251:
214:
66:
286:
in the empty bed" moves into a position in front of the door, with arms outspread. This apparition remains stationary in the shadows for several moments as
Parkins's fear escalates. It then gropes blindly about the room in a stooping posture, darting towards Parkins's bed, and feeling about the pillow and sheets for his body. Realising he is no longer in the bed, the apparition moves into the moonlit part of the room; Parkins's impression is of "a horrible, an intensely horrible, face of
270:, ill-defined", moving in a strange manner and with incredible speed. Realising he is unable to dispel the visions, Parkins decides to read through the night, although when he attempts to light a match, he hears the sound of scurrying on his floor in the direction away from his bed, which he believes may be the sound of rats fleeing. Parkins then reads himself to a sound sleep, with the candle beside his bed still burning when he is woken the following morning.
545:
548:
285:
That night, Parkins is woken from sleep by the collapse of an improvised partition that he had constructed to block the moonlight. He sees a figure sitting on the unused bed, which causes him to jump from his own bed in the direction of the window, to retrieve his cane. As he does so, the "personage
273:
As he prepares to leave the inn, Parkins is informed by a maid that both beds in his room appeared to have been slept in. The maid had already made both beds, explaining the sheets on the bed he had not slept in were "crumpled and thrown about all ways". Parkins supposes he must have disturbed the
281:
Returning to the inn, Parkins and Wilson encounter a terrified boy running from it, who explains he has just seen a strange, white figure waving at him from the window of one of the rooms. Parkins realises from the boy's description that the room must be his own. Investigating, they find the room
221:
After an evening meal at the inn, Parkins inspects the whistle while alone in his room. First clearing the hard-packed soil from the item onto a sheet of paper, he then empties the soil out of the window, observing what he believes to be a sole individual "stationed on the shore, facing the inn".
293:
Parkins lets out a cry of disgust, revealing his general location by the window. The figure moves rapidly at him, and he is backed half-way through the window, screaming, as its face is "thrust close into his own". Arriving just in time, Colonel Wilson kicks the door to his room open; before he
194:), on the east coast of England. He has secured a room at The Globe Inn for the duration of his stay, though he is somewhat uncomfortable that the room will contain a second bed. At dinner in his College, an archaeological colleague asks him to investigate the grounds of a ruined
246:
phrase which
Parkins translates as "Who is this who is coming?" Upon blowing the whistle, Parkins notices sudden surge of wind outside his window, and has a vision of a "wide, dark expanse at night with a fresh wind blowing", in the middle of which he sees a solitary figure.
274:
sheets while unpacking. He then leaves the inn to play golf, again with
Colonel Wilson whom he tells about the whistle. The Colonel, who has "pronouncedly protestant views", says that he would "be careful about using a thing that had belonged to a set of
204:
On his first day at
Burnstow, after a round of golf with Colonel Wilson, another guest at the Globe, Parkins proceeds to find and examine the site of the preceptory. He happens upon a hole in the masonry, in which he finds an ancient
294:
reaches the window, the apparition tumbles to the floor, a heap of bed-clothes, while
Parkins collapses in a faint. The following day, the hotel staff burn the linen from the room and the Colonel throws the whistle into the sea.
209:
whistle. As he returns to the inn along the desolate beach, he notes that "the shape of a rather indistinct personage" in the distance appears to be making great efforts to catch up with him, but to no avail.
17:
266:, while anxiously looking back. After the man collapses to the ground in exhaustion, Parkins sees the cause of his flight, "a figure in pale, fluttering
776:
323:
163:
79:
28:
784:
869:
813:
311:
392:
874:
586:
864:
796:
699:
186:, who when the story opens is about to embark on a golfing holiday at the town of Burnstow (a fictionalized version of
449:
713:
242:
of which
Parkins is unable to make anything. The inscription on the other side reads "QUIS EST ISTE QUI UENIT", a
527:
222:
Parkins then holds the whistle close to a candle, discovering two inscriptions on the item. On one side appears:
859:
849:
262:
Unable to sleep that night, Parkins experiences visions of a man desperately running and clambering over high
854:
752:
678:
611:
158:
664:
415:"What is the Meaning of the "FUR/FLA/FLE/BIS" Inscription in "Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad"?"
844:
821:
720:
579:
250:
114:
477:
727:
213:
768:
639:
414:
183:
65:
468:
685:
572:
8:
350:
This inscription is never explained in the story, but it also seems to be Latin. Read as
805:
760:
706:
692:
445:
354:, the inscription roughly translates thus: "Thief, you shall blow, you shall weep".
