Neil Gaiman scary tales reviews. "Scary Tales"
Scary Tales (collection)
auto – comp. Stephen Jones
Dedicated to Dot, with gratitude
Edited by Stephen Jones
Reprinted with permission from Quercus Editions Ltd (UK)
Selection and Editorial material Copyright
© Stephen Jones, 2013
© E. Migunova, translation into Russian
© AST Publishing House LLC, 2015
Introduction
Don't scare the children
At the very beginning of the 19th century, the German linguists brothers Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859) Grimm began collecting folk tales throughout Europe, seeking not only to find in them a reflection of the cultural identity of Germany, but also to preserve these stories themselves, which had been passed on for centuries from generation to generation in oral tradition.
This led to many different versions of the same tales in different regions (especially in France), and the Brothers Grimm not only collected them into a coherent manuscript for the first time by listening to the stories as told by friends, family members and other storytellers and writing them down, but and preserved the ancient religious beliefs depicted in these stories.
It is no exaggeration to call Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm the creators of one of the first anthologies of horror literature. This is because, despite subsequent editing and reworking by various authors (including Wilhelm himself), many of the original stories contain scenes of extreme violence and implied sexuality, which made them, in the eyes of early reviewers, wholly unsuitable for very young readers (who, however, initially they were not, in fact, their target audience).
Spiritual and religious motifs were added to later versions of the tales to make them more inspiring for middle-class readers, while the themes of violence, sexuality and anti-Semitism were significantly toned down at the same time. The Brothers Grimm even added intros in which advised parents make sure that their offspring will only have access to those fairy tales that are age appropriate.
In the context of the culture of the time, education was largely based on fear, and often such tales served as a kind of “warning” so that children should not behave badly, otherwise something terrible would happen to them (thrown into the fire or eaten alive).
Between 1812 and 1862, Kinder- und Hausmärchen (Children's and Family Tales, or Grimm's Fairy Tales, as they were later called) was printed seventeen times and revised many times, the number of tales gradually increasing, increasing in some of the most complete editions from 86 to 200. The book was also often reprinted illegally, so that other compilers often added various folk tales.
Now, two centuries after Jacob and William first published their collection, these tales are more popular than ever. True, Hollywood (and especially the Walt Disney studio) has been quite free with the legacy of the Brothers Grimm almost since the birth of cinema, and recently we are literally inundated with their “reinterpretations”, such as the werewolf-themed “Little Red Riding Hood” (2011), “ Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) and Jack the Giant Slayer (2013), not to mention various versions of Snow White, as well as popular television series such as Once Upon a Time ” and “Grimm” (both published since 2011).
Over the years, even the Brothers Grimm themselves have been the subject of biopics (with generous amounts of fantasy elements added), such as George Pal's The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm and Terry Gilliam's slightly darker The Brothers Grimm (2005).
And for this edition, I invited several famous writers to submit their interpretations of classic fairy tales, inspired by the Brothers Grimm or folklore stories from other cultures. Since it was conceived primarily as an anthology of horrors, I set the only mandatory condition for the authors - that they take as a model early versions of fairy tales that were not emasculated by censorship.
I'm pleased to say that all of the writers whose work is included in this volume have done a brilliant job of creating their own unique takes on classic stories while staying steadfastly true to the source material.
Their works are truly creepy and exciting stories worthy of the 21st century.
In 1884, a new translation of the brothers' tales by British novelist Margaret Hunt (mother of science fiction writer Violet Hunt) was published in England. I not only used some of these translations as the basis for modern fairy tales, but also included them in the collection, interspersed with the original material.
Not all of the stories written for this book were influenced by the Brothers Grimm, but in those cases I have tried to select analogues from among older tales that were either related thematically or served as the starting point for more modern stories written after them. And, since this is, after all, a horror anthology, I took the liberty of adding a couple of little-known “horror stories” to the book, which were originally part of the German brothers’ collection.
Finally, we reiterate the warning Jacob and Wilhelm gave to their readers two hundred years ago: although the stories included in this edition are based on folk tales and myths, they may not be entirely suitable for young readers.
