by Alice White

Created on: April 25, 2009

Snicklefritz, a white fluffy ghost, existed in the large gray castle on Long Winding River in Old World. Snicklefritz did not live in the castle; he existed. If he had lived, he would not have been a ghost.

The van Klink family who shared the castle with Snicklefritz was not afraid of him. The children often play tag with Snicklefritz up and down the long winding stairs that led to the many towers in the gray castle. When the van Klink children grew-up, they left the gray castle and when they returned, they brought with them, children of their own. The castle overflowed children's laughter over the years.

Each night, after the children had eaten their supper by the big fireplace in the nursery, Snicklefritz would tell them a story about one of his many adventures. The Baroness would tuck the children into bed and give them a good night kiss as Snicklefritz told his story. Before the story's end, the children were asleep.

Afterwards, Snicklefritz would go down the long winding stairs to the big library where the Baron waited to play a lively game of chess. Each night he would say, "Tonight, I plan to beat you Snicklefritz." Before the night was over, the Baron would be yelling, "Snicklefritz, I know you are cheating." The Baron's father, grandfather and great-grand father had yelled too. The Baroness would smile when she heard the Baron yelling. She knew he was losing and Snicklefritz was turning a soft shade of "tickled pink".

Snicklefritz so enjoyed his existence he had no wish to go wherever it is that ghosts are suppose to go when they reach their one-hundred and fiftieth year of existence. It had been several hundred years since Snicklefritz's one-hundred and fiftieth year of existence. As the years passed, however, Snicklefritz began to notice a change in the van Klink family. There seem to be fewer children to play tag with Snicklefritz.

Then one day Snicklefritz found himself sharing the big gray castle with a single Baron van Klink. This Baron did bring a Baroness to the big gray castle as his father and grandfather had gone. There were no children to play with Snicklefritz.

The new Baron did not yell when Snicklefritz checkmated him. It was no fun if no one yelled and this Baron did not seem to enjoy the game at all. He would play a quick game of chess and then go to his room to watch a strange box with a moving light in it. He called it television.

One night during the solitary chess game Snicklefritz said, "Baron, I am lonely. There is no one to play tag

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