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eBook Category: Horror
eBook Description: England is full of traditional village folk dances, and one of them may be more important and magical than all the rest. At least, everyone seems strangely worried when a rebellious youngster refuses to play his part at the winter solstice....

eBook Publisher: Fictionwise.com, Published: 13th Fontana Book of Great Horror Stories, ed. Mary Danby, 1980
Fictionwise Release Date: February 2004

21 Reader Ratings: Great Good OK Poor

Available eBook Formats [MultiFormat - What's this?]: Adobe Acrobat (PDF) [59 KB], eReader (PDB) [26 KB], Palm Doc (PDB) [13 KB], Rocket/REB1100 (RB) [12 KB], Microsoft Reader (LIT) [64 KB] - PocketPC 1.0+ Compatible, Franklin eBookMan (FUB) [84 KB], hiebook (KML) [58 KB], Sony Reader (LRF) [40 KB], iSilo (PDB) [11 KB], Mobipocket (PRC) [13 KB], Kindle Compatible (MOBI) [41 KB], OEBFF Format (IMP) [21 KB]
Words: 3606
Reading time: 10-14 min.
Microsoft Reader (LIT) Format: Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
Adobe Acrobat (PDF) Format:  Printing DISABLED, Read-Aloud ENABLED
All Other formats: Printing DISABLED, Read-aloud DISABLED

The handkerchiefs whirled and wove their lacy patterns in the sky; there was a tinkle of bells and a muffled sound of feet on stone as the men swung easily through their last dance. Stephen Carling tried to hide his impatience; for the last quarter-hour he had been eyeing the red-lit windows of the "Olde Coach-House", wishing he were on the inside instead of making an olde-world fool of himself in its freezing olde-world courtyard. But Hubbard, prancing about in the role of Fool, tapped him with the bladder. He fought down his shivers and concentrated on the swirling handkerchief, so graceful to watch and so bloody difficult to control.

The landlord had done his best by the dancers, training improvised spotlights from his upper windows and drumming up a respectable crowd for the solstice performance. On this freezing night, by some occult tradition, Hubbard's team were not simply dancing but enacting "The Lambertstow Morris". It made no difference that Carling could see, but the rest of the team had an intense look, almost a religious look, somewhere in the eyes. Back and forth, back and forth, in and out. Why didn't the others turn blue with cold? The watchers were well muffled up (which was an injustice) and supplied with drinks (which was intolerable).

And now Hubbard was muttering dirge-like fragments which Carling had never heard in the Morris before. This ae night, this ae night, everie night and alle ... It was not the full lyke-wake song, the corpse-chant, but scrappy extracts now heard and now inaudible. If ever thou gavest roof and flame, Everie night and alle, Pass thee by the standing stane...