Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

**Frownland** · 02-05-2012, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon

I take back my comment about not being familiar with these. I just googled "Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark" and came up with this cover...

...which I DO actually remember from my childhood. I don't remember anything specific but I'm pretty sure I read or heard at least some of them.

One story I clearly remember from my childhood, which scared the ever-loving crap out of me, is this: There was this woman who always wore a ribbon around her neck. She never took it off, even around her husband. He sometimes asked her about it but the only thing she'd ever say about it was it could never, under any circumstances to be removed. After many years of this, the husband's curiosity finally got the best of him and he untied the ribbon while she was asleep. When he did so her head fell right and rolled onto the floor screaming, "I told you never to untie the ribbon!"

Is that from this author?

I'm not too well versed in this series but that sounds spot on with what this author would write. Scary with some macabre tossed in.

Engine · 02-05-2012, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon

One story I clearly remember from my childhood, which scared the ever-loving crap out of me, is this: There was this woman who always wore a ribbon around her neck. She never took it off, even around her husband. He sometimes asked her about it but the only thing she'd ever say about it was it could never, under any circumstances to be removed. After many years of this, the husband's curiosity finally got the best of him and he untied the ribbon while she was asleep. When he did so her head fell right and rolled onto the floor screaming, "I told you never to untie the ribbon!"

Is that from this author?

Yep. That's Alvin Schwartz. But I think the ending is more like her aged and dying and telling the husband, "Now you can untie the ribbon and you'll see why it had to stay on." So he does and her head falls off.
"The Green Ribbon"

midnight rain · 02-05-2012, 10:18 PM

Yes it is Janszoon, but it's actually from one of his other books, the one I showed earlier, "In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories..."

CanwllCorfe · 02-06-2012, 03:56 PM

I'm happy you got to see them while you could. They just... won't be the same anymore.

Engine · 02-08-2012, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CanwllCorfe

And this is how much a new treasury book is going for now.

I just bought this 1991 reprint for about $25. The seller describes it as "Gammell illustrations. Brand new with new jacket. Never been opened." So I think the jacket art is different from the 1986 version but the insides should be the same and I didn't want to pay $60+ for a used/damaged original.

People are pretty up-in-arms over the artwork switch in current printings. I found several online petitions to bring back the Gammell artwork and it does look like all the Gammell printings are becoming rare.

CanwllCorfe · 02-09-2012, 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Engine

I just bought this 1991 reprint for about $25. The seller describes it as "Gammell illustrations. Brand new with new jacket. Never been opened." So I think the jacket art is different from the 1986 version but the insides should be the same and I didn't want to pay $60+ for a used/damaged original.

People are pretty up-in-arms over the artwork switch in current printings. I found several online petitions to bring back the Gammell artwork and it does look like all the Gammell printings are becoming rare.

Ohhh good! I'm glad someone is selling it at a reasonable price. That's the same one I have. And yeah, I've seen a lot of hoopla surrounding it as well. They're just not the same, not even close. They went from awesome books I read as a kid to heirlooms.

midnight rain · 02-09-2012, 12:05 PM

Is the original print the one with the scarecrow looking guy on the front? That's the cover I have I think.

CanwllCorfe · 02-09-2012, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tuna

Is the original print the one with the scarecrow looking guy on the front? That's the cover I have I think.

Yeah, this one.

Sneer · 02-09-2012, 09:20 PM

Unfortunately we didn't have these books in the UK when I was younger. It's a real shame because growing up I had a near obsessive interest in the supernatural and macabre. I still have the 'ghost hunter's manual' my grandparents bought me for Christmas when I was 12 - me and my little mates went out with it on numerous nights around our street looking for ghosts, and when we didn't find any, we went back to my house and sat in a pitch black room with torches trying to scare the shit out of each other with ghost stories. These books would have been great to have by the looks of things.

PoorOldPo · 02-10-2012, 03:14 AM

Well I have some weird **** that happened to me and my sister if you wanna hear that?

02-06-2012, 03:56 PM	#44 (permalink)
CanwllCorfe Quiet Man in the Corner Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Pocono Mountains Posts: 2,480	I'm happy you got to see them while you could. They just... won't be the same anymore. __________________ Your eyes were never yet let in to see the majesty and riches of the mind, but dwell in darkness; for your God is blind.

02-09-2012, 09:20 PM	#49 (permalink)
Sneer Let it drip Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 5,430	Unfortunately we didn't have these books in the UK when I was younger. It's a real shame because growing up I had a near obsessive interest in the supernatural and macabre. I still have the 'ghost hunter's manual' my grandparents bought me for Christmas when I was 12 - me and my little mates went out with it on numerous nights around our street looking for ghosts, and when we didn't find any, we went back to my house and sat in a pitch black room with torches trying to scare the shit out of each other with ghost stories. These books would have been great to have by the looks of things. __________________ LastFM Sneer's Emporium of Sound Fright Team radio show

02-10-2012, 03:14 AM	#50 (permalink)
PoorOldPo Blue Pill Oww Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Luimneach, Eire Posts: 1,107	Well I have some weird **** that happened to me and my sister if you wanna hear that? __________________ https://www.instagram.com/hennas.lullaby/

02-05-2012, 10:18 PM	#43 (permalink)
midnight rain Music Addict Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 1,711	Yes it is Janszoon, but it's actually from one of his other books, the one I showed earlier, "In a Dark, Dark Room and Other Scary Stories..."

02-09-2012, 12:05 PM	#47 (permalink)
midnight rain Music Addict Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 1,711	Is the original print the one with the scarecrow looking guy on the front? That's the cover I have I think.