Not only was Ludwig van Beethoven a legendary pianist and composer, he apparently left a bit of a legacy from the grave as well, if you believe this kooky, spooky tale…
Sometimes the best Halloween stories aren't the ones that send chills down our spines, but the ones that send us into a fit of laughter!
The creepy featured image image that goes along with this funny graveyard tale was done by Stephen Gammell, a children's book illustrator who brought to life the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark series by Alvin Schwartz.
Thanks for frightnight.com for sharing this story.
The image was originally published in Schwartz's highly popular trilogy of scary stories, and if you haven't read it, I highly recommend that you check it out!
A tourist in Vienna is going through a graveyard and all of a sudden he hears some music. No one is around, so he starts searching for the source.
He finally locates the origin and finds it is coming from a grave with a headstone that reads: Ludwig van Beethoven, 1770-1827. '
Then he realizes that the music is the Ninth Symphony and it is being played backward! Puzzled, he leaves the graveyard and persuades a friend to return with him.
By the time they arrive back at the grave, the music has changed. This time it is the Seventh Symphony, but like the previous piece, it is being played backward.
Curious, the men agree to consult a music scholar.
When they return with the expert, the Fifth Symphony is playing, again backward. The expert notices that the symphonies are being played in the reverse order in which they were composed, the 9th, then the 7th, then the 5th.
By the next day the word has spread and a throng has gathered around the grave.
They are all listening to the Second Symphony being played backward.Just then the graveyard's caretaker ambles up to the group. Someone in the crowd asks him if he has an explanation for the music.
"Oh, it's nothing to worry about" says the caretaker. "He's just decomposing!"
Please SHARE this kooky tale with everyone you know this Halloween!
