Sunday, March 14, 2010

RICHARD FREEMAN: The Monsters of Prague, Part 8

The Burning Man number 3.

The third burning spectre

A terrible miser lived in a house called At The Turks Head. He ate and drank very little in order to save his gold coins, which he stashed in a chest. He grew ever more paranoid about thieves and so bricked the chest up. Still not satisfied, he patrolled the wall, walking back and forth until he had a stroke and died. Even after death he remained as a flaming spectre.

The house's new owner decided to demolish it. A nightwatchman saw the burning man holding his fiery hand to a certain part of the wall. Realising that the ghost was pointing to something, he got a pickaxe and broke into the wall. He found a chest full of gold ducats.

"Thank you, my friend; you have freed me. Enjoy the money in good health," said the burning man, and vanished.

The nightwatchman go so drunk on the money he fell down stairs and killed himself. The burning man blamed himself and returned to haunt the area.

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