THE EERIE MOAN It was a sunny summer day. Grant and Becky were going camping in the woods behind their house with their friends Tina and Jim. They packed supplies. Their mother packed them food, and told them to have fun. Just stay away from wells. You don t want to fall in. She said that every time they went into the woods. She said there used to be old cabins there, but they had been abandoned long ago. They had all collapsed. Trees and vines had grown up around them until they had disappeared entirely. All that was left of them, she said, were the wells. We ll be careful, they said. In fact, they never worried much about the wells. They had never seen one and doubted they existed at all. Grant, Becky, Tina and Jim hiked through a meadow full of wildflowers. Butterflies flitted from flower to flower, and birds dive-bombed after bugs. The sun was hot, but a pleasant breeze blew. The friends joked and laughed. Tina wanted to be an opera singer, and she amused her friends by trying to hit a high c. When she did, a big flock of birds flew into the sky from the trees nearby. The birds circled once overhead, and then flew off into the distance. It was a little spooky. A singer has to get used to critics, joked Tina, but the friends all had a funny feeling. Had the birds really been reacting to Tina s singing, or had something in the woods scared them? No one talked about it. When they left the meadow and entered the woods, the air grew cool. Coins of light dappled the shady forest floor. They walked in silence through old fir trees for a few miles. Dry leaves crackled beneath their feet. They pitched their tents at their favorite camping spot and ate sandwiches. Then they threw a Frisbee back and forth in a sunny clearing. The funny feeling they had earlier was gone. Then Grant, who had a real good arm, threw the Frisbee hard. It sailed over Becky s head and flew deep into a dark part of the woods. The friends sighed and went into the woods to look for it. They searched for
quite a while before Tina spotted the bright red disk in some trees on a hillside. There it is, she said. Grant ran over and picked it up. Then he froze. Ssh! he said. Can you hear that? The four friends stood in silence. Their eyes opened wide. A low, eerie moan came from somewhere in the trees. Ooooooooh. Okay, time to go, said Jim. And I mean really go, like go home. Maybe someone s hurt, said Becky. We can t just leave. They heard the sound again. Ooooooooh. That is not a human sound, said Jim. Becky s right, though, said Tina. We should at least see what it is. Grant nodded his head. I m with the girls, he said. Jim stomped his foot. I don t believe it. Okay, I ll come with you then. I just hope we don t regret this. Oooooooh. The sound grew louder. They were getting closer. The woods grew darker around them the further they walked, and the breeze, which had been pleasant out in the meadow, felt cold. Then Tina screamed and fell to the ground. Something has my foot! Her friends pulled her back up and she pointed at the ground. Grant knelt down for a closer look. Be careful, said his sister. Wow, said Grant. Mom was right! You stepped into a well, Tina. Look how deep it is. It was hidden by the vines around the edge. Ooooooooh! The sound was loud now. Now we know what makes the eerie sound. He shone a flashlight into the well. Look, it s empty. The sound is made when the breeze blows across the top of the hole. He took his canteen from his belt, opened it and blew across the top. It made a low, flute-like sound. Like that, he said. They went back to their camp and told scary stories until late at night. The eerie moan from the well made it that much scarier. The next day, they went home. Grant told his father about the well. I ll put some boards over it so no one falls in, his father said. Those old wells can be perilous.
ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EERIE MOAN 1. Where are the woods in which Grant and Becky go camping? a. Near their school b. Behind their house c. An hour s drive away in a park d. At the beach 2. Who packs their food? a. Grant s and Becky s mother b. Jim s and Tina s mother c. Becky d. The story doesn t say 3. How many children are in their group when they go camping? a. 2 b. 3 c. 4 d. 5 4. What frightens the group? a. A flock of birds b. Dry leaves c. A strange animal d. A spooky sound 5. What does Grant s and Becky s mother warn them about? a. Wild animals b. Wells c. Eerie sounds d. Strangers 6. Who does Grant tell about the well? a. No one b. The police c. His mother d. His father
ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EERIE MOAN 1. What does perilous mean? 2. What supplies did the friends probably pack for their camping trip? 3. What are the friends feelings about the eerie sound? 4. What is the moral of this story?
Answers to THE EERIE MOAN Multiple-choice 1. b 2. a 3. c 4. d 5. b 6. d Short-response 1. Perilous = dangerous 2. Answers will vary; accept reasonable answers 3. Answers will vary; accept reasonable answers. (Jim is the most frightened or cautious. The other children are curious as well as a little frightened). 4. Answers will vary; accept reasonable answers.