COURTESY OF PUBLIC LIBRARY
THIS IS NUMBER 13 OF 40 IN LONNIE E. BROWN'S BOOK OF "STORIES YOU WON'T BELIEVE", THIS ONE IS TITLED "COURTIN TRICKS" AND IT GOES LIKE THIS.
"COURTIN TRICKS"
THE YOUNG MEN WHO DIDN'T HAVE GIRLS TO COURT WERE ALWAYS MAKING LIFE DIFFICULT FOR THOSE WHO DID --- ESPECIALLY IF THE YOUNG SUITOR WAS BASHFUL OR UNEASY ABOUT BEING OUT ALONE AT NIGHT.
MANY DATES WERE LIKE GROUP DATES. BOYS WALKED GIRLS FROM HOME OR CHURCH. SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES SOMETIMES HAD CAKEWALKS OR PIE SUPPERS THAT WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL SOCIAL EVENTS, AS WELL AS GOOD FUNDRAISERS. GIRLS WOULD BAKE CAKES OR MAKE PIES AND PUT THEM IN BEAUTIFUL BOXES DECORATED WITH CREPE PAPER AND BOWS. BOYS BID ON THE BOXES AND THE WINNER GOT TO EAT WITH THE GIRL! NOBODY WAS SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHICH BOX BELONGED TO WHAT GIRL, BUT IF A COUPLE HAD A SPECIAL INTEREST IN EACH OTHER, THEY MANAGED TO GET THE INFORMATION TO THE RIGHT PARTY.
SOMETIMES, A BOY WOULD JUST GO TO A GIRL'S HOME AND COURT HER THERE WITH THE FAMILY ALL AROUND. SOME HOMES HAD A COURTING CANDLE THAT COULD BE SET TO BURN AT DIFFERENT LEVELS. IF THE FAMILY WANTED THE YOUNG MAN TO LEAVE EARLY, THEY SET THE CANDLE TO BURN DOWN QUICKLY. THEY SET IT FOR SLOWER BURN IF THEY APPROVED. SOMETIMES, THE FATHER WOULD SIMPLY ANNOUNCE BEDTIME. THEN THE YOUNG MAN LEFT WITHOUT PROTEST.
THERE WAS ONE YOUNG LADY WHO HAD THE ADMIRATION AND ATTENTION OF TWO YOUNG MEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD. ONE WAS SOMETHING OF A BULLY WHO DIDN'T TAKES IT TOO KINDLY WHEN SHE CHOSE A POLITE YOUNG FELLOW CONSIDERED TO BE SOMETHING A WIMP. THE REJECTED BULLY DECIDED TO GIVE HIM A LITTLE SCARE. HE ENLISTED ONE OF HIS FRIENDS TO HELP HIM.
THEY KNEW THAT HE WENT TO CALL ON THE YOUNG LADY EVERY SATURDAY NIGHT AND THAT HE ALWAYS TOOK THE SAME ROAD HOME. THEY KNEW WHAT TIME HE LEFT THE YOUNG LADY'S HOUSE TO HEAD HOME. SINCE IT WAS MAN TO STAY UNTIL ABOUT ELEVEN-THIRTY. THAT PUT HIM ON THE ROAD HOME A LITTLE BEFORE MIDNIGHT.
THEY HAD HIDDEN AND WATCHED HIM A COUPLE OF TIMES AND NOTICED HIM LOOKING OVER HIS SHOULDER AND WHISTLING NERVOUSLY AS HE HURRIED ALONG IN THE DARK. HE JUMPED AT THE SLIGHTEST NOISE, AND THEY SAW THAT HE WAS ESPECIALLY UNEASY WALKING PAST THE GRAVEYARD THAT WAS RIGHT BESIDE THE ROAD. UNFORTUNATELY FOR HIM, THERE WAS NO ALTERNATE ROUTE FOR HIM TO TAKE. THEY OBSERVED THAT HE REACHED THIS SPOT JUST ABOUT MIDNIGHT, AND HE WOULD ALMOST BREAK INTO A RUN TO GET BY AS FAST AS HE COULD.
PERFECT, THEY THOUGHT. THE WITCHING HOUR!
FATE SEEMED TO BE WORKING WITH THEM. EVERYBODY LOVED TO TELL STORIES ABOUT GHOSTLY SIGHTINGS IN THAT GRAVEYARD, SO THEY WERE SURE THE YOUNG MAN HAD HEARD PLENTY OF THE OLD TALES. IT WOULD MAKE A PERFECT BACKGROUND FOR THEIR PRANK.
THEY PICKED A NIGHT WITH A FULL MOON TO PUT THEIR PLAN INTO ACTION. THE MOONLIGHT GAVE THE EERIE SHADOWS A LIFE OF THEIR OWN. THEY KNEW THE EFFECT IT WOULD HAVE ON THEIR INTENDED VICTIM. THEY STOPPED TO LAUGH AT THE VERY THOUGHT OF IT AS THEY MADE THEIR PREPARATIONS. IF THEY COULD SCARE HIM OFF, MAYBE THE BULLY WOULD HAVE A CHANCE TO BE IN HER GOOD GRACES.
THEY FIXED UP A STRAW DUMMY AND DRESSED HIM IN PANTS, A SHIRT, A COAT, AND A HAT. THEY TIED A ROPE AROUND HIS WAIST AND PROPPED HIM UP AGAINST AN OLD OAK TREE THAT STOOD RIGHT AT THE CORNER OF THE GRAVEYARD. THEY RAN THE ROPE OVER A LIMB, CLIMBED UP THE TREE, AND SAT HOLDING THE ROPE, WAITING FOR THE NERVOUS YOUNG MAN TO COME ALONG.
