The Canterville Ghost

This disguise was a very difficult performance, if I may use such a theatrical way of talking about one of the greatest mysteries of the supernatural, or, to be more scientific, the higher-natural world. It took the ghost three whole hours to get himself ready. At last everything was done, and he was very pleased with his appearance. The big leather riding-boots that went with the dress were just a little too large for him, and he could only find one of the two pistols, but, on the whole, he was quite satisfied with how he looked. At a quarter past one he glided out of the walls and crept down the corridor.

The room occupied by the twins was called the Blue Bed Chamber, because of the colour of its decorations. When the ghost reached it, he found the door just ajar. Because he wanted to come in very dramatically, he threw the door wide open. Suddenly a heavy jug of water fell right down on him, wetting him to the skin, and just missing his left shoulder by a couple of inches. At the same moment he heard shrieks of laughter coming from the twins' bed. The ghost was so shocked that he ran back to his room as fast as he could go. The next day he had to stay in bed because of a severe cold. The only thing that consoled him about what had happened was that he had not brought his head with him. If he had taken it, the results might have been very serious.

Vocabulary:

Disaster: When very bad things happen.
Theatrical: To do with plays and the theatre.
Supernatural: The world of ghosts.
Dress: Clothing.
Glide: To float in the air
Crept: Past tense of 'creep': to move secretly and silently.
On account: Here it means 'because'.
Ajar: Slightly open.
Dramatically: In a way that people will notice
Shriek: A mix of a shout and a scream.
Severe: very bad.
Console: Have a reason to feel happier about something bad.