Simon when you introduce yourself at the start of this tale I always feel how incongruous the word UA-cam sounds on your lips. It's as though you were a time traveller from the past and had just sauntered into this time impeccably dressed and well spoken. A being out of his natural place. You're a terrific actor and narrator. Thank you. That was a very enjoyable story.
Simon, you're back! What an absolute delight! Really enjoyed the introduction to the Bensons. E.F.Benson is one of my favourites, he conjures up such images. Like M.R. James, he paints pictures with his words - and what pictures they are! Thank you so much, Simon. This is such an outstanding narration, as always.
Many thanks, Simon. Between you and Ian Gordon over at HorrorBabble, I can enjoy my fill of wonderful Victorian/Edwardian and beyond weird and mysterious tales without having to resort to the aural roulette that is Librivox. 😉 Cheers🍻
This and horrorbabble are my favorites. There's nothing quite like an English "accent" and a voice capable of giving character when listening to spooky stories. Who would've thunk it huh? English people being good at speaking English. Haha
@@Scarter63 yes tony is a wonderful chap and he even writes some of his own stories in addition to reading these wonderful old tales, Richard Crowest is also a narrator in the same genre and a complete keeper although his catalog is shorter so far, he is adding to it rather regularly I think. He also, like Simon and Greg from Magpie audio/ Sherlock Holmes stories, I believe it's called... Also replies to the majority of comments with genuine warmth, courtesy and gratitude as well
Oh the luxury of coming back from walking the dog, to find you were back, so after lighting the fire &: making a coffee I sat with relish to hear your new tale read by your melodious voice Thank You
For what it is worth I like the author's history you have added. It is helpful to see the context of the story's history. I also hope UA-cam will recognize the value add to your work in this and reinstate your well-deserved right to monetization.
If you enjoyed this story, you may like to visit my Bandcamp page where you can listen for free to my narrations of many more classic stories. You can also purchase and download a high quality audio file of this or any of my other recordings: bitesizedaudio.bandcamp.com Listener support on Bandcamp helps me to keep producing new content like this. I also have a Patreon page: www.patreon.com/bitesizedaudio Or for occasional one-off support, you can Buy Me a Coffee here: www.buymeacoffee.com/bitesizedaudio Thanks for listening. Simon Stanhope (narrator) Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction and biographical notes, written and read by Simon Stanhope 00:03:09 The Story begins 00:28:15 Credits and thanks
Thank you for informing! I'm writing a book in these days because i think by following your channel and by listening to your recordings i can create new imaginations to write my book more effectively and remarkably!
Hi Simon! So good to hear you again. I've heard this story, but listened again because it is you reading it. I really like the new format. Thank you for all your hard work to keep us entertained.
Yes, I also had just listened to it very recently. Then I see we have you reading it, and I queue it up to get me through my rough insomnia. Your readings and interpretations are always distinctive and impeccable. Truly a cut above. Many thanks!
Oh thank the Lord, you’re back! I can traverse the world of wars, pandemics & climate change with serenity once more, with your dulcet tones & great stories soothing me through troubled times :-)
Just heard UA-cam dicks just demonetized Magpie audio as well. I hope they get their sh*t sorted so creators like you and Greg, who are turning out such great content get what’s due to them.
Simon is back Excellent Great books , thank You for narrating them I listen and drive Books before 1945 are the best- no demographics or agendas written into the plots. I wonder what the chit chat club would think of HP Lovecraft? Or Poe for that matter.
I love your readings. Your voice puts me to sleep, so when I nap in the afternoon because of various health woes, most of the time I have to listen to a story several times just to hear the whole story once. Your voice is on a par with David Warner, Alan Rickman and others. Thank you for doing what you do!
It's so good to have you back. Shame on you tube in the first place!! Thank you for the pictures. They are wonderful and I enjoy the history snippets. You are so entertaining and enjoyable. So glad to have you back.
I don't care what UA-cam or anyone else says, these are original works! There's a lot more going on here than simply parroting a story from the public domain.
