By the time Courage and Shirley got to the farmhouse it was nearly 10:00 at
night. Both Muriel and Eustace should have been sound asleep by now but,
instead they were both on the porch. It only took Courage a minute to
discover why Muriel and Eustace were standing outside in their nightclothes
at this time of night. The sound of children chanting filled his ears -
the same chant he had heard the night before. Courage nearly froze in his
tracks but Shirley grabbed his paw and dragged him along behind her has she
ran toward the house. The two stopped just a few yards away from the porch
and stared as Muriel and Eustace began moving toward a circle of shadowy
figures as if in a trance. The circle broke apart and the children, moved
toward Muriel and Eustace.
It was the childrens eyes that made Courage literally fall to pieces. Their eyes were bright glowing red embers and they were fixed on the blank faced people who stood before them. Courage quickly reassembled himself and grabbed Shirley's paw. "What do I do, What do I do???!!!" Courage's voice was frantic. Shirley calmly took Courage's paw into her own and said gently, "You must let them know you have the necklace. Walk up to them and show it to them. Don't worry Courage, they won't harm you."
Courage summoned all of his, well, courage and took the necklace out of his pocket. He was shaking so hard that it felt almost as if his fur was going to fall out. Slowly he held the necklace up making sure that the pendant was clearly visible. "Hey!" was the only thing he could manage to get out of his mouth.
The children quickly turned to Courage and they looked as though they might disappear like they did the night before when Muriel startled them. But, instead, they just stared silently at the necklace with glowing red eyes. Suddenly, a voice broke the silence. In the center of circle where the children had been dancing, the figure of a man appeared. "I believe you have something that belongs to us." The man was dressed in tattered clothes and hiking boots. Courage instantly realized that the man must be Mr. Worth - the teacher who had died with the children and now protected them in the afterlife.
"Bring the necklace to me little dog." the man's voice was kind and gentle.
Courage hesitated for a moment before taking an uncertain step toward the man. He looked back at Shirley who nodded in the direction of Mr. Worth's ghost. Courage took a deep breath had walked over to stand in front of the ghost a man who was so tall he seemed like a giant to Courage. Slowly Courage held the necklace out to the ghost.
Mr. Worth smiled. "Please, put the necklace around my neck" he said leaning down so Courage could reach him.
Courage looked back at Shirley. "Because of the symbols on the necklace he can't hold the necklace in his hands." Shirly advised. "Those symbols are danger for spirits that touch them. Put the necklace around his neck so that the side with the prayer of protection is against him."
Courage gulped and nodded. He had never willingly been this close to a ghost before and he was more than a little nervous. Slowly he reached up and slipped the necklace over Mr. Worth's head and around his neck making sure that the side with the writing was facing toward Mr. Worth.
Mr. Worth straightened up and smiled happily. "Come children, leave those people alone. This brave dog has returned our necklace to us!"
Instantly there was a change in the children. Their eyes stopped glowing and they began to take a more human form. They now looked almost like normal children except for their pale skin and clothes that appeard to be from another century. They all smiled happily and began to circle around Courage to meet the dog that had found and returned their necklace. Courage nervously looked around as the children approached him.
"What a cute little dog!" said one little girl as she reached out to pet Courage. At first Courage shrank away from her hand but then he finally let himself relax as the ghostly fingers ran through his fur. Another ghostly had reach out to pat his head and another to scratch behind his ears. Courage had never gotten this much attention in all his life! He smiled happily as the children closed in around him, petting him and scratching his ears. One little girl knelt down to give Courage a hug and Courage hugged her back. Then a boy knelt down and hugged him then another until all the children had hugged him. Courages tail was wagging happily in appreciation of each hug. To his surprise, he was surrounded by ghosts and not afraid of any of them.
Finally, Mr. Worth called to the children, "It's time for us to go now. Say good-bye to the brave little dog." Each of the children petted courage one last time and reluctanly said good- bye. Mr. Worth leaned over and whispered something in one little boys ear and looked over toward Shirley who had been watching the whole thing.
The little boy nodded and ran over to Shirley and whispered something to her. "I think I can do that." Shirley replied, "Wait here for a moment." Shirley went into the house and brought back a piece of paper began writing on it. She handed it to the boy, "See if this is what he has in mind."
The boy ran back to Mr. Worth and handed him the piece of paper. Mr. Worth nodded and said, "This is perfect but it should be written in stone or something else that is more permanent."
Shirley nodded and disappeared into the barn.
While they were waiting for Shirley to return, the children began to play, chasing each other around and tossing a ball that one of the boys had with him. Courage couldn't resist and joined in with the children until Shirley reappeared from the barn and went over to speak with Mr. Worth for a moment.
Mr. Worth nodded and called the children to him whispering something to all of them. After making sure that all of the children were in agreement with him, Mr. Worth called Courage over to him.
"To thank you for returning the necklace to us, we would like to present you with this." He handed Courage a piece of metal with some writing inscribed on it. "If you ever need our help, just say these words and we be there to help you."
Courage smiled unable to hold back a tear of happiness. "Thank you" he said but, of course all Mr. Worth could hear was "aauuu". He looked over at Shirly who translated.
"It is us who thank you Courage. We are forever in your debt" With that, Mr. Worth and the children all began to walk toward the road and slowly disappeared into thin air.
A few seconds later, both Muriel and Eustace awoke from their trance like state. Both were wondering what had happend so Shirley explained everything to them.
