Pond in the woods near to the palace

I smiled to her. ''Alright then! Out of the world's thread, fates' fingers spinning. Some lives are shot with gold, others with shadow. This is a tale of enchantment and exile, of four lives woven together by white swan's feather, storm and ice and the sound of a little bell.Long ago, when the high gods and goddesses known as the Tuatha de Danaan lived in Ireland, before they were driven into the hollow hills to become the faery folk, there was a great king whose name was Lir. And this Lir had four lovely children - Fionnuala, Conn, Fiacra and Aodh. Fionnuala was the eldest, and she was as fair as the young rowan tree; her brothers Fiacra and Conn were swift and strong as running water, and Aodh was a little bright-eyed baby boy. Everyone in Lir's court on the Hill of the White Field loved them - except their stepmother, Aoifa, who was jealous of their father's love for them. And her hatred pursued them as the wolf pursues the fawn.One day, she took them in her chariot to the lake of Darvra to bathe in the waters. But as they played on the shore's edge, laughing and splashing, catching rainbows of mist and light between their fingers, she struck them with a rod of enchantment, and turned them into four white swans."You will swim on this lake for three hundred years," she said, "then three hundred years on the narrow sea of Moyle, and three hundred years on the isles of the Western Sea. This only will I grant you: that you shall still have human voices and there will be no music in the world sweeter than yours. And so shall you stay until a druid with a shaven crown comes over the seas, and you hear the sound of a little bell."The swans spread their wings and rose up, circling the lake, and as they flew they sang their sorrow in the voices of human children. When the king found out what had happened, he banished Aoifa from his court for ever, and he rode like the wind to the lake and called his children to him. "Come Fionnuala, come Conn, come Aodh, come Fiacra!" And there they came, flying to him over the lake: four white swans, and they huddled sadly around him as he knelt by the water's edge. King Lir said through his tears, "I cannot give you back your shapes till the spell is ended, but come with me now to the house that is mine and yours, dear white children of my heart." But the swan that was Fiacra said, "We cannot cross your threshold father, for we have the hearts of wild swans. We must fly into the dusk and feel the wave moving beneath us. Only our voices are of the children you knew, and the songs you taught us - that is all. Gold crowns are red in the firelight, but redder and fairer far is the dawn on the water."The king reached out his hand to touch them, but the swans rose into the air, and their voices were lost in the sound of beating wings. Three hundred years they flew over Lake Darvra and swam upon its waters. Many came to listen to their singing, for their songs brought joy to those in sorrow and lulled the sick to sleep. But when three hundred years were over, the swans rose suddenly and flew away to the straits of Moyle that flow between Scotland and Ireland. A cold, stormy sea it was and lonely. The swans had no-one to listen to their songs, and little heart for singing on the wild and chanting sea. Then one winter, a great storm rushed upon them and scattered them far into the dark and pitiless night.In the pale morning, Fionnuala fetched up on the Carraig-na-Ron, the Rock of Seals. Her feathers were broken and bedraggled with salt sea-water, and she lamented long for her brothers, fearing never to see them again. But at last she sees Conn limping towards her, his feathers soaked, his head hanging, and now Fiacra, tired and faint, unable to speak a word for the cold. Her heart gave them a great welcome, and she sheltered Conn under her right wing and Fiacra under her left. "Now," said Fionnuala, "if only Aodh would come to us, we would be happy indeed." And as the first evening star rose in the sky, they catch sight of the little swan that is Aodh paddling valiantly over the waves towards them. Fionnuala held him close under the feathers of her breast. As they huddled together, the water froze their feet and wing-tips to the rock, so that when they flew up, skin and feathers remained behind.In the morning they turned westward towards the island of Glora in the Western Sea, and settled on the Lake of Birds till three hundred more years had passed . Then at last the Children of Lir soared homeward to the Hill of the White Field - but they found all desolate and empty, with nothing but roofless green raths and forests of nettles: no house, no fire, no hearthstone. Gone were the packs of dogs and drinking horns, silent the songs in lighted halls. And that was the greatest sorrow of all - that there lived no-one who knew them in the house where they were born. They rested the night in that desolate place, singing very softly the sweet music of the sidhe. At dawn they returned to the island, and it was about this time that blessиd Patrick came into Ireland to spread the faith of Christ. One of his followers, Saint Kemoc, built a little church by the lake-shore on the Isle of Glora. In a break of day, the saint arose from his heather bed, wrapping his rough brown robe around him to keep out the chill, and rang the bell for matins. On the other side of the island, the swans started up and stretched their necks in fear."What is that dreadful thin sound we hear?" said the brothers.Fionnuala said, "That is the sound of the bell of Kemoc and soon our enchantment will be passing away."They began to sing gladly and the sweet strains of faery music floated across the lake and in through the reed walls of the cell. St. Kemoc rose in wonder and walked down to the shore's edge, and saw them, lit by the morning sun: four white swans singing with the voices of children! They came to rest at the saint's feet and told him their story and he brought them to his little church. Every day they would hear Mass with him, sitting on the altar. Their beauty gladdened his heart and the heart of the swans were at peace.Then one day Fionnuala asked the saint to baptize them, but no sooner did the holy water touch the swans than their feathers fell away, and in their place stood three lean withered old men, and a thin withered old woman. In a cracked whisper, the woman that was Fionnuala said:"Bury us, cleric, in one grave. Lay Conn on my left, and Fiacra on my right, and on my breast place Aodh, my baby brother."So they were buried, a cairn was raised above them, and their names written in Ogham. And that was the fate of the Children of Lir.But it is said, that on windy days in the west of Ireland, by lake-shore or ocean strand, you can sometimes hear children’s voices in the air, singing sweeter than you’ve ever heard, as they play with their father at home in the blessed Summerland.'' When I finished the story, I looked at her and asked. ''So do you like it?''

