Dead Mens’ Teeth (A Jamaican Folk Tale re-told by Roger Hurn) It’s coming up to the witching hour of midnight. Old Man Hedley is out all alone. He is using a lantern to light his way through the darkness. Then a sudden gust of wind blows out the candle in his lantern. Now Old Man Hedley needs a match and that is just what he doesn’t have no matter how often he pats his pockets. The only thing for it is to find someone to give him a light. He looks around but there’s not a soul to be seen in any direction. ‘This won’t do,’ he thinks to himself and decides to head on down the road apiece and see if he can’t bump into someone. Sure enough he soon sees a big man coming towards him out of the shadows. ‘This fellow will see me right,’ Old Man Hedley mutters. Then he sidles up to the fellow all polite and friendly and says, ‘Excuse me, friend, have you got a light?’ The man turns his head and draws back his lips in a long slow smile. But the smile isn’t warm and affable; it’s cold like winter. It’s the smile of a dead man - a dead man with long, sharp teeth. The longest, sharpest teeth Old Man Hedley has ever seen in all his born days. Hedley’s knees start knocking, his eyes pop and he screams like a stuck pig and all the while the man stands there smiling his dead man’s smile. Then an idea jumps into Old Man Hedley’s head. ‘Run’, says the idea. ‘Run for your life Old Man Hedley. Run as if the Devil himself was on your trail. And maybe he is, Old Man Hedley, maybe he is.’ Old Man Hedley doesn’t need any second bidding. He takes off back up that lonely road like a streak of greased lightning with extra grease! He’s running fit to burst. Then when he can’t run another step he stops and gulps air into his lungs. He figures he’s put enough distance between him and the dead man now. He stumbles on through the darkness ‘till he meets another fellow on the road. ‘Lord, am I pleased to see you,’ he says. ‘Way back down the road there’s one of the walking dead. He’s got the longest, sharpest meanest looking teeth. And do you know what he does with them? Man, he smiles a smile that
Transcript
Dead Mens’ Teeth(A Jamaican Folk Tale re-told by Roger Hurn)
It’s coming up to the witching hour of midnight. Old Man Hedley is out all alone. He is using a lantern to light his way through the darkness. Then a sudden gust of wind blows out the candle in his lantern. Now Old Man Hedley needs a match and that is just what he doesn’t have no matter how often he pats his pockets. The only thing for it is to find someone to give him a light.
He looks around but there’s not a soul to be seen in any direction. ‘This won’t do,’ he thinks to himself and decides to head on down the road apiece and see if he can’t bump into someone. Sure enough he soon sees a big man coming towards him out of the shadows. ‘This fellow will see me right,’ Old Man Hedley mutters. Then he sidles up to the fellow all polite and friendly and says, ‘Excuse me, friend, have you got a light?’
The man turns his head and draws back his lips in a long slow smile. But the smile isn’t warm and affable; it’s cold like winter. It’s the smile of a dead man - a dead man with long, sharp teeth. The longest, sharpest teeth Old Man Hedley has ever seen in all his born days. Hedley’s knees start knocking, his eyes pop and he screams like a stuck pig and all the while the man stands there smiling his dead man’s smile.
Then an idea jumps into Old Man Hedley’s head. ‘Run’, says the idea. ‘Run for your life Old Man Hedley. Run as if the Devil himself was on your trail. And maybe he is, Old Man Hedley, maybe he is.’
Old Man Hedley doesn’t need any second bidding. He takes off back up that lonely road like a streak of greased lightning with extra grease! He’s running fit to burst. Then when he can’t run another step he stops and gulps air into his lungs. He figures he’s put enough distance between him and the dead man now. He stumbles on through the darkness ‘till he meets another fellow on the road.
‘Lord, am I pleased to see you,’ he says. ‘Way back down the road there’s one of the walking dead. He’s got the longest, sharpest meanest looking teeth. And do you know what he does with them? Man, he smiles a smile that freezes the blood in your veins and that’s the honest truth!’
The other man stares at Hedley and then he begins to smile. And it’s not just any old smile, it’s the self same smile Hedley’s just been talking about. The moonlight’s shining on those long, sharp teeth and Old Man Hedley’s beginning to wish he’d never gone out walking. Then it seems to him that instead of screaming his lungs out he’d be better off running away. So he does. He turns round and sprints back up the road the way he was going originally. He doesn’t so much as glance over his shoulder. At last he sees a man heading towards him. But Old Man Hedley isn’t worried. He’s sure this is a mortal, living breathing man just like him.
