The Bewitched Mill

The old mill was inhabited by ghosts and no-one knew what went on there, because each person who passed a night there was speechless with fear by morning.

The owner of the mill was in despair, because no-one wanted to work there. So he was delighted when a young man, too simple to be scared, came looking for a job.

That night, when the young man sat down on the bench, the door opened before him and a table moved forward, laden with all kinds of good things. Invisible guests then began to dine and the young man joined in, not at all put out by the fact that the cutlery was moving of its own accord. At a certain moment, all the lights went out and the young man was slapped in the face.

'Do that again,' he said,' 'and you'll get a slap in return.' And when he did get another slap, he slapped right back at the invisible face. He went on all night, trading blow for blow. At dawn, all the strange happenings ceased, and after that nothing eve happened again, for ghosts are scared them-selves of someone who is not scared of them, and in fact they prefer to run away.