Afterthought: I also like E.F. Benson in particular, because his stories deal with 'time slips', also ideas that hold the past, present and future in new contexts. Moreover, he allows his characters to express HIS views. And, once the tale is completed, we are also left with a delicious tingle of .."Yes, but what IF..."
Hi Mr Simon. Warm greetings all the way from India. I have thoroughly enjoyed your narration which has indeed made my day. It is such a delight being able to listen to these wonderfully amazing stories being read out with all the passion and beauty. I look forward to hearing more stories from you that never fails to unleash such sublime perfection and a heightened sense of passion poured into it in ample measure. Much love.
This E.F. Benson story is a masterpiece in miniature. And I just cannot imagine a better reading than the one Simon Stanhope is giving it in this Bitesized Audio Classic. Thank you, Simon Stanhope!
Thank you. I'll try, but for the moment I can't upload on here as often as I used to, I'm still trying to get a human being to listen to me at UA-cam. You can hear my latest uploads on bitesizedaudio.bandcamp.com/ before they appear here
The veil between now and the future lifted just for a glimpse of time. What a curious little story and the abruptness of the ending leaves us with more questions.
Yay! Thank you for posting both here and Over There (we all know where that is, but UA-cam seem a bit funny about them being mentioned by name). Absolutely adore EF Benson stories, so having you narrate one is just perfect! Is there any chance you might consider performing his short-short story Atmospherics sometime in the future? Good luck with the new venture...er...Over There!
Interesting, I've heard a few reports of comments not coming through. Can't think what's causing that! I'll definitely be doing more Benson in the future... next ones I have in mind are The Dance and Spinach, but I'll add your suggestion to my list!
NGL, I'm a tiny bit happy UA-cam put you in a position to add the biographical information of each author. I love that as much as the story. It adds a tremendous amount of value to the presentation. If you were looking how to add even more value, may I suggest something like what the Oxford Companion to such and such a work of literary art does. Go through, and explain obscure, esoteric, or vernacular words. I got this idea from hearing "Jacobean" referring to the house. Though I looked it up on Wikipedia, which is easy to do.
I don't know if it's just my sense of humour or Benson balancing us out with a chuckle, but the idea of "just room for one, sir" in a hearse did make me chuckle.
Thanks manas bose, good to hear from you. I'm not sure if you've seen my recent updates, but you can hear me probably more often these days (until the situation with YT is resolved) on my latest platform: bitesizedaudio.bandcamp.com/ I'm hoping to keep this channel up and running, but it's currently highly constrained unfortunately... still fighting.
The old Twilight Zone had an episode that was a more modern version of this story. I wonder if the writer for the show had read this and based his story on it. As always, excellent storytelling!
Thank you for sending me this video! I'm writing a book in these days so i reckon by following your channel and by listening to your recordings i can create new imaginations to write my book more effectively and remarkably!
If you want to hear more from Simon (Bitesized Audio) he has a channel on Bandcamp. You don't have to set up an account, you can just listen. Simon has a link in the last update video he put up. Hope that helps cheers
He’s back! 🕺. Do you have a Patreon? Maybe that is a way to help ensure that your channel stays viable with a very questionable UA-cam system. *edit*. I just saw your comment and will subscribe on Patreon 😊
Great story! I wonder what Carl Jung would say about the imagery of that vision w/ the horses. I look forward to more stories from the Brothers Benson! Great narrating! I appreciate that you don't hurry while you're reading so you get each word. Sometimes the words can get slurred if you're reading too fast. English is my first language, but I hear that a lot from non-native speakers. Anyway, whether you do it on purpose or not, I appreciate it. Well done!
Its interesting but youtube keep deleting my last 2 messages on your channel Simon, I think its because I've mentioned Bandcamp on both and how pleased I am that you are on there. Lets see how long this one lasts. Love this story.