THE TWO WATCHED THE YOUNG MAN COME INTO SIGHT. HE WAS HURRYING ALONG AT A PRETTY GOOD GAIT AS HE APPROACHED THE GRAVEYARD. HE LOOKED OVER HIS SHOULDERS AND WHISTLED SOFTLY, EITHER TO COMFORT HIMSELF BY A HUMAN SOUND OR TO SCARE THE BOOGERS AWAY.
THE TWO PRANKSTERS KNEW THE INSTANT HE SPOTTED THE DUMMY. HE STOPPED DEAD IN HIS TRACKS. HE COULD SEE WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS A MAN LEANING AGAINST THE TREE IN THE MOONLIGHT, AND FOR A FEW SECONDS, HE WAS UNDECIDED ABOUT HIS COURSE OF ACTION. THEN, BEING THE POLITE YOUNG MAN HE WAS, HE SPOKE.
"GOOD EVENING, SIR!"
THERE WAS NO ANSWER. THE TWO IN THE TREE PULLED THE ROPE JUST ENOUGH TO MAKE THE DUMMY COME OFF THE GROUND AND RETURN TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION.
THE YOUNG MAN WASN'T CERTAIN OF WHAT HE JUST SAW. THE MAN HAD MOVED, BUT IT WAS AN UNNATURAL MOVEMENT. MAYBE HIS EYES WERE PLAYING TRICKS ON HIM. HE HAD HEARD STRANGE TALES ABOUT THIS PLACE, BUT HE DIDN'T REALLY BELIEVE HE COULD BE STANDING THERE LOOKING AT A GHOST !
"GOOD EVENING, SIR" THE YOUNG MAN REPEATED, COMING CLOSER. THERE WAS A CRACK IN HIS VOICE WHEN HE SPOKE THIS TIME.
SUDDENLY, THE BULLY AND HIS FRIEND GROANED AND GAVE THE ROPE A YANK. BEFORE THE YOUNG MAN'S STARTLED EYES, THE STRAW MAN SHOT STRAIGHT UP THE TREE TRUNK. NO NATURAL MAN WOULD DO THAT !
THE YOUNG MAN'S MOUTH FLEW OPEN. HE SWAYED BACK AND FORTH FOR A FEW SECONDS, STARING IN DISBELIEF.
"AHH ! AHH ! " HE SCREAMED.
CLUTCHING HIS CHEST, HE SHOT OFF DOWN THE ROAD.
"AHH ! AHH ! " HE KEPT SCREAMING.
THE BULLY AND HIS FRIEND JUMPED FROM THE TREE AND ROLLED ON THE GROUND, LAUGHING AS THEY HEARD HIS CRIES FARTHER AND FARTHER IN THE DISTANCE.
THEN SOMETHING ELSE CAUGHT THEIR ATTENTION. THEY HEARD ANOTHER SOUND !
"SHH," SAID THE BULLY, NUDGING HIS FRIEND. "WHAT IS THAT?"
THEY BOTH LISTENED. SOMETHING WAS MOVING AMONG THE TOMBSTONES. FOR AN INSTANT, THEIR HEARTS NEARLY NEARLY STOPPED. COULD THE STORIES BE TRUE ?
WAS THE OLD CEMETARY REALLY HAUNTED? NEITHER WAS TOO EAGER TO STAY AROUND AND INVESTIGATE.
"LET'S GET OUT OF HERE," WHISPERED THE FRIEND.
WITHOUT ANOTHER WORD, BOTH STARTED BACKING SLOWLY INTO THE ROAD, READY TO TAKE FLIGHT AS THEY WATCHED SOMETHING WHITE EMERGE FROM THE SHADOWS.
THAT DID IT ! BOTH WERE OFF AND RUNNING FOR HOME AS IF THEIR FEET HAD WINGS. THEY COULD HEAR THE THING GRUNTING BEHIND THEM, BUT THEY COULD TELL IT WAS LOSING GROUND. THE GRUNTS WERE GETTING FAINTER.
BREATHLESS AND WITH PAINS STABBING THEIR SIDES, THEY SLOWED DOWN AND RISKED A LOOK BACK.
WITH GREAT RELIEF, THEY BOTH SANK TO THE GROUND LAUGHING AS THEY REALIZED IT WAS JUST SILAS BURTON'S OLD HOG THAT HAD GOTTEN OUT OF ITS PEN ON THE ADJOINING FARM. THE TWO GOT UP, WENT HOME, AND FELT QUITE SATISFIED WITH THE NIGHT'S EVENT.
THE NERVOUS YOUNG MAN HAD NOT FARED SO WELL, THOUGH. HE HAD BEEN FRIGHTENED BEYOND REASON. THE POOR FELLOW RAN EVERY STEP OF THE WAY HOME. THEY SAID HE DIDN'T OPEN THE DOOR WHEN HE GOT THERE. HE BROKE IT DOWN AS HE RAN THROUGH IT AND COLLAPSED ON THE OTHER SIDE.
HE WAS SO FRIGHTENED THAT HE NEARLY HAD A HEART ATTACK. HIS FOLKS HAD TO TAKE HIM TO THE DOCTOR. HE NEVER FULLY RECOVERED AND WOULD NEVER GO OUT ALONE AGAIN AT NIGHT.
THE BULLY SUCCEEDED IN BREAKING UP THE BUDDING ROMANCE, BUT IT DIDN'T DO HIM ANY GOOD. HIS RIVAL NEVER WENT BACK TO COURT THE GIRL, BUT, WHEN THE STORY CAME OUT ABOUT THE CRUEL PRANK, THE GIRL WOULDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE BULLY.
WRITTEN BY: LONNIE E. BROWN
FROM THE BOOK "STORIES YOU WON'T BELIEVE"
"COURTIN TRICKS"
COURTESY OF PUBLIC LIBRARY
02/23/2022
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