Unless, of course, you want to fill their tiny little minds with terror!
Stephen Jones
London, England
year 2013
Naughty child
Once upon a time there was a headstrong girl who did not obey her mother. God was angry with the girl for her waywardness and sent her an illness so bad that none of the doctors could cure her and she soon died.
The girl was lowered into the grave and covered with earth, when suddenly a child’s hand poked out from under the ground and waved. The grave was filled with fresh earth again and again, but it was all in vain, each time the hand stuck out.
The mother had to come to the girl’s grave and hit her hand with a rod. As soon as she did this, the hand moved underground, and the naughty child finally found peace underground.
Ramsey Campbell
Guess my name
Doreen woke up suddenly and tried to understand what had woken her up. A dog barked at the far end of the tennis court, another echoed from the golf club, and then Doreen heard sounds from Anna's former room. There, Benjamin was stirring in his crib—the baby monitor was simultaneously distorting and amplifying the sound. Doreen was about to quietly look into his room, but the baby fell silent, and she again dropped her head on the pillow. Before closing her eyes, she glanced at the bedside clock - it showed midnight. The woman was completely dozing off when a quiet voice reached her. “You’re mine now, Benjamin,” he said.
It seemed as if the night had fallen upon her with its suffocating weight and crushed her, and yet Doreen managed to pry her unruly lips apart.
- This will never happen. Get out, Denny, or I'll call the police.
- I'm not the boy's father. His mother got what she wanted, now it's my turn.
It must have been a dream - in the empty house there was no one to engage in conversation with Doreen - but she was terrified.
- And what did Anna want?
- So that her son will be with her until he is one year old.
“Half of this time, the child’s father tortured and abused her. Maybe that's what she wanted too?
- She wished - I fulfilled it. She knew what the price was.
Doreen's grief brought tears to her eyes.
“She paid in full for her mistake.”
Doreen herself did not understand what she was trying to do - understand him or wake up.
- What time is it?
Scary tales. Stories full of horror and horror
Dedicated to Dot, with gratitude
Introduction
Don't scare the children
At the very beginning of the 19th century, German linguists brothers Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859) began collecting Grimm throughout Europe [Or rather, across the fragmented German principalities that were still awaiting their unification into a united Germany. Here and further approx. translator] folk tales, seeking not only to find in them a reflection of the cultural identity of Germany, but also to preserve these stories themselves, passed down from generation to generation in oral tradition for centuries.
This led to many different versions of the same tales in different regions (especially in France), and the Brothers Grimm not only collected them into a coherent manuscript for the first time by listening to the stories as told by friends, family members and other storytellers and writing them down, but and preserved the ancient religious beliefs depicted in these stories.
It is no exaggeration to call Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm the creators of one of the first anthologies of horror literature. This is because, despite subsequent editing and reworking by various authors (including Wilhelm himself), many of the original stories contain scenes of extreme violence and implied sexuality, which made them, in the eyes of early reviewers, wholly unsuitable for very young readers (who, however, initially they were not, in fact, their target audience).
Spiritual and religious motifs were added to later versions of the tales to make them more inspiring for middle-class readers, while the themes of violence, sexuality and anti-Semitism were significantly toned down at the same time. The Brothers Grimm even added intros in which advised parents make sure that their offspring will only have access to those fairy tales that are age appropriate.
In the context of the culture of the time, education was largely based on fear, and often such tales served as a kind of “warning” so that children should not behave badly, otherwise something terrible would happen to them (thrown into the fire or eaten alive).
Between 1812 and 1862, Kinder- und Hausmärchen (Children's and Family Tales, or Grimm's Fairy Tales, as they were later called) was printed seventeen times and revised many times, the number of tales gradually increasing, increasing in some of the most complete editions from 86 to 200. The book was also often reprinted illegally, so that other compilers often added various folk tales.
