SUSANNAH STEWART STORIES | TALES FOR NAUGHTY CHILDREN

Nymph

She comes from beneath the water

… a deceiver will never lack victims for his deceptions.

Niccolo Machiavelli

Death bell rang beneath the water Blackbird flew at dawn Ruby Nell, she does not answer us No one knows where she has gone

Ruby Nell, who you meeting at the river’s edge? Handsome men can be quite the liars. Don’t go in secret, all on your own. Can’t you see his cruel desire?

Your lips are red and rosy, Your hair shines brightly in the sun. Ruby Nell, please be careful. Girl, you know he’s not the one.

His shadow on the water Tells you he is coming close. Oh, Ruby, you need to flee now. You’re not the one he loves the most

Smiling, you run to greet him. Smiling, he shoves you hard. You fall slowly into the river. Why didn't you stay on guard?

The waters swirl, Your body sinks, The gators quickly come. Sharp teeth grab, All’s good, he thinks, As long as I stay mum.

Satisfied, that unkind man, Grins and turns to leave. But wait, what is this? Something holds his sleeve.

Now he’s the one in the sharp teeth’s grasp. He’s the one that the gators hold fast. He begs and keeps on begging Until he begs no more.

Ruby Nell, you must forgive me, I am sorry I hurt you so. Ruby Nell, you know I love you Please tell them to let me go.

Along the blood-stained shore, The great reptiles bask in the sun. And a young girl sings.

Brittany and Jared walked into the clearing and saw a young boy fishing by the marshy river. At the vacation cabin, they had been bored, wanting to get away from their parents, and had wandered aimlessly down the walking trail behind the main lodge. Hearing someone singing, they had headed in that direction.

Ruby Nell, Ruby Nell We remember you We remember and we mourn Let us walk peacefully here Keep us safe from any harm.

“Hey, why are you singing that silly song?” Jared asked the boy.

“It’s a protection charm. You sing this song so Ruby Nell won’t send her gators to pull you beneath the water. ”

“Who’s Ruby Nell?”

“A long time ago, her lover tried to kill her. He wanted her to drown and the alligators to eat her body so nobody would know what happened.”

“Instead, she transformed into a vengeful water spirit who got the gators to eat him. Nowadays she gets these giant alligators to take away anybody who comes here and isn’t protected by the charm.”

“We don’t believe you. You’re trying to fool us because we’re not from around here.”

Clayton shook his head. “I’m trying to help you out. Lots of city folk go missing in these parts. You see her, with that pretty blond hair and sweet face, you might think she means you well. But she doesn’t.”

“See, the first thing she does is smile, and then she says, ‘I’m so happy to see you.’”

“That’s when her giant alligators show up. You’re usually done for then. But, if by some miracle you get away, you can never ever mention her name, no matter what. If you do, the gators will still come for you no matter how far away you are from here.”

“That’s the silliest story we ever heard. We don’t believe you.”

Suddenly a beautiful young woman with shining blond hair and sparkling green eyes stepped into the dell. She said, “Hello, who is this?” and smiled at the children.

I’m so happy to see you.

Brittany and Jared turned and fled screaming, pushing through the overgrown brambles, deep into the woods.

“What’s wrong with them?” said Samantha, astonished at the children’s reaction. She had been picking blackberries in a nearby patch while her younger brother fished in the river.

They were glad to be free of working in the cafe at their family’s roadside attraction for a few hours. Samantha was the hostess and said, “I’m so happy to see you,” dozens of times every day.

Her brother grinned widely and said, “I think the no-see-ums attacked them. They told me they had life-threatening reactions to insect bites.”

Clayton enjoyed inventing stories on the spur of the moment. He wanted to be a horror writer when he grew up.

Hours later, dirty, scratched, and exhausted, Brittany and Jared made it back to the rental cabin. Their furious parents were waiting and demanded,

Why have you been gone so long? Where did you go?

The two were scolded, threatened, and finally grounded.

But they never said a word of where they had been and who they had seen.

After a few quiet days, their parents, relenting on the grounding, told the children that they had tickets to a popular local attraction, Ruby Nell’s Alligator Wrestling and Other Fantastic Feats.

We thought you two might enjoy seeing the giant alligators.

Horrified, Brittany and Jared broke down in tears and refused to leave their rooms until the end of the vacation.

“I really like this story, Merriam. It’s not as bloodthirsty. It’s more like a practical joke. Nothing really happens to them.” said Susannah Stewart.

Merriam-Webster: old-fash·​ioned | ˈōl(d)-ˈfa-shənd: of, relating to, or characteristic of a past era

“Sometimes that’s a good thing, silly book. The Victorian and Edwardian writers told the best horror stories. Haven’t you heard of Oliver Onions and Saki?”

Oliver Onions The Beckoning Fair One shows Fall into madness

Hector Hugh Munro Master of the macabre Open Window surprise

Who’s Who

Susannah Stewart: young prodigy, self-styled “chosen one”, an orphan being raised by her grandparents in the small town of Haven, Tennessee, an unlikely nexus where the magical and the mundane intermingle.

Merriam-Webster: a dictionary empowered by the Stewart House. He is Susannah’s buddy, guardian, mentor, and sometimes her familiar when she is being a “witchy girl.”

Read more from the storytellers, Susannah Stewart and Merriam-Webster.