Reading Robert Arthur’s collection of fantastic tales for young readers was among my most distinct memories from elementary school. As a kid I loved the stories in it, the details of many of which I carried with me for years afterward. When my young son started to get interested in horror stories, the book came to mind once again and I tracked down a copy, as much for my benefit as for his. Revisiting it again brought back all of those wonderful memories while simultaneously giving me new insights into the stories it contained. These are:

“Footsteps Invisible” – A blind news vendor is asked by a famed British archaeologist to use his keen hearing to help stay one step ahead of the relentless force hunting him. This one provides a nice, creepy start to the book, highlighting Arthur’s ability to evoke dread in his tales.

“Mr. Milton’s Gift” – A man searching for an anniversary gift for his wife gets more than he bargains for when he comes upon an unusual curio shop. It’s one of the more humorous tales in the collection, and reflects nicely the range of stories of which Arthur was capable.

“The Rose Crystal Bell” – Another story centered around an anniversary gift, it’s about a surgeon and his wife who purchase a unique bell with a forbidding reputation. It’s one of the darkest stories, and one to which Arthur adds an enjoyable element of uncertainty right through to the end as to whether there is even a supernatural force at play in it.

“The Marvelous Stamps from El Dorado” – Easily my favorite tale in the book, it’s about a young man who stumbles across a unique set of postage from a far-off land. The premise is wonderfully magical and the story is fun, with just a touch of melancholy at the end.

“The Wonderful Day” – A feverish child with a magical gift becomes a force of karma in the small town where he lives. This is another story that leans more towards the fantastic rather than the horrific, as it serves up a sizeable heaping of just desserts in a very literal fashion.

“Don’t Be a Goose” – In an attempt to achieve greatness, a nebbish physics professor uses a spell to transport himself into the past, but with surprising results. This is one of my least favorite stories in the collection, largely because it isn’t long into the story before the outcome becomes predictable. Nevertheless, it’s still a fun read.

“Do You Believe in Ghosts?” – A radio show host proves a little too successful at stoking the imagination of his listeners. This is one of the few stories where the premise is better than the execution, though largely because it’s such a fantastic idea.

“Obstinate Uncle Otis” – After being struck by lightning, a stubborn man gains the power to bend his world to fit his views. This is another one that features Arthur’s ability to take a potentially grim premise and turn it into a fun tale about the dangers of being unable to accept reality, which is probably why my memory of it held up as well as it did.

“Mr. Dexter’s Dragon” – An amateur antiquarian discovers more than he bargained for when he stumbles across a book of spells with a special illustration inside it. This was another one of my favorites, and reading it again made for a nice demonstration of how effectively Arthur could write a tale that invokes horror in a story that can still be appropriate for young readers.

“Hank Garvey’s Daytime Ghost” – Another take about the power of obstinacy, as a local character defines the life of his grandson even from beyond the grave. While an enjoyable enough story it’s one of the weakest in the book, as Arthur employs many of the elements in it to better effect in the ones that preceded it.

Though the ghosts themselves are surprisingly few in a book with the title given to this one, there’s plenty of the fantastic and the supernatural for young readers to enjoy. That the book is no longer in print means that the ability for them to do so depends upon stumbling across a yellowing copy on a library shelf or in a used bookstore, but those who do so are in for an enjoyable treat. ( )

Wow, I can't believe I found this. I didn't remember anything but the cover, but looking over the stories in this collection, this is THE strange tales collection for my childhood. Every one of these stories has stayed with me.

The stories:
Footsteps Invisible
Mr. Milton's Gift
The Rose Crystal Bell
Don't Be a Goose
Obstinate Uncle Otis
Do You Believe in Ghosts?
The Stamps for El Dorado
The Wonderful Day
Mr. Dexter's Dragon
Hank Garvey's Daytime Ghost

I found it because I was looking for "The Rose Crystal Bell," but I recall "Footsteps Invisible," "The Stamps for El Dorado," and "Mr. Dexter's Dragon" also as being especially memorable. (Why this is a children's book, I will never know. These are easily nice additions to any adult's weird story collection.) ( )

First published in 1940

I enjoyed these stories, even though there weren't very many ghosts (as the title claims). ( )