Now, two centuries after Jacob and William first published their collection, these tales are more popular than ever. True, Hollywood (and especially the Walt Disney studio) has been quite free with the legacy of the Brothers Grimm almost since the birth of cinema, and recently we are literally inundated with their “reinterpretations”, such as the werewolf-themed “Little Red Riding Hood” (2011), “ Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) and Jack the Giant Slayer (2013), not to mention various versions of Snow White, as well as popular television series such as Once Upon a Time ” and “Grimm” (both published since 2011).
Over the years, even the Brothers Grimm themselves have been the subject of biopics (with generous amounts of fantasy elements added), such as George Pal's The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm and Terry Gilliam's slightly darker The Brothers Grimm (2005).
And for this edition, I invited several famous writers to submit their interpretations of classic fairy tales, inspired by the Brothers Grimm or folklore stories from other cultures. Since it was conceived primarily as an anthology of horrors, I set the only mandatory condition for the authors - that they take as a model early versions of fairy tales that were not emasculated by censorship.
I'm pleased to say that all of the writers whose work is included in this volume have done a brilliant job of creating their own unique takes on classic stories while staying steadfastly true to the source material.
Their works are truly creepy and exciting stories worthy of the 21st century.
In 1884, a new translation of the brothers' tales by British novelist Margaret Hunt (mother of science fiction writer Violet Hunt) was published in England. I not only used some of these translations as the basis for modern fairy tales, but also included them in the collection, interspersed with the original material.
Not all of the stories written for this book were influenced by the Brothers Grimm, but in those cases I have tried to select analogues from among older tales that were either related thematically or served as the starting point for more modern stories written after them. And, since this is, after all, a horror anthology, I took the liberty of adding a couple of little-known “horror stories” to the book, which were originally part of the German brothers’ collection.
Finally, we reiterate the warning Jacob and Wilhelm gave to their readers two hundred years ago: although the stories included in this edition are based on folk tales and myths, they may not be entirely suitable for young readers.
Unless, of course, you want to fill their tiny little minds with terror!
Stephen Jones
London, England
year 2013
Naughty child
Once upon a time there was a headstrong girl who did not obey her mother. God was angry with the girl for her waywardness and sent her an illness so bad that none of the doctors could cure her and she soon died.
The girl was lowered into the grave and covered with earth, when suddenly a child’s hand poked out from under the ground and waved. The grave was filled with fresh earth again and again, but it was all in vain, each time the hand stuck out.
The mother had to come to the girl’s grave and hit her hand with a rod. As soon as she did this, the hand moved underground, and the naughty child finally found peace underground.
Ramsey Campbell
Guess my name
Doreen woke up suddenly and tried to understand what had woken her up. A dog barked at the far end of the tennis court, another echoed from the golf club, and then Doreen heard sounds from Anna's former room. There, Benjamin was stirring in his crib - the baby monitor was simultaneously distorting and amplifying the sound. Doreen was about to quietly look into his room, but the baby fell silent, and she again dropped her head on the pillow. Before closing her eyes, she glanced at the bedside clock - it showed midnight. The woman was completely dozing off when a quiet voice reached her. "You're mine now, Benjamin," he said.
It seemed as if the night had fallen upon her with its suffocating weight and crushed her, and yet Doreen managed to pry her unruly lips apart.
This will never happen. Get out, Denny, or I'll call the police.
I'm not the boy's father. His mother got what she wanted, now it's my turn.
It must have been a dream - in the empty house there was no one to engage in conversation with Doreen - but she was gripped by horror.
And what did Anna want?
So that her son would be with her until he is one year old.
Half of this time the child's father tortured and abused her. Maybe that's what she wanted too?
She wished - I fulfilled it. She knew what the price was.
Doreen's grief brought tears to her eyes.
She paid in full for her mistake.
Doreen herself did not understand what she was trying to do - understand him or wake up.
What's your other time?
Your year with Benjamin is almost over, so say goodbye to him while you still can, Doreen.
What is your name, since you already know my name?
Nobody knows mine. - Doreen heard a muffled chuckle, although perhaps someone simply scratched the plastic microphone. “See you on his birthday,” said the voice. - I'll leave you a sign.