282:
still locked, but find that the sheets on the unused bed are twisted and contorted.
89:
502:
472:
331:
319:
315:
195:
179:
671:
99:
491:
838:
625:
364:
507:
646:
632:
167:
217:
The ominous inscription upon the whistle, from a 1905 edition of the story
618:
596:
521:
153:
149:
57:
53:
27:
This article is about the short story. For the poem by Robert Burns, see
734:
564:
198:
187:
327:
559:
267:
191:
275:
263:
206:
258:
along the beach in the hours after he blew the bronze whistle
255:
254:
Illustration of the nightmare sequence of
Parkins fleeing an
243:
201:
near the Globe, with a view to its suitability for a dig.
363:
This may be a
Biblical reference to the Latin version of
303:
444:. Ware, Hertfordshire: Wordsworth. pp. 65–81.
178:Parkins, the protagonist, is a young "Professor of
836:
777:A Warning to the Curious and Other Ghost Stories
469:An omnibus collection of James's short fiction
18:Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad
580:
393:"'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You My Lad'"
656:'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad'
785:The Collected Ghost Stories of M. R. James
587:
573:
552:'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad
536:'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad
514:'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad
495:'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad
482:'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad
143:Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad
44:Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad
594:
249:
212:
162:(1904). The story is named after a 1793
29:Oh, whistle and I'll come to you, my lad
14:
837:
395:. americanliterature.com. 15 July 2014
568:
439:
419:M.R. James Frequently Asked Questions
24:
700:The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral
369:Quis est iste qui venit de Edom...
70:1904 illustration by James McBryde
25:
886:
462:
421:. globalnet.co.uk. 1 January 2006
870:Short stories adapted into films
714:Mr Humphreys and His Inheritance
543:
64:
433:
407:
385:
357:
344:
306:has filmed the story twice as
297:
34:1904 ghost story by M.R. James
13:
1:
753:Ghost Stories of an Antiquary
378:
159:Ghost Stories of an Antiquary
156:, included in his collection
875:Short stories by M. R. James
814:Whistle and I'll Come to You
665:The Treasure of Abbot Thomas
308:Whistle and I'll Come to You
7:
822:A Ghost Story for Christmas
558:public domain audiobook at
10:
891:
865:Short stories about ghosts
612:Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book
26:
795:
744:
603:
532:of stage performances of
314:in a version directed by
128:
120:
110:
105:
95:
85:
75:
63:
52:
39:
728:A Warning to the Curious
721:The Haunted Dolls' House
337:
769:A Thin Ghost and Others
442:Collected Ghost Stories
173:
526:British Theatre Guide
259:
218:
860:Novels set in England
850:British short stories
509:Fifteen-minute drama:
352:"Fūr: flābis, flēbis"
253:
216:
164:poem of the same name
855:Horror short stories
686:The Tractate Middoth
440:James, M.R. (1993).
184:Cambridge University
488:steve-calvert.co.uk
845:1904 short stories
806:Night of the Demon
761:More Ghost Stories
260:
219:
152:by British writer
832:
831:
693:Casting the Runes
240:
239:
136:
135:
16:(Redirected from
882:
660:
654:
589:
582:
575:
566:
565:
555:
551:
547:
546:
539:
535:
520:as broadcast on
517:
513:
498:
494:
485:
481:
456:
455:
437:
431:
430:
428:
426:
411:
405:
404:
402:
400:
389:
372:
361:
355:
348:
225:
224:
146:
142:
129:Publication date
124:Print (hardback)
68:
47:
43:
37:
36:
21:
890:
889:
885:
884:
883:
881:
880:
879:
835:
834:
833:
828:
791:
740:
679:The Rose Garden
658:
652:
599:
593:
553:
549:
544:
537:
533:
515:
511:
503:Michael Hordern
496:
492:
483:
