The Spook and The Musician

A Haunted Burial Ground

To the north of the town was a burial ground inhabited by numerous ghosts, spooks, and goblins. At a corner of this eerie locale stood an old, abandoned well.

The Wise Old Spook

The well served as the home of an elderly spook, an honorary adviser to all the other strange beings of the region. He had a ready solution for any problem and was always eager to help others. However, if no one sought his counsel, he felt quite depressed.

A Distressing Problem

“Grandpa! I am vexed by a difficult problem. What am I to do?” one day a she-spook approached the honorary adviser.

“What is your problem, sweet little spook?” the old spook asked in a patronizing tone.

“On the other side of the village, at the center of a grove, is a deserted house that I occupied last year. I lived there in peace until recently. Then, a musician from the town moved in, and that marked the end of my tranquility! He and his students yell and scream until late at night, leaving me shivering with anxiety. How can I drive the musician away from my home?” she pleaded.

A Simple Solution

“That is easy,” said the wise old spook, and then he provided her with a plan.

At midnight, the musician was startled awake by a loud mew. He sat up and saw a huge cat perched on his blanket. Just as he was about to swat it away, it transformed into the spook and said, “I am the resident of the house you have occupied. Will you now leave?”

“Not at all!” replied the musician. “I would rather welcome your visit in the guise of a cat, so you can scare away the rats!”

The Spook Tries Again

“What? You mean I have come to serve you? Very well, I shall become a lizard!” said the spook, morphing into a lizard.

“That’s excellent! Gobble up the flies and ants scattered on the wall!” the musician commanded, closing his eyes again.

“This is an incorrigible fellow!” the spook exclaimed, leaving in frustration.

A Desperate Decision

“What happened? Could you scare him away?” asked the honorary adviser when the she-spook returned to the well.

“Far from that!” she answered sadly. “The obstinate fellow began to boss over me and scared me away.”

The old spook contemplated for a moment before saying, “Never mind. Now do as I say and observe the results.” He then briefed her on her next steps.

Mischief at Midnight

The following night, just as the musician had fallen asleep, a crashing sound jolted him awake. He rushed out and saw that a slab of tile had been removed from his roof and lay shattered on the ground. Who could have caused this mischief but the spook?

The spook, standing atop the roof, felt delighted with her accomplishment. But the musician cheerfully remarked, “Thank you very much for your help, you nice spook! Please continue to remove the tiles. I was planning to take them off for constructing a concrete roof!’”

The spook’s face paled, and she quickly hopped down and vanished.

A Change of Heart

“I’m sure you have brought good news. The musician has left, hasn’t he?” asked the honorary adviser.
“Stop your nonsense, you old fool! Your advice is as useless as the stale water in this well!” shouted the she-spook. “I’ve decided to tolerate the musician,” she added.

The next night, the she-spook perched herself on the musician’s bed and declared, “I have decided not only to coexist peacefully with you in this house but also to enroll myself as your student. I have a sweet voice, don’t I?”

She then began to demonstrate her musical talent. The horrified musician exclaimed, “Wonderful! Now you can stop!” But this only encouraged the spook, and she sang loudly until dawn.

A Search for Peace

The first thing the musician did in the morning was search for a new place to stay.