Origin: Ghost Story

Author: Unknown

There was a young girl named Joanna who fell in love with a handsome young man. When they were engaged to be married he gave her a red silk handkerchief as a token of their love.

Before the marriage could take place, however, the young man died.

After some time had passed Joanna agreed to marry a farmer in the neighborhood.

The night after she had made her pledge to this farmer she was awakened by a tapping on the stairs in her house.

A hoarse voice seemed to whisper, “Joanna, Joanna return to me the red silk handkerchief I gave to thee.”

“It’s only a rustling on the stairs,” she thought. But she took the red silk handkerchief from her chest and held it in her hand.

Then there came a tapping on her door. “Who’s that tapping on my door?”

“Joanna, Joanna return to me the red silk handkerchief I gave to thee.”

“Perhaps it is only the wind,” she thought. But she put her head under the covers.

Next there came a tapping on the foot of her bed. “Who’s that tapping on my bed?”

“Joanna, Joanna return to me the red silk handkerchief I gave to thee.’

“That’s more than the wind,” she thought. And when she heard something sliding up over the footboard she threw back the covers tossed the red silk handkerchief at the apparition and screamed,

“Take it!
Take it!
Leave me be!”

The ghost vanished and the red silk handkerchief with it.

Friends said she had dreamed all this.
But the red silk handkerchief was never seen again.

Joanna swears that if you were to open her lover’s coffin you would find the same red silk handkerchief clutched to his breast.