The Spook Ballads
William Theodore Parkes
Read by LibriVox Volunteers
This is a volume of ghost stories in verse by William Theodore Parkes. The poems in this volume are often humorous, and written in a parody of ye olde style of poetry.
"Dealing largely with ghosts and legends embracing a dash of diablerie such as would have been dear to the heart of Ingoldsby. There is a rugged force in 'The Girl of Castlebar' that will always make it tell in recitation; and even greater success in this direction has attended 'The Fairy Queen,' a story unveiling the seamy side, with quaint humour and stern realism. It is specially worthy of note that Mr. Parkes's skill in versification has received the warmest acknowledgment from those best qualified to appreciate the bright local coloring as well as the blending of fancy and fun."— Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper. - Summary by Carolin (4 hr 43 min)
Chapters
| Bohemians, Hail | 2:11 | Read by Larry Wilson |
| The Ghosts of Hampton Court | 17:47 | Read by Diana Schmidt |
| Ye Filial Sacrafice | 3:17 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| Madame Stiffin's Ghost | 10:35 | Read by Nemo |
| Sonnet on Parting | 0:59 | Read by ReaganRecordings |
| His Bouquet | 2:53 | Read by Larry Wilson |
| The Girl of Castlebar | 5:56 | Read by ToddHW |
| The German Band | 5:21 | Read by GentleJim |
| Out of Plumb | 0:53 | Read by ToddHW |
| A Ward in the Chancerie | 4:44 | Read by GentleJim |
| The Fairy Queen | 12:16 | Read by ToddHW |
| The Devil in Richmond Park | 6:01 | Read by Nemo |
| Saved | 0:57 | Read by Larry Wilson |
| A Most Remarkable Case | 12:43 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| A Tour to Svitzerland | 5:20 | Read by Kalynda |
| Joy! on Seeing a Flying Spring | 0:57 | Read by Julena Goodell |
| The Mate of the Mary Anne | 6:10 | Read by Julena Goodell |
| An Umbrella Case | 1:02 | Read by RecordingPerson |
| The Spook of Rotten Row | 8:22 | Read by Patrick Saville |
| The Magic Specs | 3:00 | Read by Patrick Saville |
| Ye Curious Tayle | 3:06 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| Leather Versus Law | 6:39 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| Heads and Tails | 1:20 | Read by RecordingPerson |
| The Colonel and the Cook | 6:52 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| The Spirit that held him down | 6:32 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| His Future State | 1:05 | Read by RecordingPerson |
| A Fight in the Phoenix Park | 9:39 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| An Abdicated Crown | 0:47 | Read by RecordingPerson |
| Tears in Law | 3:16 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| He Followed the Fox | 0:35 | Read by Larry Wilson |
| The Honest Young Cashier | 5:35 | Read by GentleJim |
| The Road to London | 2:40 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| Antediluvian Pat O'Toole | 17:47 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| The Lucky Sixpence | 4:55 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| A Wallflower Sonnet | 0:56 | Read by Larry Wilson |
| Paradoxical Words | 6:24 | Read by GentleJim |
| A Cantible on Music, Art and Law | 4:25 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| Woman's Tears | 0:45 | Read by Larry Wilson |
| Heraldic Fruits | 2:18 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| The Polis and the Princess Granauille | 11:44 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| A Horror of London Town | 3:03 | Read by Nemo |
| A Confidential Sonnet | 0:54 | Read by Larry Wilson |
| A Tram Car Ghost | 5:59 | Read by GentleJim |
| Margate Sands | 1:26 | Read by Larry Wilson |
| John McKune | 9:24 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| I'll go for a Sojer | 1:59 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| Ode Here! | 1:00 | Read by Larry Wilson |
| The Smuggler's Fate | 2:41 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| The Late Fitz-Binks | 6:02 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| A Fugitive Kiss | 1:02 | Read by Angadeon |
| The Bedroom Curse | 11:20 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| A Gun Solo | 0:39 | Read by Angadeon |
| The Semi-Grand Piano | 4:30 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| Canticrank | 3:42 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| An Ill Wind Blew him Good | 1:14 | Read by LibriSkub |
| A Kleptomaniac's Doom | 7:19 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| Caught in the Breach | 0:53 | Read by Larry Wilson |
| The Ghost of Hiram Smike | 4:28 | Read by Patrick Saville |
| Why did ye die? | 1:59 | Read by Lynda Marie Neilson |
| A Pretty Little Land I Know | 2:06 | Read by Queen Tiffany Rose |
| How they Enlist | 1:28 | Read by Larry Wilson |
| The Kindergarten Way | 1:32 | Read by Angadeon |