The Friendly Little Ghost

At the very end of Willow Lane stood an old grey house with crooked windows and a creaky gate. In its dusty attic lived the tiniest ghost you ever saw. His name was Boo. Boo was white as moonlight and soft as a whisper, and he had one very funny secret for a ghost. He was afraid of the dark.

A Ghost Who Fears the Dark

Every evening, when the sun sank low and the shadows stretched long across the attic floor, Boo would dive under his blanket and tremble. "Not yet, not yet," he would whisper, pulling the blanket over his round head. The other ghosts thought it was very strange. "But Boo," said old Granny Wisp, floating past with her teapot, "you ARE the night. Why be afraid of yourself?" Boo did not know how to answer. He only knew that when the lights went out, the corners of the attic looked full of things that might jump. So while the other ghosts floated out to dance under the stars, Boo stayed inside, counting the cracks in the ceiling until morning.

The Night of a Thousand Lights

Then came Halloween night. Boo peeked from behind the attic curtain and gasped. The whole street was glowing! Golden pumpkins with smiling faces lined every doorstep. Paper lanterns hung from the trees like sleepy fireflies. Children in bright costumes carried little lanterns that swung and sparkled as they walked. "Oh!" whispered Boo. "The dark is wearing lights tonight." For the first time, the night did not look like a big black blanket. It looked like a party. Slowly, very slowly, Boo floated down the stairs, past the front door, and out into the warm, glowing street.

Boo's First Friends

A little girl in a sunflower costume stopped and stared. "Wow! Your ghost costume is the BEST!" she said. Boo giggled. "Thank you! It took me all year to grow it." Soon a circle of children gathered around him. A boy dressed as a pirate shared his candy corn. A tiny witch let Boo hold her lantern. They played hide-and-seek among the pumpkins, and Boo was the very best hider of all, because he could turn almost invisible! When the church bell rang ten, the children waved goodbye. "See you next Halloween, Boo!" they called. Boo floated home with a heart as light as a feather. The dark had not been scary at all. It had just been waiting for friends and lanterns.

Moral of the Story

Boo learned that the things that frighten us often look very different in a kind light. With a little courage, friendly faces, and a few glowing pumpkins, even the darkest night can become a place to play.