DOCUMENT RESUME ED 323 155 SO 030 212 TITLE Whispers from the Past: A Collection of Folklore by Nor*h 0=rolin= Qtudents. North Carolina Heritage Week 1990: "The Arts: From the Past into the Future." INSTITUTION North Carolina Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh. Div. of Teacher Education. PUB DATE 90 NOTE 47p. PUB TYPE Reports - Descriptive (141) -- Historical Materials (060) EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Class Activities; Curriculum Enrichment; *Folk Culture; *Instructional Innovation; *Oral History; *Student Participation IDENTIFIERS *North Carolina ABSTRACT As part of the North Carolina 1990 Heritage Week Celebration, all North Carolina schools were invited to participate in a unique project known as "Tales and Technology." For this project, students were invited to gather folk tales about traditions, family stories, names of places, or tales that had been passed from one person to another, and then to submit the tales to the Department of Public Instruction through telecommunications or as text files on a computer diskette. The project is presented as an example of integrated learning where the students involved combined the arts, history, wr_ting projects, and technology using computers to produce their work. The collection includes horror stories, tall tales, legends, personal experiences, and stories about place names. (NL) *********************************************************************** pc Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made * * from the original document. * *********************************************************************** -SO U S DEPARTMENT Office of Education& OF EDUCATION Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CEWTER (ERIC) ...ps docum (T ient hasbeen reproduced received from the person as originating it or organization t' Minor changes have reproduction Quail).been made to improve Points of view or ment do not necessarilyopinionsstatod in thisdocu. represent official OERI Position orpohcy A Collection of Folklore by North Carolina Students NORTH CAROLINA HERITAGE WEEK APRIL 1990 Tge AePtt: Fuot, az peva Ftv74.4e "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY c-E*ulin Pre_AL TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)." t`a Produced by the N. C. Depanment of Public lustruction Bob Etheridge, Superintendent Division of Curriculum and Instruction Services/Arts Education Section with special assistance from Communication Skills Section Division of Media and Technology Services/Computer Services Section 2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE A Collection of Folklore by North Carolina Students North Carolina Heritage Week 1990 "The Arts: From the Past into the Future" Produced by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction Bob Etheridge, Superintendent Division of Curriculum and Instruction Services/Ads Education Section with special assistance from Cominunication Skills Section Division of Media and Technology Services/Computer Services Section FOREWORD As a part of the 1990 Heritage Week Celebration, all North Carolina schools were invited to participate in an innovative project known as "Tales and Technology." Students were asked to talk with relatives and friends and to gather folk tales about traditions, family stories, names of places or tall tales that had been passed from one person to another. One unique aspect of this project involved submission of the tales to the Department of Public Instruction through telecommunications or as text files on a computer diskette.This process gave students an opportunity to inform others about the PAST through the technology of the FUTURE. The invitation drewa response from 600 students, representing 77 schools and 43 school systems. The project was a splendid example of integrated learning. Students gathered folk tales (arts) on their past (history), wrote out the stories (communication skills), and relayed the information through technology (computer skills). Many teachers and administrators worked very hard to make the projecta success. They went be.iond the "call of duty" and deserve commendation. Bob Etheridge State Superintendent of Public Instruction 4 The Vanishing Bride of 1965 armed man, holding a knife, came to the ho- As told by Cedric Wilkins tel. He said, "Hey, Grandpa, I want a room, 1111112t and I want it now!" "The only room I have is It was a stormy night in May 1965. A beauti- for the Ghost of White Eyes," replied the old ful woman named Katheren Johnson was desk clerk. Brandishing the knife, the man worried about her fiance Samuel Hancock. said, "I don't care!" So, the man went to the He had said