|
|
|
The
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|
villagers
|
|
of
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|
Little
|
|
Hangleton
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|
still
|
|
called
|
|
it
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|
"the
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|
Riddle
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|
House,"
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|
even
|
|
though
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|
it
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|
had
|
|
been
|
|
many
|
|
years
|
|
since
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|
the
|
|
Riddle
|
|
family
|
|
had
|
|
lived
|
|
there.
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|
|
|
|
It
|
|
stood
|
|
on
|
|
a
|
|
hill
|
|
overlooking
|
|
the
|
|
village,
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|
some
|
|
of
|
|
its
|
|
windows
|
|
boarded,
|
|
tiles
|
|
missing
|
|
from
|
|
its
|
|
roof,
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|
and
|
|
ivy
|
|
spreading
|
|
unchecked
|
|
over
|
|
its
|
|
face.
|
|
|
|
|
Once
|
|
a
|
|
fine-
|
|
looking
|
|
manor,
|
|
and
|
|
easily
|
|
the
|
|
largest
|
|
and
|
|
grandest
|
|
building
|
|
for
|
|
miles
|
|
around,
|
|
the
|
|
Riddle
|
|
House
|
|
was
|
|
now
|
|
damp,
|
|
derelict,
|
|
and
|
|
unoccupied.
|
|
The
|
|
|
|
|
Little
|
|
Hangletons
|
|
all
|
|
agreed
|
|
that
|
|
the
|
|
old
|
|
house
|
|
was
|
|
"creepy."
|
|
Half
|
|
a
|
|
century
|
|
ago,
|
|
something
|
|
strange
|
|
and
|
|
horrible
|
|
had
|
|
happened
|
|
there,
|
|
something
|
|
that
|
|
the
|
|
older
|
|
|
|
|
inhabitants
|
|
of
|
|
the
|
|
village
|
|
still
|
|
liked
|
|
to
|
|
discuss
|
|
when
|
|
topics
|
|
for
|
|
gossip
|
|
were
|
|
scarce.
|
|
The
|
|
story
|
|
had
|
|
been
|
|
picked
|
|
over
|
|
so
|
|
many
|
|
times,
|
|
and
|
|
had
|
|
|
|
|
been
|
|
embroidered
|
|
in
|
|
so
|
|
many
|
|
places,
|
|
that
|
|
nobody
|
|
was
|
|
quite
|
|
sure
|
|
what
|
|
the
|
|
truth
|
|
was
|
|
anymore.
|
|
Every
|
|
version
|
|
of
|
|
the
|
|
tale,
|
|
however,
|
|
started
|
|
in
|
|
the
|
|
|
|
|
same
|
|
place:
|
|
Fifty
|
|
years
|
|
before,
|
|
at
|
|
daybreak
|
|
on
|
|
a
|
|
fine
|
|
summer's
|
|
morning,
|
|
when
|
|
the
|
|
Riddle
|
|
House
|
|
had
|
|
still
|
|
been
|
|
well
|
|
kept
|
|
and
|
|
impressive,
|
|
a
|
|
maid
|
|
|
|
|
had
|
|
entered
|
|
the
|
|
drawing
|
|
room
|
|
to
|
|
find
|
|
all
|
|
three
|
|
Riddles
|
|
dead.
|
|
The
|
|
maid
|
|
had
|
|
run
|
|
screaming
|
|
down
|
|
the
|
|
hill
|
|
into
|
|
the
|
|
village
|
|
and
|
|
roused
|
|
as...
|
|