The dogs began to bark again, and others joined them. Their barking was real, and Doreen felt it, there were no other sounds in the night - realizing this, she fell asleep.
Late in the morning, lying in bed, Doreen recalled her dream. Perhaps she is really afraid that Benjamin's father will show up to them, having gotten wind that her husband is away at a meeting of directors? But the court ruled that Denny should stay away from the child, and if anything happened, the police could be called. Or maybe she’s so worried because exactly a year ago, on his first birthday, Benjamin lost his mother. That is why Doreen wanted to try to give her grandson a real holiday this time, and she was considering how to do this when she heard that the boy was fussing.
In the mornings, the baby always muttered sleepily some kind of slur, as if his tongue needed time to wake up. “Veil of winds, fat, chain,” she almost believed that she could discern in his babble something similar, or even something like this: “The boar is roasted in the greenhouse” - and where does he get these words? About thirty years ago she was delighted, listening to Anna’s infant monologues, but now she tried not to remember it. Meanwhile, Benjamin started talking to Nose and Grumpy, the teddy bears who slept in his crib. As he began to bang on the wooden slats, either imitating a drummer or demanding freedom, Doreen entered the nursery.
Benjamin stood holding the back of the crib, facing the door, and she again involuntarily remembered Anna. His tiny face was almost a copy of his mother's - blond hair, high forehead, small upturned nose, plump lips, stubborn chin. Only Anna’s eyebrows were constantly frowning lately, and she dyed her hair in a variety of colors, but none of them helped bring her husband into a peaceful disposition - however, there was little that could calm him down. Last year, Anna's eyes became dull and lifeless, like stones, and her smile - Doreen saw her very rarely - looked more like a plea for help, even after she decided to break up with Denny. At least Anna practically brought the case to trial, but perhaps this made her even more afraid? Doreen assumed that was what happened.
Ready for adventure? - she turned to Benjamin.
Vengeance [Pun: adventures - adventures, avengers - avenger.].
Oh you little parrot! - Doreen smiled and suddenly shuddered. The baby monitor microphone she always placed on top of the blue dresser was lying on the floor. It was clear that Benjamin would not have been able to reach the wire, and she felt cold as she realized that she had not heard the sound of the fall. The thought flashed that this was her mistake: she herself had missed something - apparently she was getting old.
Don’t do that again, Benjamin,” she said, putting the microphone back in place.
The boy stuck out his lower lip stubbornly.
I didn't, bah.
Come on, don't be naughty. If not you, then who?
What kind of uncle?
Comes to me.
Who's coming to see you, Benjamin? This is not yours... - she blurted out in excitement and reluctantly finished, - not your father? Isn't this dad?
“Not dad,” the kid said and laughed.
Doreen suspected that he might simply be repeating her words.
And who then, Benjamin?
The child paused with a puzzled look, then said:
That is, you didn't see him. Do you know why? He's not real. It's just a dream.
Shocked.
Sometimes it seems to me that you are teasing me... - said Doreen, although she herself did not believe it.
Of course, Benjamin probably touched the microphone while waking up. Doreen took the baby in her arms, and he, warm from sleep, hugged her neck. He couldn't wait to get on the floor and run through the rooms. Doreen caught up with him in the kitchen and helped him take off his night suit. Having removed him from the potty and praised him for having done everything, he dressed him, trying to do everything so that the baby seemed to have dressed himself practically. Then she sat her grandson in a high chair, prepared breakfast, and then watched as he handled the cereal without almost spilling the milk or getting dirty. Nevertheless, she carefully wiped his cheeks - Benjamin tried his best to dodge - and asked:
What should you and I do this morning?
Watch trains.
