Once upon a chilly Halloween eve, there was a creaking, moss-covered mill, haunted by a ghost named Gilbert. Gilbert had a funny habit, unlike most ghosts, he loved pranks more than frights.
Every Halloween, he arranged scary, yet comical incidents. The town’s folk knew of Gilbert’s antics, they laughed more than got scared.
One Halloween, someone new arrived in town. Miss Prudence was a stern, superstitious widow. To warn her, people explained Gilbert’s pranks. She paid no heed and decided to teach this ghost some manners.
Primly, she marched to the mill, armed with a broom and a heart full of bravura. Soon, inexplicable sounds erupted, and objects floated eerily. Staying firm, she swept the mill, hitting anything that moved. Slowly, the mill settled, no ghost manifested.
Unyielding and satisfied, she declared, “I have cleansed the mill of its ghost.”
Since then, Halloween became ordinary, without a scare or a laugh. The tales of Gilbert started to fade out and became a distant memory.
Years later, after Miss Prudence moved on to another town, Halloween was alive again. Sounds and laughter echoed in the town and everyone knew – Gilbert had returned. They say he had just stepped out for a ghostly vacation, waiting for Miss Prudence to leave!