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Soon after this the sexton came to the house on a visit, and the

father bewailed his trouble, and told him how his younger son was

so backward in every respect that he knew nothing and learnt

nothing. 'Just think,' said he, 'when I asked him how he was

going to earn his bread, he actually wanted to learn to shudder.'

'If that be all,' replied the sexton, 'he can learn that with me.

Send him to me, and I will soon polish him.' The father was glad

to do it, for he thought: 'It will train the boy a little.' The

sexton therefore took him into his house, and he had to ring the

church bell. After a day or two, the sexton awoke him at

midnight, and bade him arise and go up into the church tower and

ring the bell. 'You shall soon learn what shuddering is,' thought

he, and secretly went there before him; and when the boy was at

the top of the tower and turned round, and was just going to take

hold of the bell rope, he saw a white figure standing on the

stairs opposite the sounding hole.