Goblins and Ghosties (2 page)

	Jacob and the Duppy Jamaica
	The Selkie's Revenge Scotland
	As Cold As Clay United States
	The Ghost in the Library China
	Goldenhair Corsica
	The Werewolf's Bride Spain
	The Hidden Hand United States
	The River of Death Morocco
	The Cold Lady Japan
	The Brownie under the Bridge Scotland
	A Room full of Spirits Korea

The Moddey-dhoo

Isle of Man

It was a dark and stormy winter's night. Peel Castle was deserted, apart from the three soldiers and their sergeant who'd been left on watch. There they sat, huddling round the fire in the guardhouse, when in walked a great black dog.

‘How did that animal get in?' roared the sergeant. ‘Which one of you left the gate open?'

The other three shook their heads.

‘It wasn't me.'

‘
Nor me, sarge.'

‘Nor me neither.'

‘Hang on a minute,' said the first man. ‘We're on an island. How did the dog get across?'

‘It must have swum,' said the second.

‘So how come it's as dry as a bone?'

The third one said nothing.

All four of them stood and stared at the dog. The dog stared back for a bit. Then, it sauntered over to the snuggest, warmest place by the fire and lay down with its chin on its paws, watching them.

The size of it! Big as a moorland pony, it was, with feet the size of tea plates and eyes like red-rimmed saucers.

At last the third soldier found his voice. ‘That's no dog we've got there. I reckon that's the Moddey-dhoo.'

‘I've heard of it,' the second man said. ‘You see the Moddey-dhoo, that means death!'