Later that night, Courage relaxed on his cot thinking about everything that had happened. He was still to excited to sleep. Finally he decided to go for a walk outside. It was a beautiful, peaceful night and, at least for now, he really wasn't afraid of anything. Maybe he would finally be able to find that bone he had been looking for.
It was the childrens eyes that made Courage literally fall to pieces. Their eyes were bright glowing red embers and they were fixed on the blank faced people who stood before them. Courage quickly reassembled himself and grabbed Shirley's paw. "What do I do, What do I do???!!!" Courage's voice was frantic. Shirley calmly took Courage's paw into her own and said gently, "You must let them know you have the necklace. Walk up to them and show it to them. Don't worry Courage, they won't harm you."
Courage summoned all of his, well, courage and took the necklace out of his pocket. He was shaking so hard that it felt almost as if his fur was going to fall out. Slowly he held the necklace up making sure that the pendant was clearly visible. "Hey!" was the only thing he could manage to get out of his mouth.
The children quickly turned to Courage and they looked as though they might disappear like they did the night before when Muriel startled them. But, instead, they just stared silently at the necklace with glowing red eyes. Suddenly, a voice broke the silence. In the center of circle where the children had been dancing, the figure of a man appeared. "I believe you have something that belongs to us." The man was dressed in tattered clothes and hiking boots. Courage instantly realized that the man must be Mr. Worth - the teacher who had died with the children and now protected them in the afterlife.
"Bring the necklace to me little dog." the man's voice was kind and gentle.
Courage hesitated for a moment before taking an uncertain step toward the man. He looked back at Shirley who nodded in the direction of Mr. Worth's ghost. Courage took a deep breath had walked over to stand in front of the ghost a man who was so tall he seemed like a giant to Courage. Slowly Courage held the necklace out to the ghost.
Mr. Worth smiled. "Please, put the necklace around my neck" he said leaning down so Courage could reach him.
Courage looked back at Shirley. "Because of the symbols on the necklace he can't hold the necklace in his hands." Shirly advised. "Those symbols are danger for spirits that touch them. Put the necklace around his neck so that the side with the prayer of protection is against him."
Courage gulped and nodded. He had never willingly been this close to a ghost before and he was more than a little nervous. Slowly he reached up and slipped the necklace over Mr. Worth's head and around his neck making sure that the side with the writing was facing toward Mr. Worth.
Mr. Worth straightened up and smiled happily. "Come children, leave those people alone. This brave dog has returned our necklace to us!"
Instantly there was a change in the children. Their eyes stopped glowing and they began to take a more human form. They now looked almost like normal children except for their pale skin and clothes that appeard to be from another century. They all smiled happily and began to circle around Courage to meet the dog that had found and returned their necklace. Courage nervously looked around as the children approached him.
"What a cute little dog!" said one little girl as she reached out to pet Courage. At first Courage shrank away from her hand but then he finally let himself relax as the ghostly fingers ran through his fur. Another ghostly had reach out to pat his head and another to scratch behind his ears. Courage had never gotten this much attention in all his life! He smiled happily as the children closed in around him, petting him and scratching his ears. One little girl knelt down to give Courage a hug and Courage hugged her back. Then a boy knelt down and hugged him then another until all the children had hugged him. Courages tail was wagging happily in appreciation of each hug. To his surprise, he was surrounded by ghosts and not afraid of any of them.
Finally, Mr. Worth called to the children, "It's time for us to go now. Say good-bye to the brave little dog." Each of the children petted courage one last time and reluctanly said good- bye. Mr. Worth leaned over and whispered something in one little boys ear and looked over toward Shirley who had been watching the whole thing.
The little boy nodded and ran over to Shirley and whispered something to her. "I think I can do that." Shirley replied, "Wait here for a moment." Shirley went into the house and brought back a piece of paper began writing on it. She handed it to the boy, "See if this is what he has in mind."
The boy ran back to Mr. Worth and handed him the piece of paper. Mr. Worth nodded and said, "This is perfect but it should be written in stone or something else that is more permanent."
Shirley nodded and disappeared into the barn.
While they were waiting for Shirley to return, the children began to play, chasing each other around and tossing a ball that one of the boys had with him. Courage couldn't resist and joined in with the children until Shirley reappeared from the barn and went over to speak with Mr. Worth for a moment.
Mr. Worth nodded and called the children to him whispering something to all of them. After making sure that all of the children were in agreement with him, Mr. Worth called Courage over to him.
"To thank you for returning the necklace to us, we would like to present you with this." He handed Courage a piece of metal with some writing inscribed on it. "If you ever need our help, just say these words and we be there to help you."
Courage smiled unable to hold back a tear of happiness. "Thank you" he said but, of course all Mr. Worth could hear was "aauuu". He looked over at Shirly who translated.
"It is us who thank you Courage. We are forever in your debt" With that, Mr. Worth and the children all began to walk toward the road and slowly disappeared into thin air.
A few seconds later, both Muriel and Eustace awoke from their trance like state. Both were wondering what had happend so Shirley explained everything to them.
Later that night, Courage relaxed on his cot thinking about everything that had happened. He was still to excited to sleep. Finally he decided to go for a walk outside. It was a beautiful, peaceful night and, at least for now, he really wasn't afraid of anything. Maybe he would finally be able to find that bone he had been looking for.