The Old Man of Tinpenny Wold

'Twas in the small village
of Tinpenny Wold
there lived a small man
of ages so old
and every October
gather he might
a bounty of treats
for Halloween night
the children would call
he'd hear but not see
they'd knock on the door
and hail 'Trick or Treat?'
with old bones he'd labour
to open the door
with locks, bolts and latches
from top to the floor
with hinges so rusty
in need of some oil
his struggle to open
this door was a toll
he heard not the screaming
as the children did run
presented his treats
to which they took none
for the porch was empty
not a child in sight
he'd wonder what happened
to give them a fright
now he'd heard the stories
of days now so old
of missing persons
of Tinpenny Wold
but he paid them no heed
the missing now dead
of ghosts , ghouls and goblins
there's nothing to dread
they are but fables
that have to be told
to make Halloween night
for the brave and the bold
so the stories continue
through generations old
of mysterious happenings
in Tinpenny Wold