I nodded in agreement. ''Yes it is little sad and ending will be much better turned again in children and have the chance to live they life.But most of stories don't have happy endings and that is why they are special.'' I said softly.

I nodded to her slightly. ''I know many.Let me see! Do you want A Mermaid and a Magic Comb,Matilda's Bracelet,Maud and the Dragon,Pandora's Box,The Lady of Van Lake,The Legend of the Three Sisters or The Snow Maiden?'' I asked as I looked at her.

I smiled to her widely knowing that she would pick that story. ''I must warn you the story doesn't have a happy ending.Once apon a time there was a young mermaid. She had seven other sisters. She was told: "When you sixteen you can go over the waves and see the human land". One by one the sisters went to the surface. Then it was the little mermaids turn. She went to the surface. It was a horrible day for sailing but the prince went sailing anyway. Suddenly the boat hit some rocks that werent visible. The prince was threw into the water. The little mermaid swam and pulled him on land and started singing to him. The next moment they were in love. The little mermaid heard someone coming and swam away. She was still in love and wanted to marry the man with the split tail so she went to the sea witch."I will grant your wish, but you must give me your voice and if the prince does not love you you will turn into sea throth and you soul will be mine". The little mermaid agreed. From his castle the prince could see the beach. he saw someone and ran down to see who it was. "Hello are you alright?" the mermaid went to speak but nothing came out. "You cant speak?" the mermaid nodded her head. "Come with me." A servant brought the mermaid some clothes. She sleeped all night. The prince was up early and went to the balcony. He heard singing. It sounded like the singing he heard when he almost drowned. He ran down to the beach "You save my life!" "Yes I did." It was the sea witch. she had tranformed into a beautiful lady using the little mermaids voice. When the mermaid woke up she got a shock "We're going to marry tomorrow" said the prince to a wedding planner. The little mermaid was invited too. It was the third day. "I do" said the prince. It was sunset the little mermaid was standing on a rock by the sea. She was then swept off the rock and now belong to the sea witch.'' when i was done i looked at her. ''So what do you think?''

