Mary Beth Crain

This book is heart-wrenching to read due to people owning a pet and losing them due to death, illness but then seeing the spectral/astral form of their pet gives them hope.
One of the saddest stories to read was the young child that owned a pet cat that they don't know what happened to, when the cat returned and rushed it's nose against her face it was very sad to read.
This book has made me cry a lot, because it reminds me of my previous pets a rabbit and a cat that became very sick and had to be put to sleep.
My favourite story was about the dog that appeared during the seance to drink a lot of water.
The story about the haunted lighthouse was creepy, and the fact that cat remains were found and put on display disturbs me.
The chapter about the Griffith park zoo made me feel disgusted and sick just reading it i'm psychic & a empath so reading about animals suffering, in pain or being harmed by a spirit, entity or human makes me feel sick. I never understood why a writer wants to write about a animal being harmed, or why animals being hurt, abused, experimented on or killed is shown in horror films, it's disgusting!
I never understood why people refer to a animal as a "beast" either they are a beautiful living animal/creature that has a soul and they deserve respect, love & affection from humans.
I am happy that some barbaric zoos and circuses do not exist anymore because it is absolutely disgusting the way they treated the animals like a prop to be used, pocked, prodded and gawked at..

"The haunted horses" is one of my favourites stories so far because it was bizarre. Abbadon is the name of a demon you can research in your own time, their name is in books about Demonology.
The being that took the horses is a imp (the lowest rank/hierarchy of demons) a goblin or dwarf are completely different types of beings/supernatural creatures.
I believe that the black stallions were possessed which is why they calmed down after being blessed by the priest with holy water.
I wish the story of "Black Shuck" was included but it isn't a pet it is a Hellhound a omen of death, that collects souls on behalf of the devil.
It is bad luck to see it, and it means you or someone you know will die soon.

I don't like some of the aspects of the stories that involve hunting animals, because it makes me feel physically sick and it is disgusting.
"The Wolf Girl" story was interesting and I love wolves, but I didn't like the fact that people would wanted to harm the wolf pup.

"The wolf guardian angel" This story was unique, I have never heard if a guardian angel appearing as a wolf to protect a person, but guardian angels can probably take a familiar form to humans.
Wolves, bears, eagles are significant to Native Americans they are a protective animal totem (a protective animal spirit) you can have or many animal spirit guides. Medicine men or women (Shamans) wore a animal pelt to take the form of that animal. They can help people in the astral realm, with spiritual sickness. It didn't say if the girl from the story that rescued the wolf pup is Native American but it still has significance spiritually.

"The witch and the blackbird" Unfortunately prejudice even historically is still a issue. It's really sad that men & women were vilified, demonised, judged harshly and accused of being a witch without that ever being confirmed.
People are disrespectful to the dead, and then wonder why they are haunted by the spirit of the tormented person, leave the dead alone, respect the dead. The blackbird was the "familiar" of the witch (a protective guardian/servitor they were either a animal, spirit or a demon)
I think it is disgusting, unfair to judge the character of a person solely based on the way they look, it creates a inaccurate portrayal of the person based on the perception of other people, but perception doesn't always reflect reality. People have different beliefs to you, they are from a different culture, so don't be prejudice, before you get to know them.

"Reincarnated pets" People have owned a pet but they have become very unwell and had to be put to sleep is very sad, it has happened to my own pets (my rabbit Shadow and my previous cat Tiger)
I understand how heart-wrenching it is to put your beloved pet/friend to sleep so they won't suffer anymore. I believe that the animals in these particular stories are a reincarnation of Otto, Petie.
The cat acts exactly like their pet would normally behave, they had the exact same mannerisms as the precious pet, the same personality.

"Trotty and the headless ghost" There is something sinister about animals being able to sense danger, evil spirits, or just evil in general that is creepy. This story was unusual and really creepy to read because there is no explanation for why/how the woman had her head decapitated and why she carries her own head in a basket.
The fact that their head is alive despite being decapitated from their body and screaming, cursing, rolling around on the the ground really creeps me out.
How is that even possible? This spirit in particular sounds like a trickster, evil spirit because it tricked the man into helping them and then offered their head for his kindness.
"Here" "Take this in payment for your kindness"
This type of spirit in particular seems like the type of spirit that would attach itself to people and torment them with their decapitated head.

