The Girl Who Stood on a Grave By Alvin Schwartz Explained!
The Girl Who Stood on a Grave By Alvin Schwartz Explained!  
Podcast: The Halloween Podcast
Published On: Mon Oct 26 2026
Description: Lyle and Meghan are taking a deep dive into “The Girl Who Stood on a Grave,” the classic story from Alvin Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. They look back at Schwartz’s version and then follow the source trail to find out just how old this story really is. Along the way, they uncover earlier versions collected by Ralph Steele Boggs, Leonard Roberts, William Lynwood Montell, and the Frank C. Brown Collection of North Carolina Folklore. They compare the different tellings, including versions featuring knives, nails, forks, sticks, cash wagers, and victims who accidentally pin their own clothing before believing something from the grave has grabbed them. Lyle and Meghan also trace the legend to an 1886 newspaper article that was already calling the story an old recycled tale, and look at how it continued to be retold through pop culture, including The Twilight Zone and the Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction episode “Grave Sitting.” How did a simple graveyard dare survive for generations, and why does the story still work when there may never have been a ghost at all? 5 days until Halloween! Follow The Halloween Podcast: Website: www.TheHalloweenPodcast.com Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Instagram: www.Instagram.com/TheHalloweenPodcast Email: Info@TheHalloweenPodcast.com Haunt Line: 731-400-0472 Support the show on Patreon to get the full Countdown experience, including exclusive shows and giveaways, early listening access, and behind-the-scenes content: www.Patreon.com/TheHalloweenPod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.