Ingles

The Unquiet Grave

The Picture

When Mr Williams, a picture collector for the University of Oxford Museum, receives a drawing that changes before his eyes, he is amazed. The tragic story of a kids’s disappearance unfolds in the most scary way. After examination, Mr Williams and his friends discover that the owner of the house in the picture was Sir Arthur, he had a argument with his neighbour, Mr Gawdy. The two men fought, Sir Arthur was shot, and Gawdy was sentenced to hang. Later, Sir Arthur’s son was kidnapped. People thought that Gawdy had paid someone to do it but Mr William’s picture reveals that Gawdy himself was the ghostly avenger.

Rats

A university student called Mr Thomson is on holiday at an inn in Suffolk. Finding himself alone one afternoon and curious, he explores all the other rooms including one which is locked. Inside, there appears only to be a bed but on closer inspection he sees a shaking creature under a blanket. Terrifi ed, he locks the room again. Determined to discover what he saw that afternoon, he visits the room one more time. The innkeeper finds him passed out and although angry, tells him the secret of the terrifying figure. Many years ago a past innkeeper was hanged as a robber and his ghost remains. As long as he is locked in the room, he will do no harm.

Casting the Runes

Mr Karswell is a writer of books on alchemy. He does not take kindly to criticism. When a Mr Harrington writes a bad review of his book, he dies in very odd circumstances. Now that Mr Dunning has given his expert opinion on a paper Mr Karswell wishes to give, strange things begin to happen to him. Mr Harrington’s brother tells Mr Dunning he has reason to fear for his life. Clearly, Mr Karswell has cast runes on Mr Dunning in order to harm him. There is now a race against time to reverse the spell. They are successful but Mr Karswell pays a heavy penalty, the runes are turned on him and he dies mysteriously in France.

The Experiment

Squire Bowles was interested in spiritualism so has left some unusual instructions for his burial. He is to be buried in clean earth without a coffin. Although the widow and stepson called Joseph, murder the squire for his money. They cannot find the money anywhere. Later, they discover a way of asking the spirit of the squire where the money is. But when the squire haunts them, they confess their crime. As punishment, the widow is burnt to death and the stepson hanged.

‘Oh, Whistle, and I’ll come to You, My Boy’

Professor Parkins goes on holiday near the coast to work and improve his golf. While there, he finds a whistle in the ruins of an old church. When he blows on it he unknowingly calls up a spirit which now goes after him. The professor, a serious man who does not believe in the supernatural changes his opinion when the spirit attacks him in his room one night. He narrowly escapes with his life.

Link:

• https://elt.oup.com/catalogue/items/global/graded_readers/oxford_bookworms_library/stage_4/9780194791915?cc=global&selLanguage=en