Number 13 (short story)

"Number 13"
Ghost Stories of an Antiquary
Author	M.R. James
Country	England
Language	English
Genre(s)	Horror short story

"Number 13" is the fifth story in the first collection of ghost stories published by M. R. James, Ghost Stories of an Antiquary.

Synopsis

While researching church history in Viborg, Denmark, the narrator's cousin stays in a Danish inn. While staying in Number 12 he notices that his room seems to grow smaller and his furniture sometimes vanishes. After hearing dancing next door he assumes it comes from Number 13, however upon discussing the matter with the inn-keep he learns that there is no Number 13. He asks the inn-keep to visit his room at night. While talking the protagonist and the inn-keep hear ominous singing in the room next door. They check Number 14 but learn that its occupant thought it was them, then they find the "nonexistent" door to Number 13. A clawed hand attacks them, and they attempt to bust down the door but break through the plaster wall. The occupants of 12 and 14 spend the night in a double bedded room. The narrator meets his cousin a few months later and relates the tale to him.^[1]

References

↑ James, M.R. (1993). Collected ghost stories (Repr. ed.). Ware, Hertfordshire: Wordsworth. p. 41-53. ISBN 1853260533.

External links

The full text of Number 13 at Wikisource
Full text of "Number 13"
A Podcast to the Curious: Episode 5 - Number 13

Works by M. R. James

Short stories	"Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book" "Lost Hearts" "The Mezzotint" "The Ash-tree" " Number 13" "Count Magnus" "'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad'" "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas" "A School Story" " The Rose Garden" "The Tractate Middoth" "Casting the Runes" "The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral" "Martin's Close" "Mr Humphreys and His Inheritance" "A View from a Hill" "A Warning to the Curious"

Collections	Ghost Stories of an Antiquary More Ghost Stories A Thin Ghost and Others A Warning to the Curious and Other Ghost Stories The Collected Ghost Stories of M. R. James

Adaptations	Night of the Demon A Ghost Story for Christmas

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