Sifty Sifty San: From Ghost Stories at Americanfolklore.net

A Texas Ghost Story
retold by S.E. Schlosser
Excerpted from Spooky Texas

    There was once a beautiful old house right on the edge of a lake, surrounded by woods. But no one would live there because a spirit calling itself Sifty-Sifty-San drove everyone away.
     In desperation, the owner of the house went to the big city, looking for a man or woman who would be able to banish the spirit of Sifty-Sifty-San. The first night in town, he came across a man named Sam who had spent much of his life banishing ghosts.
     As Sam approached the house he whistled cheerfully to himself; the prospect of a good night’s sleep in a fancy house and a big wad of money in his pocket made Sam a happy man.
Darkness came swiftly, and with it came a sinister hissing sound from the forest. Sifty-sifty, the wind whistled in the treetops. Saaaannnn, the waves lapping the shore responded. Outside, a huge gust of wind shook the house and howled down the chimney. Sam shivered and threw another log on the fire.
     The wind settled down a bit, and Sam could once again hear the tiny sounds of night. Sifty-sifty, the little frogs croaked. Saaannn, belched the biggest of the bullfrogs. The sound of the waves grew louder. Sam heard a huge thud-thud-thud sound coming from the forest. Sam ran around the house, making sure all the windows and doors were locked.
     He had just settled down by the fire for supper when there came a soft cry from the far side of the lake. The frying pan shook in his grip, and he hastily put it back on the fire and pulled a Bible out of his pack. The cry came again, louder. A strange gust of air blew through the house bringing with it a strange musty smell, like the dust in a graveyard.
     Out on the lake, Sam heard a soft voice chanting: “I am Sifty-Sifty-San. I’m here on the lake, but where is the man?” Sam froze in place, and the wind picked up again, howling down the large chimney.
     “I am Sifty-Sifty-San,” a sinister voice hissed from the shore of the lake. “I’m here on the shore, but where is the man?” Sam dropped his Bible in his fright. His hands were shaking too much to grip anything, and the dusty, decaying smell coming through the window seemed to dull his thoughts and numb his body.
      “I am Sifty-Sifty-San,” a terrible, howling voice called from the front of the house. “I’m here on the porch, but where is the man?” Abandoning food, Bible, bag, and sanity, Sam wrestled desperately with the back window, trying to open it wide enough to climb through. He heard the front doors slam open with a bang, and down the passageway came the thud-thud-thudding of footsteps. Then the kitchen door slammed inward, and a huge shadow with burning yellow eyes appeared in the frame.
     “I am Sifty-Sifty-San,” a horrible, blood-chilling voice bellowed. “I’m here in the house with the trespassing man!”
      “No you ain’t, on account of I’m gone,” shouted Sam, springing through the window, glass, wood frame, and all. He hightailed it back to town faster than a jackrabbit.
And that was the last time anybody went near the old house on the lake. If it hasn’t fallen to pieces by now, then Sifty-Sifty-San may be there still.

Comments

Lol. I like the pumpkin picture

Posted by: Anonymous | October 24, 2011 06:13 PM

that scared the heck out of me

Posted by: Anonymous | October 26, 2011 05:35 PM

this story is creepy

Posted by: itzel | October 27, 2011 08:02 PM

creepy

Posted by: teddy | October 28, 2011 11:37 AM

i'm too scared to even watch the video!

Posted by: Anonymous | October 28, 2011 07:52 PM

Great Story! This will be perfert to tell at my daughters Halloween party!

Posted by: Christina | October 29, 2011 07:50 AM

it scared me

Posted by: Anonymous | October 29, 2011 01:39 PM

this is one of the creepiest stories i have heard yet

Posted by: Denice | October 30, 2011 12:30 AM

that was scary

Posted by: tommy | October 30, 2011 05:10 PM

tat wa hekka creepy

Posted by: adrii herndez | October 30, 2011 07:58 PM

oooooohhhhh scarrrryyy

Posted by: Anonymous | November 1, 2011 12:30 AM

tthat was freakyy

Posted by: isaac | November 5, 2011 04:08 PM

I amcompletely paralyzed with fear! I can't even watch the video!

Posted by: Anonymous | November 6, 2011 05:35 PM

What if the ghost just wanted to talk It must get pritty lonely there... :S

Posted by: Anonymous | November 7, 2011 11:06 AM

a good one i like ghost stories

Posted by: joyston | November 9, 2011 07:46 AM

the ending sounds like the ending of "Keep them Watermelons"

Posted by: Sassy Maul | November 11, 2011 11:07 AM

THAT WAS GREAT!!!!!!

Posted by: Adam | November 13, 2011 06:03 PM

it was kind of funny at the end.;
i am sifty sifty san
and im here in the house with the trespassing man!
Then the Sam said;
No i ain't!

Posted by: shana | November 14, 2011 05:17 PM

why post this it so creepy i got goose bumps wen reading it

Posted by: kitty | November 15, 2011 11:44 AM

That is ssssooooo scary. I am NOT gonna watch the movie. *shiver*

Posted by: Anonymous | November 17, 2011 10:16 AM

Im really scared

Posted by: chinju | November 17, 2011 12:03 PM

that was scary !!!huh

Posted by: PEGGI | November 30, 2011 02:54 AM

Such a great story. I approve this story :3

Posted by: Sifty-Sifty-San | December 3, 2011 12:14 AM

uhhh, im never gnna sleep tonight

Posted by: Omar Alherech | December 3, 2011 12:50 PM

that wasn't that creepy and scary but thats probably because Ihave read the book.