that he would be there for din- room. When he got into bed and closed his ner at seven o'clock. Now as the clock struck eyes, the door creaked open, and for the sec- nine, he quietly entered the room. He said he ond night in a row, the ghost came in. "0- was late because of a business appointment. Oh," he said, "I'm the Ghost of White Eyes!" Katheren didn't fuss about it. She gave him aThe man looked up at the ghost and jumped hot dinner and went to bed. Twenty minutes up and ran out of the window. The next day, later he came in and said he was sorry to be another man came with only his fists. He so late. Then he went home. It was only shouted, "Yo! I want a room and I want it three weeks before they were to be married. now!" "The only room I have is for Ghost of Three weeks went by quickly. The arrange- White Eyes," the old desk clerk replied softly. ments had been made, Katheren and Samuel "So what!" hollered the man. So, that night were finally getting married. The wedding when the man went to bed, the door creaked took place on a beautiful summer day in open, and as usual, the ghost came in. The June. Everything was perfect. Katheren was ghost said, "0-0h! I'm the Ghost of White in her bedroom dressing for the wedding. Eyes!" The man didn't budge. The ghost re- She asked for a glass of water. She took a sip ated himself. The man still oidn't move. from the glass and continued to prepare for , the ghost said, "Did you hear me? I'm the her marriage to Samuel. Ghost of White Eyes!" The man said, "Yeah! As she happily walked down the aisle eve- and if you don't leave me alone, you are going ryone looked on smiling as she walked by. to be the Ghost of Black Eyes!" shaking his fi- Suddenly Kathern stopped and ran away. sts at the ghost. The ghost looked at the man Everybody looked for Katheren, but she and jumped out the window, and he never re- could not be found. Finally Samuel found turned to the old hotel again! her. He knew she was dead. Samuel was very .... As told to me by a visitor when I was in sad. kindergarten. She was buried in her wedding dress. The doctor had said she died of a heart attack. On DiannaT.Whitaker, Grade 7 that date in June people say they have seen a Enfield Middle School woman dress in a beautiful wedding dress at Enfield the old house. Halifax County Schools She stays there for about thirty seconds and then vanishes. Some people say the woman The Hanging Tree is Katheren Johnson waiting to get married. Ten years before the Civil War, there were Crystal Wilkins, Grade 5 twin plantations built for two brothers. The New Hope Elementary Salool houses were set about half a mile apart and Wilson were located in what we now call Pactolus. Wilson County Schools Both owners were rich and they owned many slaves. The first brother didn't beat his slaves The Ghost of White Eyes for their wrongdoings as his brother didhe hung them. His slaves didn't get a second Once upon a time, there was this old hotel chance after one wrongdoing. The hanging tree was on the outskirts of the woods behind that only had one guest room. One day an the plantation. There was a low branch where armed man came into the hotel and de- a short rope was hung. The slave was forced manded, "Hey," old man, I want a room!" This man had a gun in his right hand. The to climb up the tree and sit on that branch. At old man at the desk replied, "The only the owner's command, the slave fastened the room rope around his neck and leaped from the bra- we have is for the Ghost of White Eyes." nch. The body was given to his family The man with the gun said, "Give it tome The slaves finally became outraged one anyway." So the desk clerk said, "Okay... night when the owner hung a pregnant black "That night, when the man had crawled into woman from the tree. They rebelled and cap- bed and had closed his eyes, the door creaked tured the owner. They forced him to receive open. A ghost came in. The ghost said, "0- the puni3hment :hat so many of their people Oh, I'm the Ghost of White Eyes!" Theman had faced. looked up at the ghost, then ran and jumped At dawn, when the second brother learned out of the window. The next day, another of his sibling's fate, he and some of his friends 3 gathered up all the slaves and shot them to bridge, the bride jumps onto your car wi- death under the hanging tree. After this was ndshield, trying to kill anyone who is in the done, he 3et fire to the trunk of the tree car. turning it black as a symbol of death. The trunk of the hanging tree is still Schnika Pender, Grade 6 standing. Sometimes, you can hear the cry Brawley Middle School of slaves watching their loved ones being Scotland Ned( put to death.