Benjamin chatted incessantly as they walked half a mile along a wide suburban road. “They jump for the ball,” he said near the tennis courts, and “What a little car,” near the golf course. “Let’s go read,” he said, walking past the deserted schoolyard. Doreen knew: her grandson remembered how she explained that he would also go to school. “Thieves' Jugs,” Benjamin announced at the window of the antique salon, and she realized: now he was thinking about the fairy tale about Ali Baba, which she read to him. He called the visitors to the hair salon “astronaut aunts” because of the shape of the hair dryers under which they sat, and at the window of the flower shop he said: “Where the flowers go,” and Doreen, hearing this, tried to drive away thoughts of the funeral. When we got to the railway, she squeezed his trusting warm hand tighter. “Red ding,” Benjamin said. In fact, when the red signal lights came on, a sharp bell rang. When the barriers came down on both sides of the crossing, they had to stop, and Benjamin impatiently moved his fingers clenched in Doreen's fist. As the train left the station, Doreen became curious and asked, “What is it like?”
For many brands.
Benjamin still hasn't forgotten how they put stamps on envelopes for last Christmas - the strip of carriage windows reminded him of them. Anna, at his age, loved to lick Christmas stamps before sticking them on them. Now they were simply separated from the sticky base, and the next generation, Doreen thought, probably wouldn’t even know this if the computer sent out congratulations. Six trains passed them and the barrier was lowered three times before Benjamin agreed to go home.
After putting him to bed, Doreen prepared lunch and took care of dinner. After lunch, they walked, past the Conservative Club and the Masonic Hall, to the children's group "Strong Kids".
Oh, our talker has arrived! - Di Maitland exclaimed from a distance when Benjamin rushed towards his girlfriend Daisy, a talker like himself. Doreen usually didn't trust her grandson to strangers - she even retired early to take care of her grandson - but this time she asked Jonquil, Daisy's mother, if she would agree to pick up Benjamin after the group tomorrow while she baked her grandson's birthday cake .
“With joy—more willingly than any other child,” answered Jonquil, and for some reason Doreen remembered her midnight dream.
At home, she was surprised to see what a mess Benjamin had made - toys were scattered all over the floor. But in the morning he even helped her clean up - and when did he manage to scatter everything again? Doreen reminded herself that before she knew it, the boy would be older, and she was sad in advance that she would lose all this mess, and after eating she hesitated, taking her time to wipe his stained cheeks. She finally calmed down when Hubert called.
Where is the head of the family? - he asked.
At the moment - under the supervision of a woman.
That’s how it is... - Her tone seemed to puzzle Hubert. - Is everything all right at home?
It's just weird that you're not around.
I'll be back for the big day, you know. Is everything else okay with you?
Yes, in general everything is as usual. - Doreen felt: this is exactly what her husband hopes to hear, these are exactly the words he expects from her. - And how are you? - she asked.
Not particularly. Imagine, I have three more days to listen to how we can improve the image of banks in the eyes of the public. I'd rather improve their performance if possible, for that matter. - Hubert spoke too loudly, risking being heard by his colleagues, whose voices were heard nearby. - But... stop grumbling. Will you allow me to talk to the young man at bedtime?
“He hasn’t gone to bed yet,” Doreen answered, switching to speakerphone. “Do you hear who it is, Benjamin?”
Uncle. - But when Hubert greeted Benjamin, the boy’s voice sounded much happier: “Grandpa!”
How are the young shift doing? Just three more nights and we'll see each other.
Look, nights!
Well, yes, three nights. Are you listening to grandma? Keep an eye on her and make sure nothing bad happens to her while I'm in a meeting.
For a moment Doreen thought the baby was alarmed.
Nothing bad.
“Nothing will happen,” Doreen assured him. - Now wish grandpa good night. He is tired and wants to rest.
“Good night, grandfather,” Benjamin said with such enthusiasm that his grandmother and grandfather laughed together.
Before bathing, her grandson helped Doreen put away her toys.
“It’s hot,” he said seriously as Doreen tested the water, and then: “Not anymore.”
Doreen could hardly call herself religious - she paid even less attention to this aspect than her parents, which is why, apparently, her prayers for Anna, seemingly so earnest, did not achieve their goal - and yet every time she saw Benjamin, sitting in the bathtub, the font and baptism involuntarily came to mind. Doreen dried her grandson, kissed her and vowed to herself to protect him as long as she lived - even if it sounded somewhat pompous.