Posted by: char@hotmail.com | December 8, 2011 05:34 PM

creepy story but i have 2 ghost living in my house right and they scare the crap out of me a old man and a 6 year old boy .............

Posted by: hassan | December 13, 2011 03:42 AM

seriously

Posted by: zara | December 15, 2011 06:43 AM

hahhahahahahha

Posted by: DudeManGuyHead | December 15, 2011 02:10 PM

This was probably not the scariest I've heard but it was pretty creepy.

Posted by: Cutie101 | December 30, 2011 07:56 PM

i read scairier

Posted by: lillie | January 2, 2012 01:02 PM

Wow I'll have fun trying to sleep tonight!!

Posted by: Destiny | January 2, 2012 11:33 PM

That was creepy.I don't think i want to watch the video.

Posted by: TuCool55 | January 3, 2012 08:07 PM

so creepy...

Posted by: Anonymous | January 8, 2012 11:21 AM

Posted by: Anonymous | January 9, 2012 02:26 AM

scary

Posted by: ? | January 14, 2012 06:01 PM

Awesome story

Posted by: Pyro | January 15, 2012 09:27 AM

Hahaha I am sifty sifty San I'm here in the states but were is the man

Posted by: Sifty sifty san | January 22, 2012 12:19 PM

cool kinda like hairy toe dont you thing

Posted by: NJ gir; | January 24, 2012 06:35 PM

super scary

Posted by: tomboy | January 27, 2012 08:43 PM

its really scary

Posted by: magoreid | February 2, 2012 10:33 AM

that was a great short spooky story

Posted by: tamikio | February 15, 2012 01:07 PM

very cool dude

Posted by: Anonymous | February 16, 2012 10:53 AM

I bet it is not true however it is a good description and it was very scary.

Posted by: Anonymous | February 18, 2012 02:08 PM

That story gave me a nice laugh

Posted by: Jaspal | February 24, 2012 11:55 AM

That gave a nice laugh

Posted by: Jaspal | February 24, 2012 12:09 PM

I'm gonna have dawm nightmares again.

Posted by: nadyves | February 25, 2012 10:59 AM

i can't talk!

Posted by: nadyves | February 25, 2012 11:12 AM

omg that was not scary

Posted by: Anonymous | March 2, 2012 03:19 PM

watch the video its cool but creepy story lol i mean im never going to go there in my life

Posted by: Brianna | March 3, 2012 01:54 AM

i liked that lol i wanna visit the house on the lake!

Posted by: Rinji | March 3, 2012 03:46 AM

It's okay to watch the video. I seen it. It isn't scary at all.

Posted by: Takyra Thomas | March 5, 2012 07:43 PM

i like the girl who was telling the story in the video :)

Posted by: ssssssspppoookky | March 7, 2012 05:37 PM

That is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo scary

Posted by: Anonymous | March 7, 2012 07:55 PM

oh my! even when u read it ur afraid already... I HAAD NO COURAGE TO WATCH THE VIDEO... ~_~'

Posted by: Maritoni Go | March 9, 2012 01:52 AM

that scared the creepiness out of me that is scary

Posted by: lisa | March 10, 2012 07:04 PM

sifty sifty saaaannnn.........
Creepy!!!!!!!

Posted by: Anonymous | March 11, 2012 08:25 AM

Lol the end was kinda funny:)

Posted by: Roes | March 11, 2012 08:06 PM

dang it i want to watch the video but i cant because of the stupid school lap top and it is blocked my ksd(kent school district)

Posted by: Anonymous | March 20, 2012 08:13 PM

wow that sent tingles up my spine i felt the movement of the ghost i have seen one before and let me tell never curse at them the can get angry bad it threw things at me and slammed me in to walls lol jk haaa wow though coolllllllll beanssssssss/

Posted by: Anonymous | March 22, 2012 06:28 PM

Not scary at all.

Posted by: DeadNotSleeping | April 5, 2012 12:00 PM

i am only 7 and i was brave enough to watch the video and listen to the story!i liked the whole thing

Posted by: gerrian | April 8, 2012 04:12 PM

i read this story before but i wanted to hear someone tell it to me :) it was awesome

Posted by: Anonymous | April 9, 2012 05:19 PM

No u aint thats all I got to say

Posted by: Anonymous | April 9, 2012 11:09 PM

I was paralized at the end..... Best storie yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :))

Posted by: Lexie | April 10, 2012 01:23 PM

really? sifty sifty san? what kind of name is that? it sounds to me like somebody was playing a joke on the guy. you shouldve used a storyline like "in the 1800's a man named shamus was a well known carpenter. he built his own house in the woods. he was a depressed man with no family that everybody picked on. one day a mob of people broke into his house and killed him bc he was born with a mangled face, with one eye lower then the other. 15 years later he returned from that grave to barracade himself into his house just to find that kids were partying and trashed the place. he was angry and murdered them all" or somethng like that

Posted by: bobby | April 10, 2012 09:27 PM

hey i liked it it was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo scaryi am going to rite a play on it peace

Posted by: nonya | April 13, 2012 06:55 PM

THIS WAS AWESOME!!!

Posted by: :3 cupcakes | April 16, 2012 11:07 AM

creepy, I am never going there.I know aperson named sam!!!!

Posted by: lol123 | April 18, 2012 08:40 PM

Video not scary sifty-sifty-san because im 12 im brave a little the girl just talks in the video

Posted by: sifty-sifty-san | April 20, 2012 09:09 PM

not that scary i realy love scary storys so thats probably y i dont think its scary :)

Posted by: Loves Scary Story | April 21, 2012 10:28 PM

what the heck?ghosts are of course creepy...oh!forget it just joking.