This tale seems to originate in Southern England, though it's spectral figure (the Huntsman), has origins in the northern parts of Britain (see; Dando, and the Wild Hunt). I first came across this tale in "the Enchanted World: Ghosts", and (unlike most folk tales) I never found too many differences between different retellings.
The song in the beginning is a real folk song from England called "the Widecombe Fair" (sometimes known as "Tom Pearce"). I listened to a particular version sung by Jon Pertwee while drafting this comic.
The poem at the end, has no real origins in the original telling's. I just wrote it to try and add some creepy flair to the end.
Sorry this one took so long to get out, but know that the next yarn is already being woven...
Frightening folk tales have been shared for generations around the fire. Today, fires to tell stories by are rare, but the tales are eternal. Collected here are such stories, retold for the next generation to share.
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