‘Hey brother, am I pleased to meet up with you. I’ve just met me a ghost and he’s …’
The man doesn’t seem to be paying attention. He just blinks his eyes and says, ‘Tell me, friend have you ever seen teeth like these?’ He pulls his lips back and there they are again those nightmare teeth and that smile as cold as winter.
Hedley’s so scared he doesn’t know up from down and he squawks like a hen who’s found a fox in the farmyard. Then his legs do the thinking for him and they take him racing down the road again. Hedley’s still clutching his lantern when, sure as night follows day, he sees a man heading in his direction.
The fellow gives a laugh like ice cracking and says, ‘What’s up, friend? Can’t you find anyone to give you a light for that lantern of yours?’
Hedley has had just about all he can stand of this. He decides he’s going to give this undead creature a taste of his own medicine. Old Man Hedley squints at the fellow and says in his nastiest voice, ‘Now look here, have you ever seen teeth as long and sharp and mean as these?’ Then he draws his lips back and smiles.
But the man doesn’t even flinch. ‘Reckon I have,’ he replies.Hedley scratches his head. ‘Where?’ he asks.‘In the mouth of that fellow standing right behind you,’ says the man.Hedley winces and then turns round really slowly. He comes face to
face with the dead man who is smiling his horrible smile. Old Man Hedley screams so loudly it bounces off the moon then he
takes to his heels and runs so far and so fast that he hasn’t stopped running yet.
Dead Mens’ Teeth and other stories can be found in:
Published by Endeavour Press http://amzn.to/Qh7FDH
Teachers’ Notes and Key Questions
This macabre story from Jamaica is guaranteed to grab the attention of even the most reluctant listeners. It has been used successfully with Key Stage 2 children as most children seem to love a story that gives them goose bumps.
They find the story scary and funny by turns and the language offers plenty of opportunities for discussion on how the use of similes and colloquial speech can make a story more immediate and affecting.
Key Questions
Why do you think Old Man Hedley was out walking so late at night? Why do some people call midnight the “witching hour”?
What clue can you find that tells you this story is not set in the present day?
How does the author show that the man’s smile was not a friendly one? Do you think the idea really is talking to Old Man Hedley? Why has the
author written as if it is? How does the author let you know that Old Man Hedley ran very
quickly? What kind of creature do you think the man with the sharp teeth was? Why do you think Old Man Hedley showed his teeth to the man? Do you think the dead men were just playing with Old Man Hedley?
Why do you think this?
Books by Roger HurnFor more books by Roger Hurn go to: www.roger-hurn.co.ukThree eBooks for children published by The Endeavour Press.
Something Wicked This Way Comes - This is a fantasy tale of a 14th century tragedy invading the present-day. The pace is fast, the danger lurking in woods and fairgrounds hugely credible and terrifying. With humour and scares taking turns on the page, this book will keep children (8-14) thrilled and engaged. urlm.in/mogaThe Eye of the Pharaoh - This thrilling story will captivate readers of all ages - as well as serving as the perfect introduction to the history of ancient Egypt. urlm.in/ngfsOnce There Were Lions - It is 1939 and a gang of children who call themselves “The Lions” play happily in the back streets of London. They are totally unaware that their little world is about to be shattered beyond repair. War is declared and they, like thousands of others, are torn from their families and sent off to live with strangers in the countryside. This is their story. urlm.in/mxne
Spook Squad – Adventures Too Scary For Boys (Ransom Publishing http://www.ransom.co.uk/SpookSquad.html) Chosen by The Book Trust for their Bookbuzz list 2012
The Alien Detective Agency – Series 1 & 2 (Reluctant readers; Badger Publishing www.badgerlearning.co.uk)
GirlFriendZ
Interest age 8 – 12 years | Reading age 9 – 10 years
Exciting action-packed stories that will appeal to particularly to girls aged 8 to 12. The stories are best read in order, although this isn't essential.
Meet Liv, Kelly, Eve, Charlotte and Yaz. They are GirlFriendZ – the number one band in the world. But now the evil Zargons are in control. Their MIB (Music is Banned) agents are hunting down musicians, wiping their minds and destroying their instruments. This is like stealing a music-lover's soul!
The girls go on the run, determined to keep music alive by playing secret gigs for their fans. Using music as a weapon against the MIB agents, can they stay one step ahead of their enemy?