''Yes I do agree that would be a perfect punishment.But the prince didn't know the sea witch deceived him with her magic.'' I nodded to her,leaning my back on a stone and looking in water. ''A long time ago, on the western wall of the old church in Mordiford, Herefordshire was once a painting of a gigantic dragon. Above the painting was a very odd poem, it read:

This is the true effigy of that strange
Prodigious monster which our woods did range.
In Eastwood it by Garstone's hand was slain,
A truth which old mythologists maintain.

The dragon portrayed in the picture was a fearsome creature with a massive body over twelve feet long, a powerful tail, three pairs of enormous wings , a terrible red mouth with a forked tongue, webbed feet and scales of green and gold. In the picture its great wings flapped and its great tail twisted back in anger. However, according to local mythology the dragon was not always so large or so threatening.One day, many years before the image was painted on the church wall, in a stretch of hilly forest north-east of the village of Mordiford known as Haugh Wood, a little girl called Maud was out blackberrying. It was a warm autumn day. Suddenly Maud heard a strange noise and went to investigate.In the long grass and brambles she found the most charming little creature. The creature was the colour of the greenest grass, with gold flecks like the sun; it had a slender pointed tail but its most dazzling features were its flickering eyes, for they shone as bright as the stars themselves.
Maud picked up the strange creature and carried it gently to her home. Her horrified father recognised it as a baby dragon but Maud pleaded and pleaded with him not to kill it. Seeing her great distress he relented and allowed Maud to place the little reptile by the fireside. Here it lapped up a saucer of milk.Maud went to bed but could not stop thinking about the little dragon. Wide awake she crept downstairs to see it. To her horror, she overheard her parents planning to kill the creature in the morning. Maud quickly put on her warmest clothes, for the autumn night was very chilly, and took the baby dragon into the woods. In the undergrowth she made a mossy nest and promised aloud to come back and feed it and care for it.Maud kept her promise. She kept the dragon hidden and fed it on milk. For many years she would slip away whilst carrying out her errands and go to the woods and see the creature, so the dragon and the girl grew up together.But the dragon could not stay hidden forever. As it grew the dragon developed a taste for meat and began to eat the local farm animals. It would leave its lair in the woods and venture out along a nearby Lane in search of cows.After it had eaten its fill it would go down the wooded lane to the point where the rivers Wye and Lugg join to slake its thirst. The beast grew into a monstrous serpent. It soon devoured most of the local cattle – and sometimes the people, who searched it out to try and kill it.Many brave young men tried to kill the creature but few returned and none succeeded. The local people became too afraid to venture into the woods or to walk down the Lane. Everybody, that is, except Maud. For. however hungry the dragon became and however strong its dragonish traits, it never harmed the young woman who had shown it such kindness.Then, one day a condemned criminal, known as Garstone, offered to get rid of the dragon in exchange for his freedom. He had nothing to lose for it was either facing the dragon or the hangman’s noose. The desperate locals promised him a pardon if he should succeed. The threat of execution had sharpened Garstone’s wits, he knew he could never win a straight fight and needed to ensure that he had an advantage over the beast.A few hours later the locals watched puzzled as he rolled a cider barrel down to the water's edge. He jumped into the barrel and lay concealed waiting for the dragon to approach. The ambush worked. When the curious dragon went to look at the barrel the criminal Garstone jumped out and plunged a sword into the heart of the dragon.With a thunderous cry the dragon staggered a little way up the lane before dropping with an almighty thud to the ground. Garstone followed watching its death throes. He stood over the dragon victorious but he never lived to enjoy his triumph, for as he watched the trembling frame of the mighty beast, the dragon shuddered out one last mighty poisonous breath. The poison covered Garstone and soon the man and the beast lay dead together.There were many celebrations in the local area but seeing the once proud and fearsome creature slumped on the ground, the beautiful Maud could not stop her tears flowing for her childhood companion. As a reminder of the great victory the church wall was painted with a picture of the great beast.When the church was restored around 1810 the western wall was demolished and rebuilt. The picture was never restored. However, the dragon was not forgotten for the path which led from the dragon's lair in the wooded hills to its drinking place at the river became known as Serpent Lane. And it is said that on the exact spot where the dragon breathed its last, and Maud shed her tears of sorrow, the grass never grew again.''

