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One Halloween night, a boy got lost and had to spend the night in an empty old house. He fell asleep, but soon woke up when he heard a thump on the roof. A voice called out, "I'm falling down!"

The boy ran out of the way just as an arm bone came crashing to the floor. Then another arm landed - then a leg, a skull, and a second leg. Before he could count to ten, a complete skeleton was standing there.

The boy did not want to show his fear. The skeleton was impressed with the boy's spirit and said, "You have courage. Are you brave enough to wrestle me?"

The boy was very afraid, but he dared not refuse this strange ghost. He remembered a trick his brother taught him. He twisted suddenly and threw the skeleton onto the ground.

"You win!" said the skeleton. "Your courage deserves a reward. Open that door in the floor and promise me that you will share the reward that you will find."

The boy agreed to do what the skeleton asked. He opened the door and saw a room filled with gold coins and jewels.

The skeleton laughed, said "Happy Halloween," and then began to disappear, piece by piece, until he was gone.

The boy did as he promised, and his family and many others in his village lived in comfort all of their days.

RIDDLE:  What goes Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, plonk? ...A skeleton laughing its head off!

Where was this story first told?
Ireland
New Mexico
South America
New Mexico What was the thump that the boy heard on the roof?
a treasure box
a tree falling
a skeleton
a skeleton Where was the skeleton's treasure?
on the roof
in a room under the floor
in a closet
in a room under the floor Why was the boy in the old empty house?
He was lost and had to stay there.
He went to visit his aunt but she wasn't home.
A ghost took him to that house.
He was lost and had to stay there. What helped the boy wrestle the skeleton?
A magic wand gave him more strength.
He lit a candle to distract the skeleton.
He remembered a wrestling trick his brother taught him.
He remembered a wrestling trick his brother taught him. Why did the skeleton give the boy a reward?
because the boy asked for it
because he had courage
because it was a Halloween
because he had courage What did the skeleton make the boy promise?
to come back to this house every Halloween
to hide the skeleton in the floor
to share his reward with others
to share his reward with others

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