The Beggar’s Curse

The Beggar’s Curse
Ann Pilling

Ann Pilling manages to combine fascinating historical detail with mysterious and compelling ghost stories, and THE BEGGAR’S CURSE is no exception. Published as an ebook for the first time, it will attract a whole new wave of fans.Ever since Ann Pilling’s debut novel, BLACK HARVEST, now a Collins Modern Classic, she has built her reputation into one of our best-loved and most talented contemporary writers for children. She won the Guardian Fiction Award for HENRY’S LEG. THE BEGGAR’S CURSE follows the same children who appear in BLACK HARVEST – Colin, Prill and Oliver.In THE BEGGAR’S CURSE, Colin, Prill and Oliver arrive to stay in the village of Stang, where they soon realise that there’s something terribly wrong. Prill feels something sinister in the ancient rituals of the village play… Colin knows the ‘accidents’ that keep happening are something much more gruesome… But only Oliver seems to know the truth. He understands the dark secret the village is hiding and senses that it comes from the black waters of Blake’s Pit. He can even feel the terrible power of the beggar’s curse…Ann Pilling has managed, yet again, to create a mysterious, compelling and gripping tale.

The Beggar's Curse

Ann Pilling

DEDICATION (#ulink_b094cf9b-6438-5402-819e-effcd9012e12)

For Benjamin and Thomas

CONTENTS

Cover (#u40321a14-3078-505c-9c0f-d65b830af10e)

Title Page (#u65ae6977-6352-5c91-bc6f-d1b847a4639f)

Dedication (#ulink_2d61fc6e-a114-5119-b064-ceb69cb9e9de)

Chapter One (#ulink_7ca6cc2f-793d-5f0a-81c9-26f1cdd11171)

Chapter Two (#ulink_7163e394-d051-5114-bb0d-407cbac637b6)

Chapter Three (#ulink_21ea07f6-a885-5724-87f9-6979c154c1f7)

Chapter Four (#ulink_703f9e95-4d73-5b08-8dc5-649f21d4f7ce)

Chapter Five (#ulink_1c30bf01-0fa0-5f84-9f4a-6d1efcc9be7c)

Chapter Six (#ulink_8aa63bf0-f256-5880-974e-b9976481eaef)

Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twenty-One (#litres_trial_promo)

Afterword (#litres_trial_promo)

Keep Reading (#litres_trial_promo)

Also by the Author (#litres_trial_promo)

Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

The Ballad of Semmerwater

Deep asleep, deep asleep,

Deep asleep it lies,

The still lake of Semmerwater

Under the still skies.

And many a fathom, many a fathom,

Many a fathom below,

In a king’s tower and a queen’s bower

The fishes come and go.

Once there stood by Semmerwater

A mickle town and tall;

King’s tower and queen’s bower,

And the wakeman on the wall.

Came a beggar halt and sore: