The Water Ghost and Others

"The Water Ghost and Others" by John Kendrick Bangs is a funny collection of ghost stories from around the late 1800s. The book tells tales of different ghosts and the funny problems they cause for the people they haunt. In the first story, we learn about the Water Ghost of Harrowby Hall, who bothers the people living there every Christmas Eve. Every year she floods the place with sea water, messing up their things. Henry Hartwick Oglethorpe, the brave but troubled owner of the house, learns that the ghost has a sad story. He faces many funny challenges as he tries to deal with her. By mixing spooky things with lots of laughs, the book creates a fun feeling that makes you want to read more of the author's ghost stories.