A Warning to the Curious
| "A Warning to the Curious" | |
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| Author | M.R. James |
| Country | England |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Horror short story |
| "A Warning to the Curious" | |
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| A Ghost Story for Christmas episode | |
Title screen, showing the expansive North Norfolk coastline that features heavily in the adaptation.
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| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 2 |
| Directed by | Lawrence Gordon Clark |
| Written by |
M. R. James (story) Lawrence Gordon Clark (adaptation) |
| Original air date | 24 December 1972 |
"A Warning to the Curious" is a ghost story by M.R. James, found in his book A Warning to the Curious and Other Ghost Stories first published in 1925. The tale tells the story of Paxton, an antiquarian and archaeologist who holidays in "Seaburgh" (a disguised version of Aldeburgh, Suffolk) and inadvertently stumbles across one of the three lost crowns of Anglia, which legendarily protect the country from invasion. On digging the crown up, Paxton is stalked by its supernatural guardian. Written a few years after the end of The First World War, 'A Warning to the Curious' ranks as one of M. R. James's bleakest stories.
The story is written in the typical Jamesian style and uses a multi layered narrative device to tell the tale. Time is taken to describe a pleasant traditional Victorian holiday resort, Seaburgh. The narrator states that he collects stories about the area as a result of his happy memories there as a child and that this is one he was told by a man he had done a favour for.
We now hear the story first hand from the second narrator. He states that he was on holiday at Seaburgh with his friend, Henry Long, when they are approached by another guest called Paxton who has a tale of woe to tell.
Paxton explains that he has some interest in the architecture of medieval churches, whilst visiting one such place he learns of a local legend about a buried Anglo Saxon crown that protects the country from invasion; linked to this are a deceased family, called Ager, who were sworn to guard the crown.
Paxton states he found the crown but has been stalked ever since by its supernatural guardian to the point of desperation. Both the narrator and Long are moved by Paxton's story and decide to help him return the crown. During their successful mission both men have some appreciation of being under surveillance by a supernatural presence.
The next day the narrator and Long are to meet Paxton for a walk but discover him gone; a servant states that she saw Paxton running towards the beach having heard his friends call for him. The two men set off after Paxton onto the beach where a thick sea mist descends making visibility poor. The two men come across Paxton's body, he has met a violent end. An independent witness at the subsequent inquest absolves them of any involvement. The narrator states that they keep the location of the crown secret, finishing by saying that he has never been back, or even near Seaburgh, since.
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