I forgot to tell you all that I went on a ghost tour around Aberdeen. Most of the sites I've been to before; Kings College, Elphinstone Hall, and the St. Machar cemetery. What was new was the little cemetery in the center of the housing on campus. That was neat. I went on the 7pm and it was already pitch black. Now along the way we were told ghost stories which was just brilliant. Absolutely loved it though the person who told them was just a little too enthusiastic for my taste. She screamed bloody murder once during her tale. Sorry I don't like when people scream though it made sense in the story... The last story told by a different person was much better. Guess what? I knew it. I read it in the little book I bought of Scottish tales.
The tale goes this way:
Jamie Carmichael, a boy from Aberdeen, wanted to be the best wizard of all time. To become the best wizard one had to study with the devil for a year so Jamie Carmichael goes to the devil. Now the devil had thirteen rules that had to be followed. All of them were reasonable and easy to follow until the last one, which was at the end of their time with the devil and as they took their leave, the last one out of the house was to belong, body and soul, and for all eternity to the devil.
Jamie took five minutes to think about it. His eyes wandered round the great hall. He looked at the great open door and he looked up at the great windows. Being that it was noonday, shadows were made from Jamie, the devil, and the furniture.
"Is it through this hall and out at that door the students will leave from?" asks Jamie.
"Aye," says the devil.
"And at what time do they leave?" asks Jamie.
"About this time," answers the devil.
"Well then I'm in," declared Jamie. "trusting that since I've a good pair of legs, I shan't be the last man out."
"That's what they all say," says the devil
During the upcoming months, Jamie excels over the other students of the devil. As the months come closer to the end of their year the other lads start to be vera frightened that they will be the last boy behind and it soon has them all depressed. One day Jamie goes to them and says
"Lads, all this worrying is un-necessary. I will tell you to stop that because you all will leave before me,"
At first the lads cried out at this sacrifice but after another month goes on and Jamie is adamant that they will all be able to leave they stop being depressed.
On the last day at midday, the devil rings a gong and all the lads rush out the door. Only Jamie saunters through the hall towards the door. The devil cackles and grabs Jamie by the shoulder.
"hands off!" says Jamie.
"hands off, is it?" says the devil. "That's no way to talk to your master. You were the last person to leave and you are now owned by me for all eternity" the devil cackles.
"Ah but I'm not the last to leave," says Jamie. "Take a look at the ground and you will see someone behind me."
Jamie continues to the door.
"There is none following you," yells the devil.
"You cannot see my shadow?" says Jamie. "He is the fellow that's last to leave- and your welcome to him. Thank you for your teaching and good afternoon to you."
With that Jamie left the devils hall, leaving his shadow behind and the devil cackling.
(During the tour another part was added that wasn't in the book) Jamie returned to Aberdeen the best wizard of all time. However the devil never got over how he was tricked and continued to try and trick Jamie into being his for all eternity. Jamie is able to thwart every attempt.
One day the devil comes up with an idea. He summons three demons and he goes to Jamie with them as gifts.
"These demons will do do anything you ask no matter the task," the devil says.
Now Jamie can't refuse a gift from the devil and besides it was a great deal. He accepted. The first thing he asks was a lunch. The demons brought a whale. Jamie asked for a beautiful lass. The demons brought a old crone. And all by five minutes. No matter the task Jamie set them on they would be back in five minutes. Soon Jamie had everything he wanted as well as what he didn't want as well. On the first night Jamie lay down to sleep but the demons were whispering in his ear, asking for what it is he wants them to do.
Now Jamie can't get any sleep nor can he eat anything because every five minutes the demons came to him and asked to do a task for him. Jamie thought and thought on what he could have them do that there was no way for them to succeed. He was becoming quite desperate. Finally he thought of a plan
"demons," he calls "I want you in the morning to make sure every student of Aberdeen awakes and gets to their class on time."
The demons tried and tried. they used alarm clocks, they pinched and prodded, they screamed in the ears but they could not get to every student to be on time for students would cover their ears with their pillow, slam on the alarm clocks, or just using their thick duvets to protect themselves from the pinching.
to this day the demons try to get every Aberdeen student out of bed in time for their classes and it is the students imperative to never be on time to their classes if they want Jamie to continue to be at peace from the demons. Jamie by the way still roams Aberdeen as heaven nor hell will take him.
that's it. I thought it was worth mentioning. Its a vera good story. Oh and I'm great and I'm loving everything.
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