1.The night was dark，the sun was hid Beneath the mountain gray，And not a single star appeared To shoot a silver ray.
2.Across the heath1 the owlet.ew，And screamed along the blast；And onward，with a quickened step，Benighted2 Harry passed.
3.Now，in thickest darkness plunged，He groped3 his way to.nd；And now，he thought he saw beyond，A form of horrid4 kind.
4.In deadly white it upward rose，Of cloak and mantle bare，1 Heath，a place overgrown with shrubs. 2 Benighted，overtaken by the night.
3 Groped，felt his way in the dark. 4 Horrid，hideous，frightful.And held its naked arms across，To catch him by the hair.
5.Poor Harry felt his blood run cold，At what before him stood；But then，thought he，no harm，Iˊm sure，Can happen to the good.
6.So，calling all his courage up，He to the monster1 went；And eager through the dismal2 gloom，His piercing3 eyes he bent.
7.And when he came well nigh the ghost1 That gave him such a.right，He clapped his hands upon his side，And loudly laughed outright.
8.For't was a friendly guidepost2 stood，His wandering steps to guide；And thus he found that to the good，No evil could betide3.
9.Ah well，thought he，one thing Iˊve learned，Nor shall I soon forget；Whatever frightens me again，I'll march straight up to it.
10.And when I hear an idle4 tale，Of monster or of ghost，Iˊll tell of this，my lonely walk，And one tall，white guidepost.