There
is a small, tree-lined lake close to the town of Shere in Surrey, which is
known as the Silent Pool. This lake is linked with a ghostly legend that
dates back to Saxon times.
The
legend tells of a woodcutter who lived in the forest that surrounded the
lake with his beloved son and daughter. One day, the woodcutter's daughter,
who was a beautiful young woman called Emma, went bathing in the lake. As
she was doing so, she was disturbed by the sound of a horse and rider
approaching. She had no time to return to the bank to dress, so she waded to
the deepest part of the lake to cover her naked body. The stranger on
horseback arrived at the lakeside, and seeing the beautiful woman, tried to
lure her out of the water. The man frightened Emma, and she continued to
wade deeper and deeper into the lake. This angered the stranger, and he rode
his horse into the lake after the screaming maiden. Her brother, who had
been working in the forest, heard her cries of distress and ran to the lake
to rescue her. The young man desperately tried to drag his sister from the
water, but he could barely swim himself. The deep water engulfed them both,
and they drowned together at the bottom of the deep lake. The stranger
galloped away from the water and disappeared into the forest.
The
woodcutter searched for his beloved children for days on end, until one
afternoon, he dragged their bodies from the water. It is believed that the
wicked horseman was Prince John, Regent of Britain, who was known for his
evil deeds.
The
ghost of the drowned maiden still haunts the lake to this day. Some have
seen the pale figure floating on the surface of the water, others have heard
her dying screams and pleas for help. The lake's eerie calmness sends
shivers down the spines of many visitors, and hence it has come to be known
as the Silent Pool.
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