Sifty Sifty San

Sifty Sifty San is a funny scary story for kids about a man named Sam who spends the night in an old haunted house in the woods. It is based on an old African-American ghost tale that comes from Texas.

There was once a great big two-story house about ten miles from town. It was set way back from the roadside where it couldn’t be seen. The house was sitting right on the edge of a lake and was surrounded by woods.

There were rumors that it was haunted by a terrible ghost called Sifty Sifty San. Nobody had ever spent the night in the house because the ghost would always drive them away.

The man that owned the old place wanted to rent it out. He was very anxious to prove that it wasn’t haunted and offered a great big reward to anybody that could stay in the house all night.

Finally, he came across a man named Sam who had just come to town and had a reputation for being able to deal with ghosts. When the owner approached him, Sam struck a bargain. He said he would stay the night in the old haunted house if the owner gave him the reward money and bought him some food so he could cook himself some dinner. So, the owner went down to the grocery store and bought Sam a big sack of potatoes and a slab of dry-salted bacon.

That evening, San threw his sack full of grub over his shoulder and set out for the haunted house. When he got there, Sam opened the door, walked in and started a fire in the fireplace so he could cook himself some dinner. Outside, a huge gust of wind shook the house and howled down the chimney. Sam shivered and threw another log on the fire.

Just as the dinner was almost cooked, Sam heard a faint cry coming from the far side of the lake. He was a little scared, so he went around the house making sure all the doors and windows were locked. Then he heard the cry again. This time it was louder and nearer.

“That ghost better not tangle with me,” he said to himself, “because if he shows up around here, he’s going to be a goner!”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Sam heard a sinister voice chanting: “I am Sifty Sifty San. I’m here on the lake, but where is the man?”

Sam froze in place and listened. The wind picked up again, howling down the large chimney.

“I am Sifty Sifty San,” the sinister voice hissed. “I’m here on the shore and I’m coming for the man?”

When Sam heard this, he started to get really nervous. He knew the ghost was talking about him. His armpits began to sweat, his eyes were shining like wet glass and his knees were knocking together like a sledge hammer.

“I am Sifty Sifty San,” the terrible, howling voice called from the front of the house. “I’m here on the porch and I can see the man!”

Sam was stood by the window with a frying pan full of meat in one hand and a sack of potatoes in the other. He heard the front door burst open and down the passageway came a mighty rush of cold air.

“I am Sifty Sifty San,” a horrible, blood-chilling voice bellowed. “I’m here in the house and I’m going to kill the man!”

“Oh no, you ain’t!” shouted Sam as he was ran off down the road with the frying pan full of meat and the sack of potatoes. “Because I’m already gone!”