Learn English through story level 3 ⭐ Subtitle ⭐ A Loyal Ghost

Summary

The story recounts a young boy's encounter with the ghost of Johnson during Christmas holidays. Johnson, a heartbroken spirit, mourns for Emily, his lost love, who disappeared mysteriously. He had left to Australia to amass a fortune, only to return 20 years later to find her gone. The family devises a plan to appease Johnson by creating a fake grave for Emily in their garden, which seems to bring him peace, and he haunts the grave instead of their home.

Takeaways

• 👻 The protagonist, a young boy, encounters the ghost of Johnson on Christmas Eve.
• 🏠 Johnson's ghost is a regular occurrence in the house, haunting the stairs and rooms.
• 💔 Johnson's sorrow stems from his unrequited love for Emily, the daughter of a former homeowner.
• 🚢 Johnson went to Australia to amass a fortune, hoping to marry Emily, but took 20 years.
• 😢 Upon returning, Johnson discovered Emily and her family had vanished without a trace.
• 🔍 Johnson spent his remaining years searching for Emily, to no avail, and died in the house.
• 👻 Johnson's ghost continues his search in the afterlife, unable to find peace.
• 😩 The ghost becomes a nuisance, disrupting the family's daily life and social gatherings.
• 💡 The family devises a plan to fake Emily's grave in their garden to appease Johnson's ghost.
• 📜 A gravestone is erected with a fabricated final message from Emily to Johnson, 'I love him'.
• 🏡 Since the fake grave's creation, Johnson's ghost has been at peace, haunting the grave instead of the house.

Q & A

How old was the narrator when he first met Johnson?

The narrator was little more than a boy when he first met Johnson, indicating he was very young, likely a teenager.

What was the occasion when the narrator first encountered Johnson?

The narrator first encountered Johnson on the night before Christmas while he was home from school for the Christmas holidays.

What was Johnson's reaction when he first met the narrator?

Johnson passed through the narrator, giving a long low moan of great sadness, and then disappeared out of the window by the stairs.

Why did Johnson leave for Australia according to the story?

Johnson left for Australia to make his fortune because he was too poor to marry Emily, the daughter of the man who once owned the house where the narrator lived.

How long did it take Johnson to accumulate his fortune in Australia?

It took Johnson nearly 20 years to get all the money he wanted in Australia.

What happened to Emily and her family after Johnson left for Australia?

Emily and her family disappeared quietly one cold wet night, and nobody had seen or heard anything of them since.

Why did Johnson's ghost continue to haunt the house?

Johnson's ghost continued to haunt the house because he was searching for Emily, whom he never found, and he was unable to move on from his grief.

What was the landlord's incentive for the narrator's family to move into the house?

The landlord took £10 off the rent for the narrator's family after they agreed to move into the house that was haunted by Johnson.

How did the family attempt to get rid of Johnson's ghost?

The family attempted to get rid of Johnson's ghost by creating a fake grave for Emily in their garden, hoping that Johnson would believe it was real and stop haunting the house.

What did the family inscribe on the fake gravestone for Emily?

The family inscribed 'In loving memory of Emily. Her last words were tell Johnson I love him' on the fake gravestone.

Did the fake grave have the desired effect on Johnson's ghost?

Yes, the fake grave had the desired effect. Johnson's ghost stopped haunting the house and now spends every night crying on the grave, seemingly at peace.