Doreen helped the baby into his night suit, then put him in his crib. Sitting next to her, she leafed through the pages of Anna's old book, and her gaze fell on the title of one of the fairy tales. The one Anna loved most. It is not surprising that Doreen dreamed something similar, but now she did not want to read this particular story to Benjamin.
Many years ago,” she began instead, “there lived a poor woodcutter with his wife and two children; The boy's name was Hansel, and the girl's name was Gretel...
She missed the stove and the terrible danger that threatened the children. The children were saved, and Benjamin fell asleep peacefully. Doreen turned off the lights and took the baby monitor downstairs and kept it in front of her on the kitchen table while she ate dinner. The day with Benjamin had tired her out, as usual, but she wouldn't have wanted it any other way. Doreen went to bed early.
She woke up suddenly, as if with a jolt, and immediately noticed the zeros on the dial - the bedside clock showed midnight. All that was needed, she thought, was for it to become a habit - to wake up every night at the same time - and then a voice was heard. It sounded so muffled, as if it was coming from inside her head.
Is it you again? - she whispered, or thought. -What do you want this time?
What I always get.
You didn't get it in the fairy tale, right? Because they guessed your name.
Are you talking about this old thing? Don't believe everything you read.
Well, isn't your name Rumplestiltskin?
It's just a fairy tale. - Having uttered a strangled laugh, similar to the rattling of many small teeth, the voice continued: - Something is true there. I know when I'm needed.
Then you must understand when you are not needed at all.
Your daughter needed it when she needed a witness.
Don't you dare talk about her. - Doreen even managed to squeeze out a laugh. - Why am I even talking to you? You're just a dream.
Scary tale for children
About the swing
One boy had a long nose. And his name was Yegor. One day Yegor came out into the yard and immediately sat down on the swing. And he began to swing - up and down, up and down. And back and forth. He rode for two hours and still wasn’t enough for him.
Other children in the yard began to ask:
- Yegorka! Let us have a ride too!
But Yegor did not answer, but only began to sway even more strongly - up and down, up and down. And back and forth. Only the long nose flashes. Then the other children joined hands and began to sing a teaser that they themselves had composed:
“Egor has a long nose,
"I've grown attached to the swing!"
Yegor was offended, but did not get off the swing. And the children were also offended and went to eat pancakes with sour cream. Egor swayed some more and decided that it was time to go home and eat something, but he couldn’t stop - the swing didn’t want to let him go! He was already spinning and screaming - nothing helps. The swing rocked even more and creaked so much that the sour cream on the other children's pancakes turned sour.
Then the Little Sorceress came out into the yard and shouted:
- Yegorka! Let's ride!
“I would give it,” Yegor answered, “but I can’t get off the swing!”
- Why? What's happened?
- Yes, I was swinging and swinging, and other children began to tease me with the Long Nose and also that I was attached to the swing. Help me!
- You've been bewitched! - exclaimed the Little Sorceress.
- Well, break the spell on me!
“It’s not so simple, we need to come up with a spell that will stop the swing,” answered the Little Sorceress and sat down to think on the edge of the sandbox.
And Yegor kept rocking and screaming.
At this time, a policeman was walking by, who immediately realized that something was wrong. The policeman grabbed the swing to save Yegor, but only he himself stuck to it and they began to swing together.
“I think I’ve come up with an idea,” the Little Sorceress said quietly, “let’s try it now.” - And she muttered quickly and quickly:
“Swing-swing, forgive Egor
And let me go home as soon as possible.”
Then something jingled and the swing stopped. Yes, so quickly that the policeman fell into the flowerbed in surprise, and Yegor fell on him. Then Yegor jumped up and ran home to eat pancakes with sour sour cream. And the policeman smiled and went to his department to write a report about the boy’s rescue.
And the Little Sorceress sat down on the swing and began to swing - up and down, up and down. And back and forth. And when the next morning Yegor went out into the yard, she immediately gave way to him. Well... almost immediately.
