the counter. Once the storekeeper replaced them and handed them to her, she left. But this time, he followed.
6. She was mighty fast - as if she were floating, but the storekeeper ran to keep up and while catching his breath, watched her enter the cemetery and climb the hill. She stopped, turned right toward the shopkeeper and then vanished.
7. He ran on up to where he last saw her - winding around grave sites until he reached the top of the hill. No sign of her except for the freshly laid grave itself. Shaking his head in disbelief, he was ready to head on back, when he heard a cry - a muffled cry of a baby. It took a minute to realize that the sound was coming from the ground - from the burial ground.
8. He ran back to his general store, called the police and in no time at all, there were folks from all over the town meeting the shopkeeper at that grave site with shovels.
9. The casket was brought up from the ground and opened. Inside was that grey woman but dead. Beside her though was a baby, weak, but crying. The storekeeper immediately lifted the baby up noticed two empty milk bottles by her side.
10. The town folk remember reading about her death. This woman and her child had been quite ill and both were thought to be dead. Folks now realized the baby was in a coma state when buried.
A mother's love knows no bounds.
1. You all know that Shell Gas Station on Bulverde road - that Shell Station. Well, in the 1920's there was a general store sitting in that exact spot. Other than that, not much has changed. The cemetary is down the road a bit, same homes sit on the street, and you can hear some of the same stories they told back then.
2. Store keeper was sweeping up the floor while the shop was empty, about 4 p.m., when he turned and there she was - sad, worn face of a young woman wearing a grey, long dress. Her eyes were desperate. She walked right past him and pointed at the milk bottles.
3. The store keeper went behind the counter, grabbed two and gave them to the woman. She left without paying. Store keepter figured she didn't have any money because of the depression so let her go.
4. The next day, right about the same time, the lady in grey was standing in the store. Storekeeper never heard the door open - she just seemed to appear. She placed the two empty milk bottles on the counter and looked him in the eyes with her forlorn expression. He immediately replaced those bottles with two filled milk bottles. She left again without saying a word.
5. Like clockwork, she came again without any warning. The storekeeper tried to talk to her but she only waited with her two empty milk bottles, pointing at the fresh milk up on the counter. Once the storekeeper replaced them and handed them to her, she left. But this time, he followed.
6. She was mighty fast - as if she were floating, but the storekeeper ran to keep up and while catching his breath, watched her enter the cemetery and climb the hill. She stopped, turned right toward the shopkeeper and then vanished.
7. He ran on up to where he last saw her - winding around grave sites until he reached the top of the hill. No sign of her except for the freshly laid grave itself. Shaking his head in disbelief, he was ready to head on back, when he heard a cry - a muffled cry of a baby. It took a minute to realize that the sound was coming from the ground - from the burial ground.
8. He ran back to his general store, called the police and in no time at all, there were folks from all over the town meeting the shopkeeper at that grave site with shovels.
9. The casket was brought up from the ground and opened. Inside was that grey woman but dead. Beside her though was a baby, weak, but crying. The storekeeper immediately lifted the baby up noticed two empty milk bottles by her side.
10. The town folk remember reading about her death. This woman and her child had been quite ill and both were thought to be dead. Folks now realized the baby was in a coma state when buried.
A mother's love knows no bounds.
Here's a link to another blog I just read on defining Ghosts- quite interesting: Precious Monsters
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