An old lady got sick and died. She had no family and no close friends. So the neighbors got a grave digger to dig a grave for her. And they had a coffin made, and they placed it in her living room. As was the tradition, they washed her body and dressed her up in her best clothes and put her in the coffin.
When she died her eyes were wide open, staring at everything and seeing nothing. The neighbors found two old silver dollars on her dresser, and they put them on her eyelids to keep them closed.
They lit candles and sat up with her so that she would not be too lonely on that first night that she was dead. The next morning a preacher came and said a prayer for her. Then everybody went home.
Later, the gravedigger arrived to take her to the cemetary to bury her. He stared at the silver dollars on her eyes, and he picked them up. How shiny and smooth they were! How thick and heavy! "They're beautiful," he thought, "Just beautiful."
He looked at the dead woman with her eyes wide open, he felt that she was staring at him, watching him hold her coins. It gave him a creepy feeling. He put the coins back on those eyes to keep them closed.
But before he knew it, his hands reached out again and grabbed the coins and stuck them in his pocket. Then he grabbed a hammer and quickly nailed shut the lid on the coffin.
"Now you can't see anything!" he said to her. Then he took her out to the cemetary, and he buried her as fast as he could.
When the gravedigger got home, he put the two silver dollars in a tin box and shook it. The coins made a cheerful rattling sounds, but the gravedigger wasn't feeling cheerful. He couldn't forget those eyes looking at him.
When it got dark, a storm came up, and the wind started blowing. It blew all around the house. It came in through the cracks and around the windows, and down the chimney.
BUZ-OOOOOO-o-o-o! it went. Bizee, bizee, BUZ-OOOOOO-o-o-o! The fire flared and flickered.
The gravedigger threw some fresh wood on the fire and got into bed and pulled the blankets up to his chin.
The wind kept blowing. BUZ-OOOOOO-o-o-o! it went. Bizee, bizee, BUZ-OOOOOO-o-o-o! The fire flared and flickered and cast evil-looking shadows on the walls.
The gravedigger lay there thinking about the dead woman's eyes staring at him. The wind blew stronger and louder, and the fire flared and flickered, and popped and snapped, and he got more scared.
Suddenly, he heard another sound. Clinkity-Clink, Clinkity-Clink, it went. Clinkity-Clink, Clinkity-Clink.It was the silver dollars rattling in the tin box.
"Hey!" the gravedigger shouted. "Who's taking my money?" But all he heard was the wind blowing, Bizee, bizee, BUZ-OOOOOO-o-o-o! and the flames flaring and flickering, and snapping and popping, and the coins going Clinkity-Clink, Clinkity-Clink.
He leaped out of the bed and chained the door. Then he hurried back. But his head had barely touched the pillow when he heard, Clinkity-Clink, Clinkity-Clink.
Then he heard something way off in the distance. It was a voice crying, "Where's my money? Who's got my money? Whooo? Whooo?"
And the wind blew Bizee, bizee, BUZ-OOOOOO-o-o-o! And the fire flared and flickered, and snapped and popped, and the money went Clinkity-Clink, Clinkity-Clink.
The gravedigger was really scared. He got out of bed again and piled all the furniture against the door, and he out a heavy iron skillet over the tin box. Then he jumped back into bed and covered his head with the blankets.
But the money rattled louder than ever, the way off voice cried, "Give me my money! Who's got my money? Whooo? Whooo? And the wind blew and the fire flared and flickered and snapped and popped, and the gravedigger shivered and shook and cried, "Oh, Lordy, lordy!"
Suddenly the front door flew open and in walked the ghost of the dead woman with her eyes wide open, staring at everything and seeing nothing.And the wind blew Bizee, bizee, BUZ-OOOOOO-o-o-o! And the money went Clinkity-Clink, Clinkity-Clink, and the fire flared and flickered and snapped and popped, and the ghost of the dead woman cried, "Oh, where is my money? Who took my money? Whooo? Whooo?And the gravedigger moaned, "Oh, Lordy,lordy!"
The ghost could hear her money going Clinkity-Clink, Clinkity-Clink, in the tin box. So she reached out with her arms and tried to find it. (As you tell the story, stand up with your arms in front of you and begin groping around you)
The wind went Bizee, bizee, BUZ-OOOOOO-o-o-o! and the money rattled Clinkity-Clink, Clinkity-Clink! And the fire flared anf flickered, and snapped and popped, and the gravedigger shivered and shook and moaned, "Oh, Lordy, lordy!"
And the woman cried, "Give me my money! Who's got my money? Whoooo? Whooooo? (Now quickly jump at somebody in the audience and scream:) YOU'VE GOT IT!!!!
