The Water Ghost and Others

"The Water Ghost and Others" by John Kendrick Bangs is a collection of humorous ghostly tales that presents a variety of spectral misadventures and the humans who cross paths with them. The narrative begins with the story of the Water Ghost of Harrowby Hall, whose annual haunting on Christmas Eve creates chaos for the estate's owners. Despite numerous attempts to rid themselves of the ghost, she continues to flood the house with sea water, causing considerable inconvenience and disruption. The story introduces a master of the estate, who, though courageous, finds himself constantly thwarted by the relentless antics of the ghost. As the tale unfolds, the connection between the Water Ghost and a tragic past is revealed, blending supernatural elements with comedic situations. The whimsical tone of this first story sets the stage for a series of entertaining ghostly encounters, filled with humor and clever twists. This collection showcases the author's talent for mixing the eerie with the absurd, inviting readers into a world where the supernatural and the comical collide in unexpected ways.