Vyacheslav Svalnov
***
A very scary tale
In one Sicilian city, boys began to disappear at night (girls if you are talking about the girls in the ward), and only boys (girls if you are talking about the girls in the ward) who did not sleep after the rising of the moon disappeared.
Moms and dads shed many tears until the terrible secret was revealed.
The fact is that at night a ship with blood-scarlet sails entered the bay. At night, sailors went to the shore in boats. Finding an awake boy/girl on the shore in some house, they lulled the child to sleep and took him away.
The ship's crew was cursed and in order to get rid of the curse it was necessary to collect a collection of 239 small children's brushes.
On the ship, a terrible doctor cut off his hand while the child was under anesthesia.
The child, waking up from anesthesia and not yet understanding what was happening, looking at the stump, asked the doctor:
- Uncle, where is my pen?
To which the doctor replied:
- Here she is.!!! Here she is!!! Here she is!!!
The last line is staged to the closest child... You simply shake your brush in front of his face.
The children are immediately scared, but then they start laughing.
***
Gvozdik
Once upon a time there lived a mother and daughter. Nobody came to them because they had a nail sticking out in the floor. He stuck out in the very middle of the room and the girl had to walk around him all the time. The girl often asked her mother:
- Mom, let's pull out this nail!
- What are you, daughter! Never, ever touch that nail. And never invite anyone into your house.
- And why?
- Because someone will want to pull out this nail, and then trouble will follow!
- What will happen?
- It’s better not to ask me, daughter. A terrible, terrible misfortune will happen.
And the girl stopped asking. Years passed like this. The girl grew up and wanted to invite guests.
And then one terrible, terrible autumn evening, the girl’s mother went to the cemetery to get some fresh air; and the girl called the guests. The guests began to dance, but the nail kept getting in the way. Then the guests said:
- Let's pull out this nail!
And the girl screamed:
- It is forbidden! No need! Something terrible is going to happen!
But the guests laughed at the girl and, seizing the moment, pulled out the nail. And then there was a terrible roar. Some time later the doorbell rang. The girl wanted to open the door, but the guests shouted:
- No need! Do not open!
The girl was a pioneer and therefore still opened it. A woman dressed all in black stood on the threshold. She immediately began to enter the apartment. She kept coming in and coming in, and the guests and the girl backed away and backed away until the apartment ran out.
“What have you done...” said the black woman in a quiet, creaky voice, like a dead man’s. - What have you done. - she repeated a little louder. “Under this floor, in my apartment...” and then she screamed in some terrible inhuman voice. - ... the chandelier fell down!!!
Agafya Knyazhinskaya
***
Seven-flowered flower
Once upon a time there lived a girl, Zhenya. And then one day on New Year’s Eve she received a seven-flowered flower as a gift from Santa Claus. Zhenya was delighted, and in the evening she went to the disco. She tore a red petal from a seven-flowered flower and said:
- I want to have sausage! - and began to hang out at the disco. Five hours later, Zhenya got tired of the sausage, she tore off an orange petal and said:
“I wish I didn’t have sausage,” and immediately stopped sausage. She sat for a while and felt sad. Then she tore off a yellow petal and said:
- I want me to have fun! - and she felt so happy that it’s impossible to retell that she soaked in joy. When there was no one to amuse, Zhenya tore off a green petal and said:
“I don’t want me to have fun,” and she immediately stopped having fun. Zhenya looked around at the floor strewn with young corpses and decided to punish herself. She tore off a blue petal and said:
“I want to be sad,” and immediately began to cry.
Zhenya reached her yard, knee-deep in tears. In the yard, she saw a neighbor’s boy, Vitya, who was trying to climb onto a bench so as not to get his shoes wet. Zhenya had long liked Vitya for his beautiful crutches. She wanted the same ones, covered with skillful intricate carvings, trimmed with gold and ivory, studded with diamonds, rubies and emeralds, but, unfortunately, she was not lame, like Vitya.
Now that Zhenya was feeling so bad, it seemed to her that Vitya was not happy enough. Maybe he needs something else besides crutches? My wife was prevented from thinking by the tears flowing from her eyes in continuous streams. She groped and tore off the blue petal and quickly said:
“I want me not to be sad,” and, having stopped crying, she swam up to Vita.
- Hello, Vitya. I've been wanting to tell you for a long time that you're a cool dude, and I want to do something cool for you so that you don't become a pussy on this bench.
With these words, Zhenya tore off the purple petal and said:
- I want Vitya to have sausage...
And the good girl didn’t have any more petals...
Agafya Knyazhinskaya
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Scary tales. Stories full of horror and horror (collection) Ramsey Campbell, Jun Lindqvist, Brian Lumley and others
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Title: Scary Tales. Stories full of horror and horror (collection)
Author: Ramsey Campbell, Jun Lindquist, Brian Lumley, Reggie Oliver, Marcus Heitz, Joanne Harris, Tanith Lee, Angela Slatter, Garth Nix, Peter Crowther, Robert Shearman, Christopher Fowler, Brian Hodge, Neil Gaiman, Michael Smith, Stephen Jones
Year: 2013
Genre: Horror and Mystery, Foreign Fantasy
About the book “Scary Tales. Stories full of horror and horror (collection) "Ramsey Campbell, Jun Lindquist, Brian Lumley and others
Probably, the love for books begins in early childhood, and the first literary genre that a future avid bookworm becomes acquainted with is, of course, fairy tales. Almost any adult can remember many fairy tales, even if he has not read or heard them for many years. This is the peculiarity of this genre. It is unique, unlike any other. This is a whole life in miniature, told seemingly not seriously, seemingly about completely abstract things, but having the deepest philosophical meaning. In addition, in fairy tales of any type there is always something magical. Perhaps this is the reason they are so popular among children. And since adults are just grown-up children, fairy tales are equally and invariably loved by all people, regardless of age. And this is truly wonderful.
Since fairy tales appeared long before people began to save their fantasies on paper, the usual way of transmitting amazing stories was the so-called “word of mouth.” At first, folklore developed very rapidly, but soon it was noticed that much of what is passed from parents to children gradually begins to be forgotten and disappear. So at the beginning of the 19th century, the now famous brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, began collecting folk tales that wandered throughout Europe. Their goal was to preserve unique folk art for future generations and preserve history. It is worth noting that the Brothers Grimm also became the authors of the first collections in the horror style, which today have gained extraordinary popularity.
We present to your attention a unique collection called “Scary Tales. Stories full of horror and horror." The title is truly intriguing, sparking the curiosity of every horror fan. The collection contains tales from such famous authors as: Ramsey Campbell, Jun Lindquist, Brian Lumley, Reggie Oliver, Marcus Heitz, Joanne Harris, Tanith Lee, Angela Slatter, Garth Nix, Peter Crowther, Robert Shearman, Christopher Fowler, Brian Hodge, Neil Gaiman, Michael Smith, Stephen Jones.
What is special about this collection? It's simple. Each of the listed writers, of course, is not fully the real author of the fairy tales and fairy-tale plots he describes. The highlight of this book is that these unsurpassed authors offer their own interpretation of well-known fairy tales. The collection “Scary Tales” will present well-known works from a completely new angle. And if we take into account that most fairy tales are good, then the book promises a strong intensity of passions and a considerable surge of adrenaline. Read and enjoy, the collection is completely non-standard.
On our website about books lifeinbooks.net you can download for free without registration or read online the book “Scary Tales. Stories full of horror and horror (collection)" by Ramsey Campbell, Jun Lindquist, Brian Lumley and others in epub, fb2, txt, rtf, pdf formats for iPad, iPhone, Android and Kindle. The book will give you a lot of pleasant moments and real pleasure from reading. You can buy the full version from our partner. Also, here you will find the latest news from the literary world, learn the biography of your favorite authors. For beginning writers, there is a separate section with useful tips and tricks, interesting articles, thanks to which you yourself can try your hand at literary crafts.
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