Tale Of a Stormy Night
By the side of a long road stood a solitary hut. It was a stormy night. Three travelers, at the intervals of a few minutes, climbed the veranda of the hut and stood there, waiting for the rain to subside. But far from subsiding, the rain seemed to be increasing in its ferocity. The hut belonged to an old woman who lived in it alone. The travelers sought her permission to spend the night in her hut. "People call my hut a haunted house and shun it. But you are most welcome to pass the night here," said the old woman. "I do not believe in ghosts," said the first traveler and he continued: Years ago I was passing through a village, on my way to the town. I had urgent work and I decided to walk on at night. But the villagers warned me that it would not be wise to do so, for, on the way, there was a cremation ground and near that stood an old banyan tree which was the dwelling of a notorious ghost. But I did not care. In due course, I came across the banyan tree. I could see a white figure standing on the tree. Panic overtook me for a moment, but I got over the feeling and continued to advance. In a shrill voice, the figure asked me to stop. But I shouted in a more shrill voice, "Well, well, who are you? I am the ghost who lived in this tree. I went out on a tour. Who are you to occupy my tree in the meanwhile?"
The fellow who was on the tree got nervous. He fell down. I carried him to the village and exposed him to the villagers. The fellow used to pretend as a ghost and terrorize passers-by. When the passers-by swooned away, he took away their belongings. The second traveler narrated his story: It happened five years ago. I was transferred to a town where it was difficult to find a lodge. On the outskirts of the town stood an abandoned house. It was rumored that at night people could see a shadow dancing inside the house and could hear the sound of the tiny bells of its dancing feet. I braved into the house. It was a moonlit night. I found the shadow of a tree swaying in the breeze giving the impression of a ghost dancing inside. The house abounded in rodents. A cat with bells fitted to its feet was chasing them. That produced the tinkling sound. I lived in that house and the people of the locality rewarded me handsomely, for, they thought that I drove away the ghost! Said the third traveler: I agree with your observations. There are no ghosts anywhere at all. Once, in our village itself, a girl was said to be possessed by a ghost. Even expert exorcists failed to rid her of the ghost. I confronted her and threatened her, saying, "I am going to take you to the town for treatment. There you will be awfully tortured." She confessed that she was only pretending to be possessed because her parents were going to give her away in marriage with an old man.
I managed to foil her parents' scheme and married the girl myself. Needless to say, she has made a fine wife. To each one of their stories, the old woman who sat in a corner said, "Good, my son." It was midnight. The three travelers fell asleep. They woke up in the morning only to look agape at each other. There was no hut, no old woman. They were lying beside a cremation ground!
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