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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