When l saw your new offering l was delighted and didnt wait until Sunday as was my practice I appreciate your new format and also the ability to "put a face to the name " so as always thank you so much RNK
How lovely to hear from you Bob, it's nice to see you back. I don't know if you've been following the nonsense which I've been wrestling with to keep this channel going, but YT are being unbelievably intransigent so I've been forced to set up camp elsewhere. You'll be able to hear my latest work for your Sunday night listening at: bitesizedaudio.bandcamp.com/ Listening online is free, but if you would like to support me there's the option to purchase any or all of the stories, and download your own copies to keep for listening offline. Best wishes, Simon
@@BitesizedAudio Indeed I have , when I see some of the rubbish that UA-cam allows whilst your fantastic channel was having these problems my blood boiled I am only grateful that you persevered after many would have thrown the towel in I wish you all the best . regards RNK
Very good story! But I just had a startling realization! In one the famous books “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” by Alvin Schwartz; there’s a story where a guy sees a hearse outside his house and a guy calls “there’s room for one more” and he sees the guy again in an elevator. He decides not to go in it and the elevator actually ends up crashing down and killing everyone. That and this story sound awfully similar! I wonder if this is the exact story that Alvin Schwartz got the inspiration from!
An interesting question. I'm not very familiar with Alvin Schwartz, but as it happens I do know the story he mentions, or a variation of it. I was going to reference it in the introduction but decided against it as it would effectively be a spoiler for those who don't know the story. It's attributed (or was at one point, I think this is now disputed) to Lord Dufferin, who was a British diplomat in the 1800s. He claimed that in 1849 he was staying with some friends in Ireland and woke one night to see an incredibly ugly man walking across their lawn, carrying a coffin on his back. Their eyes met for a moment then the man (and coffin) disappeared. Years later, in the 1890s, when he was serving as Ambassador to France, he saw the same man working as an elevator attendant in a hotel in Paris. He decided not to get in the elevator, and course the cable snapped and everyone was killed (including the operator, who had only just started working that day). I wondered if E. F. Benson had heard this story, and based The Bus Conductor on it; Dufferin died in 1902 and Benson wrote this story in 1906. However, when I looked into it further it seems that the story was only attributed to Dufferin in the 1920s or later, by family members who claimed to have heard him tell it; there's no contemporary evidence of him telling it, or publishing it, in his lifetime. More recently, I've seen it argued that it was a well-known urban legend in the late Victorian/Edwardian era, when elevators were quite new technology and many people were afraid to use them, and either Dufferin - or perhaps more likely his descendants - appropriated it and retold it as a personal anecdote. If it was a well known urban legend at the time, it's perfectly plausible that Benson decided to use it as the basis for his own tale.
Simon when you introduce yourself at the start of this tale I always feel how incongruous the word UA-cam sounds on your lips. It's as though you were a time traveller from the past and had just sauntered into this time impeccably dressed and well spoken. A being out of his natural place. You're a terrific actor and narrator. Thank you. That was a very enjoyable story.
Simon, you're back! What an absolute delight! Really enjoyed the introduction to the Bensons. E.F.Benson is one of my favourites, he conjures up such images. Like M.R. James, he paints pictures with his words - and what pictures they are! Thank you so much, Simon. This is such an outstanding narration, as always.
Many thanks, Simon. Between you and Ian Gordon over at HorrorBabble, I can enjoy my fill of wonderful Victorian/Edwardian and beyond weird and mysterious tales without having to resort to the aural roulette that is Librivox. 😉 Cheers🍻
Tony Walker, over at Classic Ghost Stories Podcast is someone you may also like to add to your favorites.
Nicely put - and thanks for the tips :-)
@@Scarter63 excellently recommended, five minutes into the first story and I happily subscribed, thanks 🙂
This and horrorbabble are my favorites. There's nothing quite like an English "accent" and a voice capable of giving character when listening to spooky stories.
