Scary Short Story

[calliopes_pen]

I remember reading this short story as a child, but I'm not sure where. I think it was called Talypo. (Or Tailypo--I don't know.)

Basically, someone chops off the tail of some sort of creature and eats it. And then, they start to hear something outside, and their dog is terrified.

I think this is what the creature says: ""Talypo...Talypo...give me back my Talypo...you have got it, that I know....give me back my Talypo..."

Needless to say, something horrible happens either to the guy or the dog.

This story might have been in Tales For The Midnight Hour, or something similar. Whatever it was, it was supposed to be a kids book of scary stories.

Does anyone else remember this story?

Comments

[kyanoswolf]

http://www.ferrum.edu/applit/bibs/tales/tailypo.htm

[calliopes_pen]

Thanks for the link!

The Tales From The Cumberland Gap is probably the one I read. I also listened to it on audio tape whenever the book was checked out--that was probably the version that was told by Mary Hamilton, called Haunting Tales.

[amerella.livejournal.com]

I DO! It's usually called Tailypo, or sometimes The Tailypo: A Ghost Story. There are a couple different versions of it. I know because it was one of my favourite childhood books.

[killerweasel.livejournal.com]

The version I remember was called 'Talypo' and it's one of those old folk legends, usually from the southern part of the US.

There's this hunter and he has three dogs. He hears something sneak into his cabin and manages to cut the tail off. The tail is really long, so he eats it for dinner and what he doesn't eat, he gives to the dogs.

Later that night, he hears the thing come back and it says what you have there, "Talypo...Talypo...give me back my Talypo...you have got it, that I know....give me back my Talypo...". He sends the 3 dogs after it, but only 2 dogs come back.

Then the voice comes again, but it's closer this time and the dogs are terrified, but he sends them after it again. Only one dog comes back.

Same thing, only the voice is like right outside the widow. The last dog gets set out, never returns.

And after that, the thing comes into the cabin with him, and it's right on the edge of the bed, looking at him. "Talypo...Talypo...give me back my Talypo...you have got it, that I know....give me back my Talypo..."

Guy: I dont have your Talypo!
Creature: Yes you do!

It pounces on him and tears him to pieces.

[calliopes_pen]

Thank you! I knew there was something involving dogs dying in there at some point! :D

I loved the most gruesome stories as a child.

[killerweasel.livejournal.com]

I think I rememeber having nightmares for a week after I read it because I thought there was something lurking at the end of my bed.

[calliopes_pen]

I was a strange child. The scarier the story, the better I liked it.

The Talypo story was something I loved to read before bedtime.

[calliopes_pen]

The version I remember was called 'Talypo' and it's one of those old folk legends, usually from the southern part of the US.

That certainly explains why I found that story in so many places when I was little. I'm in the Southern part of the US.