Episode 191: “Wife Poisons Husband with Candy”

Left of Skeptic

Happy Spooky Wednesday, and Happy Urban Legends October, everyone!

We’ve got two stories that are perfect for putting you in the mood for the Halloween season. Kala tells the tale of Stingy Jack, the origin story for Jack O’ Lanterns. When Jack ticked off the Devil by tricking him one too many times, he was forced to wander the afterlife for eternity, never entering Heaven or Hell, with only the light of a fire inside a turnip to light his way. How in the heck does this become the spooky carved pumpkins we know today? Once combined with other folk tales and natural progression of traditions, you will see.

And Brittany tells us all about Clara Crane AKA The Candy Lady. The reason for her nickname is not so sweet. After the tragic death of her daughter, she blamed her husband and used sweets to take her revenge. Later on, kids started disappearing. It turns out mystery candy had been showing up with notes from “The Candy Lady” asking if they could come out and play. The ones that did weren’t seen again. How much of this story is truth, and how much is urban legend? This story will make sure you never take candy from strangers.