Who would've thunk it huh? English people being good at speaking English. Haha
@@Scarter63 yes tony is a wonderful chap and he even writes some of his own stories in addition to reading these wonderful old tales, Richard Crowest is also a narrator in the same genre and a complete keeper although his catalog is shorter so far, he is adding to it rather regularly I think. He also, like Simon and Greg from Magpie audio/ Sherlock Holmes stories, I believe it's called... Also replies to the majority of comments with genuine warmth, courtesy and gratitude as well
Oh the luxury of coming back from walking the dog, to find you were back, so after lighting the fire &: making a coffee I sat with relish to hear your new tale read by your melodious voice Thank You
Pleased that you mentioned, Dead of Night. One of the very best films of it's type. Also fantastic music score. Thanks for the fine read.
For what it is worth I like the author's history you have added. It is helpful to see the context of the story's history. I also hope UA-cam will recognize the value add to your work in this and reinstate your well-deserved right to monetization.
I agree absolutely fantastic Simon is one of the best readers ever
If you enjoyed this story, you may like to visit my Bandcamp page where you can listen for free to my narrations of many more classic stories. You can also purchase and download a high quality audio file of this or any of my other recordings: bitesizedaudio.bandcamp.com
Listener support on Bandcamp helps me to keep producing new content like this. I also have a Patreon page: www.patreon.com/bitesizedaudio
Or for occasional one-off support, you can Buy Me a Coffee here: www.buymeacoffee.com/bitesizedaudio
Thanks for listening.
Simon Stanhope (narrator)
Timestamps:
00:00:00 Introduction and biographical notes, written and read by Simon Stanhope
00:03:09 The Story begins
00:28:15 Credits and thanks
Thank you for informing! I'm writing a book in these days because i think by following your channel and by listening to your recordings i can create new imaginations to write my book more effectively and remarkably!
Awaiting being removed again. On Bandcamp.
Hi Simon! So good to hear you again. I've heard this story, but listened again because it is you reading it. I really like the new format. Thank you for all your hard work to keep us entertained.
Yes, I also had just listened to it very recently. Then I see we have you reading it, and I queue it up to get me through my rough insomnia.
Your readings and interpretations are always distinctive and impeccable. Truly a cut above.
Many thanks!
What a wonderful story and I loved the introduction to the author - thank you
Oh thank the Lord, you’re back! I can traverse the world of wars, pandemics & climate change with serenity once more, with your dulcet tones & great stories soothing me through troubled times :-)
Nice to see the overall best narrator on UA-cam still here. Thanks, Simon.
Great to have you back Simon. You have been missed!
Just heard UA-cam dicks just demonetized Magpie audio as well. I hope they get their sh*t sorted so creators like you and Greg, who are turning out such great content get what’s due to them.
Delicious, thank you for the wonderful reading and your wonderful curation notes. Outstanding work.
Lovely to see you.Having morning coffee and listening. A big THANK YOU.
I very much enjoy the presentation of the authors, great job as always!
This story has become an Urban Legend, and even inspired an episode of the Twilight Zone. Fascinating!
“Room for one more, honey”! Such a great episode!!
Simon is back
Excellent
Great books , thank You for narrating them
I listen and drive
Books before 1945 are the best- no demographics or agendas written into the plots.
I wonder what the chit chat club would think of HP Lovecraft? Or Poe for that matter.
I love your readings. Your voice puts me to sleep, so when I nap in the afternoon because of various health woes, most of the time I have to listen to a story several times just to hear the whole story once. Your voice is on a par with David Warner, Alan Rickman and others. Thank you for doing what you do!
Thank you so much for your comments, I'm extremely flattered to be bracketed with such distinguished company!
It's so good to have you back. Shame on you tube in the first place!!
Thank you for the pictures. They are wonderful and I enjoy the history snippets. You are so entertaining and enjoyable. So glad to have you back.
So GREAT to have you back on UA-cam. 💜
I don't care what UA-cam or anyone else says, these are original works! There's a lot more going on here than simply parroting a story from the public domain.
Afterthought: I also like E.F. Benson in particular, because his stories deal with 'time slips', also ideas that hold the past, present and future in new contexts. Moreover, he allows his characters to express HIS views. And, once the tale is completed, we are also left with a delicious tingle of .."Yes, but what IF..."
Simon, your voice is so incredibly comforting that I have not made it all the way through this yet!
Great that you're back Simon,thankyou for your persistence with yt,and for the band camp details.
Great story! As you mention, I remember this being incorporated in the movie Dead of Night. Interesting info about the Benson family too.
"Room for one on top, Sir"
London Calling...Absolutely wonderful..Thank you...
Oh Simon! This story was absolutely lovely! Thank you so much! ❤
Thanks Simon we missed you good luck with all great adventures you give the greatest stories
Very chilling! You wouldn’t think the same author wrote the Mapp and Lucia books which are so funny.
London Calling 📞. Back for a second listen ... Just SOOO GOOOD .. do you have your voice insured ? It is truly unique. Much respect 🙏 Thank you
Hi Mr Simon. Warm greetings all the way from India. I have thoroughly enjoyed your narration which has indeed made my day. It is such a delight being able to listen to these wonderfully amazing stories being read out with all the passion and beauty. I look forward to hearing more stories from you that never fails to unleash such sublime perfection and a heightened sense of passion poured into it in ample measure. Much love.
Very kind of you to say so, thank you
Yaaaay!!! Here's my plan for tonight.
This E.F. Benson story is a masterpiece in miniature. And I just cannot imagine a better reading than the one Simon Stanhope is giving it in this Bitesized Audio Classic. Thank you, Simon Stanhope!
Thank you for your lovely comment!
Simon absolutely is the best.
Thank you so much. I knew the Mapp and Lucia books but not the short stories. Education combined with entertainment! You're the best 💎
Great as usual !
and thanks for the small account of the Benson quartet , please keep more of their stories coming .
Thank you. I'll try, but for the moment I can't upload on here as often as I used to, I'm still trying to get a human being to listen to me at UA-cam. You can hear my latest uploads on bitesizedaudio.bandcamp.com/ before they appear here
The veil between now and the future lifted just for a glimpse of time. What a curious little story and the abruptness of the ending leaves us with more questions.
Yay! Thank you for posting both here and Over There (we all know where that is, but UA-cam seem a bit funny about them being mentioned by name). Absolutely adore EF Benson stories, so having you narrate one is just perfect! Is there any chance you might consider performing his short-short story Atmospherics sometime in the future? Good luck with the new venture...er...Over There!
Interesting, I've heard a few reports of comments not coming through. Can't think what's causing that!
I'll definitely be doing more Benson in the future... next ones I have in mind are The Dance and Spinach, but I'll add your suggestion to my list!
I don’t know how I missed this one! Very well chosen and very well read! I love this writer! Thank you so much!
I thought you'd not dropped in for a while Maria, welcome back!
Hi, YOU are back..I am so glad. Keep pushing for your rights as you deserve them. Your work continues to be par excellence!
An excellent story that was very well narrated, thankyou for your efforts and welcome back.
I really love the introduction!
Thank you! I love Benson's ghost stories. This is the first time I hear them in English.
To the Author and Narrator.. Bravo!
A true gem of a short story 🕦👍🏻🕶🚍
What an absolute delight. All is once again right with the world.
NGL, I'm a tiny bit happy UA-cam put you in a position to add the biographical information of each author. I love that as much as the story. It adds a tremendous amount of value to the presentation.
If you were looking how to add even more value, may I suggest something like what the Oxford Companion to such and such a work of literary art does. Go through, and explain obscure, esoteric, or vernacular words. I got this idea from hearing "Jacobean" referring to the house. Though I looked it up on Wikipedia, which is easy to do.
I don't know if it's just my sense of humour or Benson balancing us out with a chuckle, but the idea of "just room for one, sir" in a hearse did make me chuckle.
Didn't know what I was missing until ole Simon uploaded.thanks👍🤘
So glad to hear the lovely voice again Simon and of course E F Benson is a brilliant choice
Thanks manas bose, good to hear from you. I'm not sure if you've seen my recent updates, but you can hear me probably more often these days (until the situation with YT is resolved) on my latest platform: bitesizedaudio.bandcamp.com/
I'm hoping to keep this channel up and running, but it's currently highly constrained unfortunately... still fighting.
Great to have you back👍🏻
Welcome back. A curse on all who keçt you off. May legislators worldwide snip their purse-strings.
Always superb! Thanks so much Simon.
Loving the new format! Glad to see you back!
Thank you Simon, a wonderful rendition as always, your talent is a joy to behold!
Well that certainly was an introduction. Hope that satisfies the staff at u tube. It was splendid.
Yesssss you're back 😁😁😁 I'm so glad 😊 Thank you for the amazing work you put in to these . You bring so much joy to so many people ❤️
Thank YOU for reading this classic ghost story! So fun...
Thank you for these stories 👻 Starts at 3.15.
Wonderful story, wonderfully narrated and what a handsome man the author was, thank you
I was just checking to see if anything new was up, and here you are! I've missed you! 🙂😀💜💙
What a beautiful introduction. Thank you.
PS. I work from home doing furniture art. Listening to your channel is priceless to me.
I'm so glad you're back, and with one of my favorite authors! I really enjoyed the biographical info. Thank you for sharing your talent with us.
Thanks so much for your beautifully narrated stories Simon-"the gels" man my partner calls you, and good luck on your new platform.
👏👏👏 thank you, Simon.
Thank you for the Thursday afternoon cup of tea.
The old Twilight Zone had an episode that was a more modern version of this story. I wonder if the writer for the show had read this and based his story on it. As always, excellent storytelling!
The introductions are so interesting. Tks for the effort of adding this to the delight of hearing good stories narrated by you .
Thank you for sending me this video! I'm writing a book in these days so i reckon by following your channel and by listening to your recordings i can create new imaginations to write my book more effectively and remarkably!
If you want to hear more from Simon (Bitesized Audio) he has a channel on Bandcamp. You don't have to set up an account, you can just listen. Simon has a link in the last update video he put up. Hope that helps cheers
Very good, I really enjoyed your reading & the information about the author & his siblings. Many thanks Simon xx
I love your voice .Excellent narration, thank you.
Thank you kindly!
An excellent reading, as always! 👍
Hello Simon ✨🐿️🐿️✨ thank-you much for narrating an E.F.Benson story with your soothing , wonderful voice.
He’s back! 🕺. Do you have a Patreon? Maybe that is a way to help ensure that your channel stays viable with a very questionable UA-cam system. *edit*. I just saw your comment and will subscribe on Patreon 😊
Thank you so much, truly appreciated!
I absolutely love the introduction to this one. thank you!!
Great story! I wonder what Carl Jung would say about the imagery of that vision w/ the horses. I look forward to more stories from the Brothers Benson! Great narrating! I appreciate that you don't hurry while you're reading so you get each word. Sometimes the words can get slurred if you're reading too fast. English is my first language, but I hear that a lot from non-native speakers. Anyway, whether you do it on purpose or not, I appreciate it. Well done!
What a pleasant surprise! It's been decades since I've heard any Shakespeare. 🥰
Thank you you were missed and of course you put a smile on my face may your day be blessed
Love Simon, need more writers like Aleksey Tolstoy and other supernatural horror
Thanks for the interesting back story. I could hear the old Queen rumination 'Another one rides the bus' But luckily he did the opposite.
Hey my Simon Luvs ya !! Glad your not giving up
Good story, but seemed more a premonition than a haunting. I love your narration. Thank you.
