Tongue Twister Tales

The Bakery Bear

Brenda was busy baking a batch of blueberry muffins in the kitchen of Butler's Bakery when the bell rang. "Be with you in a bit," Brenda called, brushing her blond braid over her shoulder.

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African-American Folklore

Brer Fox Catches Old Man Tarrypin

Well now, Brer Rabbit had made friends with Old Man Tarrypin, a big turtle that lived in the pond near his house. Brer Rabbit and Old Man Tarrypin liked to pull tricks on Brer Fox, and that rascally fellow got pretty mad about it.

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Supernatural Tales

The Blue Rock

The story was told furtively, in lowered voices. Buried treasure. Near the blue rock. A long time ago, an unknown ship dropped anchor in the surf near Wasque Bluff. A small boat carrying a mysterious figure, six sailors, and a large box landed on the beach. The sailors dug a deep hole inland near the blue rock, and the box was lowered into it...

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Ghost Stories

Figure in the Window

Late one evening the three of us were hanging out when Alec said he wanted to go up to Peapack to check out a house for sale. Once in the car, Alec said it was an old, run-down Italianate mansion with twenty-six fireplaces that used to be owned by nuns but had been abandoned. It sat on fifty acres of property, including beautifully terraced grounds. By this time, I was feeling a little nervous about the whole thing.

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Children's Stories

Mighty and the Troll

Mighty the black Labrador lived on a small farm. Every day she inspected the vegetable garden, looked for intruders and watched the horse. She took good care of the farm for the Hadleys. One day, Mighty was walking in the pasture where Dixie, the Hadley's horse was grazing. To Mighty's surprise, Dixie refused to go near the stream to get a drink of water. Mighty decided to investigate. She ran down to the bridge.

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Campfire Stories

The Skeleton

The boy had been out looking for work all day with no luck. When night fell, he was far from home. He decided to spend the night in an empty, rundown house. The minute he laid down he fell into a sound sleep. The boy was awakened quite suddenly by a thump on the roof. With a pounding heart, he sat up and lit a candle. A voice called out, “I’m falling down!”

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