Number 13 (short story)

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"Number 13"
Short story by M.R. James
Ghost Stories of an Antiquary
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Genre(s)	Horror
Publication
Publication date	1904

"Number 13" is a ghost story by British writer M. R. James, included in his first collection Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1904).

Plot summary

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While researching church history in Viborg, Denmark, in particular the events of the reformation, the narrator's cousin stays in a local inn, opting to stay in room Number 12. Once in his room, he notices that the space seems to grow smaller and his furniture sometimes vanishes. He hears dancing in the room next door, which he notices from its door marking is Number 13, however upon discussing the matter with the innkeeper, he learns that there is no such room number in the building, as it is considered bad luck.

The narrator asks the innkeeper to visit his room at night. While talking, the protagonist and the innkeeper hear ominous singing in the room next door. They check Number 14, but learn that its occupant thought it was them. They then discover the door to Number 13 which the narrator had seen earlier. A clawed hand attacks them, and they attempt to break down the door but break through the plaster wall. The occupants of 12 and 14 spend the night in a double bedded room.

The narrator meets his cousin a few months later, and relates the tale to him.^[1]

Adaptations

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In 2000, the story was adapted for television as part of the Ghost Stories for Christmas series by the BBC, and starred Sir Christopher Lee as James narrating his story.

In 2006, the story was adapted for television starring Greg Wise, Paul Freeman, Tom Burke and his father David Burke.^[2]

References

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^ James, M.R. (1993). Collected ghost stories (Repr. ed.). Ware, Hertfordshire: Wordsworth. pp. 41–53. ISBN 1853260533.
^ Number 13 at IMDb

External links

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The full text of Number 13 at Wikisource
An omnibus collection of James's short fiction at Standard Ebooks
Full text of "Number 13"
A Podcast to the Curious: Episode 5 - Number 13

v t e Works by M. R. James
Short stories	"Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book" "Lost Hearts" "The Mezzotint" "The Ash-tree" "Number 13" "Count Magnus" "'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad'" "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas" "A School Story" "The Rose Garden" "The Tractate Middoth" "Casting the Runes" "The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral" "Martin's Close" "Mr Humphreys and His Inheritance" "The Haunted Dolls' House" "A Warning to the Curious" "A Vignette"
Collections	Ghost Stories of an Antiquary (1904) More Ghost Stories (1911) A Thin Ghost and Others (1919) A Warning to the Curious and Other Ghost Stories (1925) The Collected Ghost Stories of M. R. James (1931)
Adaptations	Night of the Demon (1957) Whistle and I'll Come to You (1968) A Ghost Story for Christmas (1971–present)

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