"The ghosts of Ballybrig" The Ballybrig Castle was haunted by a elemental due to nature being disturbed it also disturbed the elemental thst then haunted the Castle. Elementals are a nature related spirit/entity that are not human & they protect nature.
The dog named "Pickle" sensed the presence of the elemental and something threw a ball from a bush back to the dog but no one saw what it was exactly.
They were advised to fill in the quarry which they did, then the haunting stopped.

The tower of London is a well-known place and it is definitely haunted. There was originally a menagerie before the first London Zoo existed. A menagerie is collection of wild animals such as lions, tigers and other animals that are wild like monkeys. The spirit if a bear has been seen by many people and at the time by a sentry.
They were afraid because they thought it was a real bear and they attempted to stab the bear with a bayonet, but it went through the bear and into a wall behind them. The spirit of the bear vanished before his eyes. Queen Anne Boleyn and other spirits associated with her nave also been seen as well. The Jewel Tower Menagerie closed in (1835) before the first London Zoo was opened and the animals were moved there.
The ghost chicken of Highgate Cemetery (London)
Two men in 1926 were discussing the best way to preserve meat, at the time there were local farms so they bought a chicken.
The chicken was killed and plucked of it's feathers and put in a sack full of snow and it was also buried in snow as well.
Since then people have seen the naked spirit of a chicken that disappears when they try to catch it.

"Possessed" This chapter was interesting & creepy to read.
The verge large rabbit Ralph that was ravenous for food, does seem to be possessed by a "ghoul" (a graveyard being that exists, they consume the dead. Ghouls are associated with the Djinn in middle-Eastern countries)
Ravenous hunger is a sign of possession in a human or a animal.
The cat that was possessed and died, was controlled by a demon. possessed I truly believe they were possessed.
The story about the basset hound, and the spirit could either be a human spirit, or a entity that either possessed or controlled the dog and tried to influence them to attack their owner.
The fact the house is 200 years old and considered a "demon house"
Or a "hotbed of evil" and bloody handprints were on a baby's crib is very disturbing indeed. I think the cat Lincoln Aurelius is possessed by a demon & a demon kitty.
Demons, spirits or entities can that the form of a animal or possess anything animate, or inanimate and control it because it is a empty vessel and easy for them to manipulate, possess, control.
The story of the possessed groundhog "screaming like a child in excruciating pain" I have no explanation for and the story was creepy to read. I enjoyed reading this book even though sometimes it made me feel sad & miss my pets that have died, it was worth reading and interesting.
I wish there was a book about animate or inanimate objects that were possessed, controlled/animated by a spirit, entity or demon, or animals that saw them and were possessed by them.… (more)

I have loved ghost stories ever since I was a little girl. When I saw this book filled with Christmas related spooky stories, I just had to read it. I'm glad I did!

I was familiar with some of the stories (the Bell Witch, The Brown Lady of Raynham Hall, Anne Boleyn's ghost), but some were completely new to me (the sinking of the Christmas tree ship, Epworth Rectory, the death coach). The 30 tales are varied. Some are from modern times, others from centuries ago. The book includes tales from all over the world - Ireland, Canada, the United States, Germany, France, England, Scandinavia, and other countries. All are well-written and spooky, but not too scary. A middle grade age child should be able to read this book without being overly frightened. I also enjoyed the introduction where Mary Beth Crain tells a supernatural tale of her own. And the first chapter explains the ghostly history of the holiday season. Some of the stories are frightening, but some are also tales of blessings and unexplained miracles that occurred at Christmastime.

At 195 pages, this book is a quick read. It was perfect entertainment for me on a cold, rainy winter afternoon! The cover art is great!

Mary Beth Crain is also the author of several other books including Haunted U.S. Battlefields, Haunted Pet Stories, and a memoir, A Widow, A Chihuahua, and Harry Truman. I will definitely read more of her work. This book was a fun, spooky read!

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