I laughed a little glad that she liked the story. ''Ah yes this story is one of my favorite! And I agree I have never heard the story before where the dragons are good.It is not his fault of course and I find it extraordinarily what the Maud did,as you said someone would kill him,but she didn't.He was her friend the hole life which is very amazing for me.Ah yes! I would like to have one as well,it will be so wonderful.'' I said happily.

I smiled to her brightly and gave a little nod. ''Of course,my dear! Which one you would like to hear now?'' I asked as I looked at her.

I nodded to her slightly. '' We have,A Mummy's Tale,A Ride with the Devil,A Saint's Revenge ,A Wise Wizard and Some ,A Witch in a Bottle,An Execution and a Miracle,Anansi Brings Stories to the World ,Arachne the Spinner,Baba-Yaga and Vasilisa the Fair,Canobie Dick Eildon Hills, Daedalus and Icarus,Finn MacCool and the Giant's Causeway ,How the Troll was Tricked,Humpty Dumpty and the Fall of Colchester,Kaang's People,Matilda's Bracelet,Pandora's Box,Rendlesham Forest and the Alien Craft,Restless Spirits and Ringing Bells,Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,Sir Percival - The Knight in Shepherd’s Boots,Sir Rowland Alston's Soul,Slaying the Dragon and Cheating the Devil,St Osyth's Spring,Testing the Witch-finder General,The Abandoned Children of Wailing Wood,The Black Dogs of Bungay,The Black Egg, Pan Gu and the World,The Blind Boy and the Loon,The Church Jester ,The Devil's Favourite Game,The Fairy Flag of the Macleod ,The Farmer and the HogboonArish of Burness in Sanday, The Fiddler, the Alchemist and the Black Monk,The Flaming Gibbet of Galley Hill,The Ghost Hound of Lyme Regis,The Giant Jack O'Legs, The Glass Knight,The Green Children of Woolpit,The Green Lady of Longleat House,The Gurt Wurm of Shervage Wood,The Headless Ghosts of Blickling Hall,The Lady of Van Lake,The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh,The Lambton Worm, The Lantern Man and the Wherryman,The Legend of Bear Rock,The Legend of Devil's Dyke, The Legend of Robin Hood,The Legend of Tam O' Shanter,The Legend of the Fens,The Little Blue Man,The Mischievous Piper,The Mysterious Treasure of the Unlucky Pirate,The Pedlar of Swaffham,The Robber Dunne, the Staple and the Ring,The Split Grey Goose Feather,The Story of Gelert,The Treasure of Callow Pit,The Wild Man of Orford,The Witch and the Pancakes,Theseus and the Minotaur,Thomas the Rhymer and the Queen of Elfland,or Tom Hickathrift and the Ogre of the Smeeth. Which one you want?'' I asked as I looked at her

I smiled to her. ''I learn them from my governess and I am hear now so I will have opportunity to tell all of them to you.'' I nodded to her happily. ''Alright we can start with Kingdom of Roses...Once upon a time, there was this beautiful, beautiful girl named Leah. She lived in a small village near the Kingdom of Roses. Her family was really poor and they barely had money to buy food. She couldn't do any work, because in all her life she was spoiled by her parents because of her beauty. Her mother's dream was that Leah could marry the Prince of Roses. One day, Leah decided to go for a walk in the Garden of Roses. She was mesmerized by its beauty - there were thousands of roses in different colors! She couldn't not notice the center of the garden. There was a beautiful big rose made of glass. She couldn't help her desire to touch it so she went to the center and realized that she wasn't able to reach her hand, because she felt like something was protecting the rose.Only the right words spoken would help you to lay a hand on the rose.' someone whispered in her ear. Leah turned around but no one was there, she was completely alone. She looked at the rose and thought "If only I could know the right words!'And then she began speaking of her life – her parents, the poorness, and how she dreamed to live well and help her family, but she didn’t know how to do any job so she was helpless. She burst into tears. Soon she felt exhausted and fell asleep in the meadow. She had the same dream she had dreamed since she was a child – a blurry face of a woman who as singing some lullaby. The only line she had always heard was ‘And happiness lies in the roots of the wise.’ "What is such a beautiful girl doing out here, don’t you know it is not safe?" someone startled her. Leah jumped, looked around and saw a little creature standing beside her. At first she took it for a purple hedgehog but then she saw that instead of spines it had little daisy-like blossoms."Who are you?" asked Leah."I asked you first," smiled the little creature."I live a miserable life. My parents used to live alone because they couldn’t have a child but one day my mother found a basket with me in it and decided it was a blessing. Since that day, all they have been doing is work so I could live happily without having to do anything but this is no way of living and now my parents will hardly make it through the month if I don’t find a way to help them. I thought that if I could manage to go to the Kingdom of Roses, its generous people will find a way to help me, but all I have seen for now is this beautiful rose. Something tells me that if I manage to touch it my whole life will change. However, I heard a voice which said that only the right words would let me touch it." "Oh poor girl, you are in huge trouble. The beautiful Kingdom of Roses is no longer what it once was. All the people from the villages surrounding it don’t know this, because of the spell which was cast by the Black witch. Seventeen years ago she killed the king and the queen and enslaved everyone who roamed the kingdom. She used dark magic so from outside the Kingdom looks as happy as it was, she even created the story that the royal family had a son who will soon rule in the place of his father. But all of this is a lie. There is no Prince of Roses and there is no happiness in the Kingdom of Roses anymore. The legend says that the queen had managed to save her baby girl before she got killed. This girl is the only one who knows the right words to touch the rose and put an end to this hell, however, no one knows where this girl is if she is alive at all.""How would she know the words if she had been just a baby?" asked Leah."The legend says her mother, the queen used to sing her the same lullaby every night. The key to everything is in the words of the song.""A lullaby? That’s strange. For all my life, I have dreamed the same thing every single night – a woman singing a lullaby to me but the only words I hear are ‘And happiness lies in the roots of the wise.’ Do you think it means something?" "Oh, good heavens! How old are you little girl?""Seventeen, why?""Don’t you see it? You are the lost Princess of Roses!""This cannot be true, and even if it were I have said the words and nothing has happened.""You silly little creature, the words are a riddle – don’t you know the wisest tree in this forest? It is the old oak, just beside you. There must be something buried in its roots."The girl was reluctant to believe the little creature but decided to try and see, she didn’t have anything to lose after all. She digged and digged for half an hour when she saw a beautiful silver chest. She opened and gasped – inside of it there was a golden crown. Beside the crown lay a note which said – Pure intentions lead to bright future.The girl read the note out loud and a miracle happened. She approached the glass rose and touched it. The whole world froze for a minute and then the rose collapsed into million pieces – and with it collapsed the heart of the Black witch. The people of the Kingdom of Roses were free, they could live happily again, ruled by their beautiful princess.'' I smiled to her when I was done.

