There'S A House Across The Street That Nobody Goes Into; Say It's Haunted, Yes, They Do; Ghosts Livethere, They Say, Or Meet: Saw One In A Winding-Sheet At A Window Once, And Took To My Heels And Ran And Ran, Never Gave Another Look, Till I Met A Nigger-Man. And I Told Him. And He Said, "Dat Ole House Am Ha'Nted Sure. 'Deed It Wuz A Ghost! A Pure Sure Nuff Ghost, I Am Afred. Better Run Home; Git Ter Bed; Or He'll Kotch Yer. Lawzy Me! I Won't Pass Dat House Ter-Night. Onct I Pass Dar: Whut'D I See? Why, I Seed A Walking Light. "Yep; An' It Went Up An' Down Like A Fire-Bug. I Wuz Skeer'D Wus'N You Wuz. An' I Heer'D Chains A-Trompin' All Aroun': An' I Laid Dar On De Groun' Skeer'D To Def. An' Den I Seed Whut'D Yer Reckon? Seed My Lands! Seed A Skel'Ton! Yarse Indeed! Hulding Up Two Skel'Ton Hands. "Den I Run'D Jest Like You Did. Ought Ter T'Ar Dat Ole House Down. HIt's Disgrace Ter Dis Yere Town Dat'S My Sintimints An' Rid Us Ob All De Ghosts, Instid Ob A-Letting 'Em Cavort 'Roun', An' Skeer Folks Lef' An' Right! T'Ing Ter Do Would Be Ter Start Bonfire In It Some Dark Night." Then He Turned And Went Away. And I Hurried Home And Told Father, And He Said, "That Old Negro-Man Has Had His Say; Mine I'll Have Another Day. Come With Me Now. Let Us See If That Ghost Of Yours Now Goes: If It's A Reality, Or A Fraud As I Suppose." And He Took His Walking-Stick, And I Followed. Sure Enough, At The Window Was That Stuff, Sheet, Or Piece Of Old Bed-Tick, Waving In The Wind. And Quick In My Father Went. And Why, Heard Him Laughing; And I Saw That He Had The Old Ghost By A Long String That He Could Draw. Was N'T Anything At All But An Old White Window-Blind, That The Folks Had Left Behind, In The Window Of The Hall: Had Got Loosened From The Wall And The Wind Kept Flapping It. I Laughed, Too; But Was Almost Just Put Out A Little Bit Wanted It To Be A Ghost.