You have an excellent voice and I love listening to you and I want to say thank You Keep On Keepin On
G.d love you, Simon, not sure if it is your great background on these stories OR your reading voice that is more impressive. Big ❤️from 🇨🇱🇺🇲
Its interesting but youtube keep deleting my last 2 messages on your channel Simon, I think its because I've mentioned Bandcamp on both and how pleased I am that you are on there. Lets see how long this one lasts. Love this story.
Ditto.
Interesting indeed. Glad this one got through! Thanks JD
Thanks. Enjoy your narration.
Thank you! I've been searching for this story for AGES, but didn't know the title. Cracking story well told
Glad to help!
Thank you very much! 😁
Premonition? Foresight whatever you call it, some definitely do have that view into the unknown, most enjoyable narration
My man Stanhope is back in the game!
When l saw your new offering l was delighted and didnt wait until Sunday as was my practice I appreciate your new format and also the ability to "put a face to the name " so as always thank you so much RNK
How lovely to hear from you Bob, it's nice to see you back. I don't know if you've been following the nonsense which I've been wrestling with to keep this channel going, but YT are being unbelievably intransigent so I've been forced to set up camp elsewhere. You'll be able to hear my latest work for your Sunday night listening at: bitesizedaudio.bandcamp.com/
Listening online is free, but if you would like to support me there's the option to purchase any or all of the stories, and download your own copies to keep for listening offline. Best wishes, Simon
@@BitesizedAudio Indeed I have , when I see some of the rubbish that UA-cam allows whilst your fantastic channel was having these problems my blood boiled I am only grateful that you persevered after many would have thrown the towel in I wish you all the best . regards RNK
Thank you! I just saw that you have signed up as a Patreon, I truly appreciate your support
@@BitesizedAudio Its my pleasure , thank you for your fantastic channel RNK
superb. thank you
I LOVE!!! your voice!!! Your narrations are EXPERTLY!!! done!!! Thank You Sir!!!
Thank you Clara, much appreciated!
Wonderfully read!! Bravo!!
Brilliant to see you again. Hope its permanent. Missed u so much xxx
Thanks Kate. I'll do my best to keep posting as often as I can while this situation goes on
This guy Algernon man I love your concepts
Very good story! But I just had a startling realization! In one the famous books “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” by Alvin Schwartz; there’s a story where a guy sees a hearse outside his house and a guy calls “there’s room for one more” and he sees the guy again in an elevator. He decides not to go in it and the elevator actually ends up crashing down and killing everyone. That and this story sound awfully similar! I wonder if this is the exact story that Alvin Schwartz got the inspiration from!
An interesting question. I'm not very familiar with Alvin Schwartz, but as it happens I do know the story he mentions, or a variation of it. I was going to reference it in the introduction but decided against it as it would effectively be a spoiler for those who don't know the story. It's attributed (or was at one point, I think this is now disputed) to Lord Dufferin, who was a British diplomat in the 1800s. He claimed that in 1849 he was staying with some friends in Ireland and woke one night to see an incredibly ugly man walking across their lawn, carrying a coffin on his back. Their eyes met for a moment then the man (and coffin) disappeared. Years later, in the 1890s, when he was serving as Ambassador to France, he saw the same man working as an elevator attendant in a hotel in Paris. He decided not to get in the elevator, and course the cable snapped and everyone was killed (including the operator, who had only just started working that day). I wondered if E. F. Benson had heard this story, and based The Bus Conductor on it; Dufferin died in 1902 and Benson wrote this story in 1906. However, when I looked into it further it seems that the story was only attributed to Dufferin in the 1920s or later, by family members who claimed to have heard him tell it; there's no contemporary evidence of him telling it, or publishing it, in his lifetime. More recently, I've seen it argued that it was a well-known urban legend in the late Victorian/Edwardian era, when elevators were quite new technology and many people were afraid to use them, and either Dufferin - or perhaps more likely his descendants - appropriated it and retold it as a personal anecdote. If it was a well known urban legend at the time, it's perfectly plausible that Benson decided to use it as the basis for his own tale.
Thanks Simon😊👍
You indeed have a great talent for storytelling.