I smiled. ''Yes this one have a happy ending,and you are right you can expected that girl is princess which make this story interesting.'' I paused for the moment thinking what story to tell her now. ''I have very good one I am sure you will like it.The name of this story is The Handsome and the Eyesore. Once upon a time there was a girl called Suzi. She wasn’t an attractive one and nobody liked her . When she was going out for a walk everyone was looking at her with dismay . She was often crying about her appearance and was thinking about ending her miserable life.Meanwhile there was a handsome blue-eyed boy called Damon that all the girls around were falling for but he was so selfish and bigheaded that he wasn’t able to fall in love. He was only carrying about his appearance and how handsome he looks. Damon had a lot of admirers and Suzi of course was one of them but she knew that she have to change with Damon and that he wiil never look at her.Once Suzi went out for a walk in the forest and while she was carrying some blueberries and enjoying the good weather she heard a strange noise coming among the trees. She went quickly to see what was going on and then suddenly she saw that somebody was lying on the gorund, when she came nearer she realized that it was Damon and he was seriously injured. She pick him up quickly and took him to her house in order to take care of him. One week pass on and Damon was still in unconscious. By the time Suzi was doing her best and making him some infusions in order to help him got better.When she start to think that there is no hope for him one day Damon suddenly woke up. At first when he saw Suzi he was confused and start to ask questions about where he was and was has happened to him. Damon realized that he wasn’t able to remember any detail of his life before the accident and that selfish and bigheaded boy was gone. When he saw that Suzi has been taken care of him all this time he wanted to be a her friend. They started to meet each other every day and got so close that both of them couldn’t imagine living without each other. Everyone around them were looking at them strangely and no one couldn’t realize why a handsome boy like Damon was dating with a girl like a Suzi. But Damon didn’t care about what others say because he had found out that the real beauty is not what you look like but what a goodhearted person you are.''

I nodded slightly. ''Yes it is very similar to your story it have same massage.Let me see,maybe The Legend of the Unicorn.Once upon a time in a kingdom far-far-away in the lands of the never-ending spring, a king sat in his golden throne and ruled his kingdom in perfect harmony. A person can feel nothing but exuberance at the sight of the magnificent castle in which the king and his daughter lived, the majestic atmosphere of the woods spread all around the castle, and last but not least – the overwhelming beauty of the princess. It was pure Heaven-on-Earth; there was nothing that could even possibly attain the perfection of this place. The beauty of the forest made it amazing, yet another thing made it imposing. In those woods lived creatures of time unknown and one of them was the most precious of them all… and was hunted for centuries for its magical horn – the beast known as a unicorn. One day a rumor started spreading. Someone saw a white creature with the looks of a horse, yet having a beautiful horn… and suddenly all men grabbed their knives and spears, their bloodlust and fierceness. The hunt had begun.While the king’s men were all setting torches on fire and sharpening their tools, the young princess was at her chamber, brushing her beautiful silky blond hair. She was the purest maiden in the whole kingdom with a heart as tender as a rose and a soul as clean as the water from the Fountain of Youth in the woods. She had an adventurous spirit and that day she decided to take a walk in the surrounding forests. Pushed by the desire to pick some fresh flowers, she left the castle and headed towards the woods. With all beauty of the trees and flowers and the crystal cleanness of the mineral springs she lost track of time and wandered around for hours and hours and suddenly, she was very deep into the woods. She started realizing that the woods were getting darker and darker and the trees were losing their beauty, the grass was dead and there were no animals around. She started getting scared and remembered a story heard long ago from her nanny, a story about the Dark Forest, deep inside the beautiful surrounding woods. Everyone believed it was just a legend, that it wasn’t a real place, but right at that moment she was thinking it over. “Could it be tr…” she couldn’t even finish her thought when tree branches started grabbing her legs and arms and taking her deeper and deeper into the forest...The creature was stepping lightly onto the grass, slowly moving between the trees, heading towards the little glade where she was lying unconsciously. As approaching, it saw the purity of the girl in front of him and slowly began to trust that innocent maid. When the unicorn got to her, he bent his neck down and looked at her beautiful face and slowly lied down next to her. After a while she woke up and firstly got a little scared, yet after looking at its harmless black eyes, she felt safe. Then the white beast stood up and let her get on its back and they both headed towards the castle. The princess was charmed by that creature’s innocence and nobility, by its graceful movements between the trees and its gentle steps on the grass – pure harmony.When they reached the castle and went inside the stone walls all of a sudden, a lot of armed people surrounded them and the unicorn started neighing and moving abruptly. The princess got down on the ground and started screaming and telling the men that this creature saved her life and brought her back to the castle. When the king came, she explained him everything that happened and he, while crying, told her that everyone had gotten worried about her. He hugged his precious daughter and looked at the terrified beast. Not until then he did realize that the unicorn is the purest and the most innocent creatures of them all. During the feast that night, it was pronounced that the unicorn is a sacred animal and it was forbidden hunting it. After saving the young princess, the beast left the castle and never got back. No one ever saw it again, but now all men knew the truth about the unicorn. It is said that the king’s daughter met the unicorn again, yet that is a different story….'' I looked at her with a small smile. ''So do you like it?''

I smiled to her. ''I would like to see that place as well and unicorn above all.I imagen that they are most beautiful creatures in world of course if they do exist.'' I giggled a bit and shook my head. ''I must confess that I do not know the other part of the story which is really a shame.''

I thought for a while then said.'' Maybe A Ghost Story it is good one.There is a legend in our town about a house located in the outskirts. A long time ago, the owner of the house – Sir James O’Connor thought that he was possessed by evil spirits and murdered his family as a sacrificial offering. In the end he died of severe mental breakdown. But he didn’t escape justice for his wife’s relatives cursed him to haunt the house eternally as a ghost. A few years later, a family decided to settle in. They were the Goldwins – a typical English family which was bored with city life and wanted to live somewhere near nature. They thought that O’Connor’s house was the perfect place for them with its picturesque landscape. Despite the rumours surrounding the house, the Goldwins didn’t really believe in superstitious mumbo-jumbo. So they bought the house, renovated it and moved in.While the family was living happily in their new home, the malevolent spirit was quietly observing them, learning their habits and conceiving a plan to scare them off. So, one night while the Goldwins were having dinner, the ghost tried to pull the table blanket but because his body was immaterial his arms just passed through it. The plan was a total disaster – instead of scaring them, the Goldwin family started laughing out loud at his old fashioned clothes and appearance. The ghost ran away embarrassed. Although he lost this battle, the war was far from over. On the next night, while Goldwin Junior was training with the rapier, O’Connor tried to scare him again. However, the boy just used him as a dummy, stabbing him repeatedly with the rapier. Another battle lost. But he had another trick under his sleeve and was determined to make the intruders pay. O’Connor’s grand plan was to use his illusionary talents, since he was a famous magician in his lifetime, to make the images look real and scare his enemies to hell. Suddenly, the zombies started popping out from the screen and surrounded the family. O’Connor, full with joy, was waiting to see the family run in terror.They were everything else but scared. O’Connor realized that the war was over and he retreated in his chambers in the cellar with tears falling from his eyes.One day, when the family was having lunch, Mr. Goldwin asked his daughter Jane to get some wine from the cellar. She went there and met the defeated evil ghost. Surprisingly, he didn’t try to scare – he was crying. The girl felt sorry for and asked him if she could do something to make him feel better. O’Connor noticed that Jane’s sympathy and told her about his life. He mentioned that the only to lift curse was to bring his wife’s necklace to his grave. He obviously can’t do that because of his ethereal body and because he was bound never to leave the house. Jane was touched by the ghost’s story and without hesitation did what was necessary to break the curse. Before leaving the mortal world, O’Connor wanted to return the favour which Jane did for him. He knew that Jane wanted to study in Oxford but her family didn’t have enough resources to send her there. So he showed her the location of a treasure which he buried a long time ago. Jane was very thankful because she could now fulfill her dream and promised never to forget the ghost.'' I finished and looked at her smiling softly.