The Canterville Ghost

That's a silly thing to say! You just have to go to bed and blow out the candle. It is very difficult sometimes to keep awake, especially at church, but sleeping is really easy to do. Even babies know how to do that, and they are not very clever.'

`I have not slept for three hundred years,' said the ghost sadly, and Virginia's beautiful blue eyes opened in wonder; `for three hundred years I have not slept, and I am so tired.'

Virginia became very serious, and her little lips trembled like rose-leaves in the wind. She came towards him, and kneeling down at his side, looked up into his old wrinkled face.

`Poor, poor Ghost,' she said softly; `don't you have anywhere to sleep?'

`Far away beyond the pinewoods,' answered the ghost, in a quiet voice, `there is a little garden. There the grass grows long and deep, there you find hemlock flowers like big white stars, there the nightingale sings all night long. All night long he sings, and the cold, crystal moon looks down, and the yew-tree spreads its giant arms over the sleepers.'

Virginia's eyes filled with tears, and she hid her face in her hands. `You mean the Garden of Death,' she whispered.

Vocabulary:

Candle: A light from a wax stick.
Wonder: When you think of something amazing.
Kneel: Sitting with only your knees on the floor.
Wrinkled: Lines on your body from age.
Nightingale: A bird that sings at night
Crystal: Stone that looks like glass