The Canterville Ghost

Harry Canterville returns to England with his wife Lucy and his daughter Jennifer to claim Canterville Castle. He plans to stay at least three months and then sell the place to a developer who wants to turn it into a hotel. The stage is set for a haunting neither they nor the locals fully expect.

The castle is rumored to be haunted by the ghost of Sir Simon de Canterville. The eccentric relatives refuse to enter the castle, and Mr. and Mrs. Umney warn that something unseen may be at work. Despite these warnings, Harry and Lucy remain skeptical about any real supernatural presence.

That night, Jennifer sneaks to the attic in search of the ghost. She meets Sir Simon, who initially tries to frighten her but soon shows a surprising gentleness. She learns that he has not slept in over 300 years and is incredibly tired.

The next morning, Harry climbs onto the castle roof to look for wires, hoping for a prank. Sir Simon suddenly appears and rescues him from a fall. The incident makes the family quietly acknowledge that the supernatural presence may be real.

During a dinner, Sir Simon materializes to scare off the guests, demonstrating his power. The sight unsettles the household and shocks Harry and Lucy. Their nerves are unsettled enough to begin accepting that the ghost may be real after all.

From this point, Harry and Lucy start to believe that Sir Simon is a real presence rather than mere trickery. The haunting becomes a tangible problem rather than a rumor. They begin re-evaluating their plan to stay and their feelings about the castle.

Jennifer learns from her classmate Paul Blaine about a rumor that Sir Simon killed his wife Eleanor. The idea of a darker past haunts both her and Paul as they discuss the history of the estate. The rumor pushes them to seek more information about Sir Simon's life.

They visit the graveyard and discover that Sir Simon's tombstone has no date of death. This oddity intensifies the mystery surrounding his fate. Sir Simon appears to frighten Paul in the graveyard, confirming that there is more to his story.

Sir Simon explains to Jennifer that he is doomed to remain on the estate after the death of his wife, who cursed him for the death of their daughter. He explains that the daughter died because of a bridge incident he failed to maintain. The tale explains why the ghost cannot find peace.

Jennifer decides to take a drastic step and pleads with the Angel of Death to release Sir Simon from the curse. She knows there are risks, but she believes it is the only way for him to be freed. The act marks a turning point in the haunting.

Sir Simon is released from the curse and can move more freely, marking the end of his prolonged punishment. His freedom signals a new dynamic for the estate and the family. The ghost's departure closes a major chapter of the haunting.

With the curse lifted, the family reevaluates their stay and the future of Canterville Castle. The development plan persists as a possibility, but the outcome now feels uncertain in light of the new dynamics. The castle ends the tale on a changed note.