The Ghost of the Old Tower

a trational Scottish Fairytale

The old tower had long been haunted by the spirit of an old lady.

Once she was a mistress who had been grasping, malicious and oppressive to the poor in her land. my grandmother knew to tell, that she had amassed a large sum of money by extortion, so now she could not rest in her grave because of it.

However, the tower was inhabited by a laird and his family, who found no fault with their place of abode. Once in evening, the maid, who was cleaning shoes in the kitchen by herself, suddenly observed an elf-light shining on the floor. Meanwhile she gazed on it, is disappeared and in its place stood an old woman wrapped in a dark cloak, who mutteres something about being  very cold. So she asked to warm herself at the fire.

The maid readily consented and saw that the visitor's shoes were wet and her toes peeping out blue and cold from their tips. The maid was good-naturedly and offered to dry and clean the lady's shoes and did so too.

The old lady, touched by this attention, confessed herself frankly to be the ghost that haunted this house. "My gold  wudna let me rest" she telled "but I'll tell ye where it lies; 'tis 'neath the lowest step o' the towers stairs. Bring the laird there an' tell him what I now tell ye; then dig up the treasure, and put it all in his hands. And tell him he must part it in two shares: one part let him keep, for he's the master here now. the other share he must part again, and give half he thee, for ye are kind lassie and a true soul and half maun gie to the poor of my lands, the auld folk and the fatherless bairns and them that needs most. Do this and I can rest in my grave, wher I have no rested yet and never will I make trouble in the house mair till the day o' doom".

The girl rubbed her eyes, looked again, but the old woman was gone!

Next day the young maid took her master to the exactly spot which had been indicated to her and told him what hat taken place. The stone was removed and the treasure discovered and divided  according to the instructions given.

The laird, being blessed with a goodly family of sturdy lads and smiling maidens.

The maid so richly dowered found a good husband ere the year had passed. The poor of the land, for the first time in their lives, blessed the old lady and since these days never anybody has never seen the ghost of this tower.