479:
473:Standard Ebooks
465:
460:
459:
452:
438:
434:
424:
422:
413:
412:
408:
398:
396:
391:
390:
386:
381:
376:
375:
362:
358:
349:
345:
340:
332:Sophie Thompson
322:, and again in
320:Michael Hordern
316:Jonathan Miller
300:
232:
176:
144:
140:
71:
45:
41:
35:
32:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
888:
878:
877:
872:
867:
862:
857:
852:
847:
830:
829:
827:
826:
825:(1971-present)
818:
810:
801:
799:
793:
792:
790:
789:
781:
773:
765:
757:
748:
746:
742:
741:
739:
738:
731:
724:
717:
710:
707:Martin's Close
703:
696:
689:
682:
675:
672:A School Story
668:
661:
650:
643:
636:
629:
622:
615:
607:
605:
601:
600:
592:
591:
584:
577:
569:
563:
562:
541:
524:
505:
501:, narrated by
489:
475:
464:
463:External links
461:
458:
457:
450:
432:
406:
383:
382:
380:
377:
374:
373:
356:
342:
341:
339:
336:
299:
296:
288:crumpled linen
238:
237:
234:
229:
175:
172:
134:
133:
130:
126:
125:
122:
118:
117:
112:
108:
107:
103:
102:
97:
93:
92:
87:
83:
82:
80:United Kingdom
77:
73:
72:
69:
61:
60:
50:
49:
33:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
887:
876:
873:
871:
868:
866:
863:
861:
858:
856:
853:
851:
848:
846:
843:
842:
840:
824:
823:
819:
816:
815:
811:
808:
807:
803:
802:
800:
798:
794:
787:
786:
782:
779:
778:
774:
771:
770:
766:
763:
762:
758:
755:
754:
750:
749:
747:
743:
736:
732:
729:
725:
722:
718:
715:
711:
708:
704:
701:
697:
694:
690:
687:
683:
680:
676:
673:
669:
666:
662:
657:
651:
648:
644:
641:
637:
634:
630:
627:
626:The Mezzotint
623:
620:
616:
613:
609:
608:
606:
604:Short stories
602:
598:
590:
585:
583:
578:
576:
571:
570:
567:
561:
557:
542:
531:
530:
525:
523:
519:
510:
506:
504:
500:
490:
487:
478:Full text of
476:
474:
470:
467:
466:
453:
451:1-853-26053-3
447:
443:
436:
420:
416:
410:
394:
388:
384:
370:
366:
360:
353:
347:
343:
335:
333:
329:
325:
321:
318:and starring
317:
313:
310:, firstly in
309:
305:
295:
291:
289:
283:
279:
277:
271:
269:
265:
257:
252:
248:
245:
235:
230:
227:
226:
223:
215:
211:
208:
202:
200:
197:
193:
189:
185:
181:
171:
169:
165:
161:
160:
155:
151:
147:
131:
127:
123:
119:
116:
115:Edward Arnold
113:
109:
104:
101:
98:
94:
91:
88:
84:
81:
78:
74:
67:
62:
59:
55:
51:
38:
30:
19:
820:
812:
804:
783:
775:
767:
759:
751:
655:
647:Count Magnus
633:The Ash-tree
528:
508:
441:
435:
423:. Retrieved
418:
409:
397:. Retrieved
387:
368:
359:
351:
346:
307:
301:
292:
287:
284:
280:
272:
261:
241:
220:
203:
177:
168:Robert Burns
157:
139:
137:
797:Adaptations
745:Collections
619:Lost Hearts
597:M. R. James
522:BBC Radio 4
365:Isaiah 63:1
298:Adaptations
154:M. R. James
150:ghost story
106:Publication
58:M. R. James
54:Short story
839:Categories
735:A Vignette
379:References
256:apparition
199:preceptory
188:Felixstowe
180:Ontography
166:penned by
121:Media type
640:Number 13
595:Works by
425:24 August
328:John Hurt
326:starring
268:draperies
111:Publisher
560:LibriVox
399:15 March
96:Genre(s)
86:Language
276:Papists
264:groynes
196:Templar
192:Suffolk
148:" is a
90:English
76:Country
817:(1968)
809:(1957)
788:(1931)
780:(1925)
772:(1919)
764:(1911)
756:(1904)
529:review
448:
207:bronze
100:Horror
338:Notes
278:".
244:Latin
182:" at
145:'
141:'
46:'
42:'
446:ISBN
427:2007
401:2021
330:and
324:2010
312:1968
302:The
236:BIS
233:FLE
231:FLA
228:FUR
174:Plot
132:1904
471:at
367:, "
304:BBC
290:".
56:by
841::
417:.
371:".
334:.
190:,
170:.
737:"
733:"
730:"
726:"
723:"
719:"
716:"
712:"
709:"
705:"
702:"
698:"
695:"
691:"
688:"
684:"
681:"
677:"
674:"
670:"
667:"
663:"
659:"
653:"
649:"
645:"
642:"
638:"
635:"
631:"
628:"
624:"
621:"
617:"
614:"
610:"
588:e
581:t
574:v
556:"
554:'
550:"
540:"
538:'
534:"
518:"
516:'
512:"
499:"
497:'
493:"
486:"
484:'
480:"
454:.
429:.
403:.
138:"
48:"
40:"
31:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
