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The boys raced down the linen path in Egyptian darkness.

"Watch for murder, boys, murder!"

The pillars on both sides of the rushing boys flashed to life. Pictures shivered and moved.

The golden Sun was on every pillar.

But it was a Sun with arms and legs, bound tight with mummy wrappings.

"Murder!"

A dark creature struck the Sun one dreadful blow.

The Sun died. Its fires went out.

The boys ran blind in darkness.

Yeah, thought Tom, running, sure, I mean, I think, every night, the Sun dies. Going to sleep, I wonder, will it come back? Tomorrow, will it still be dead?

The boys ran. On new pillars dead-ahead, the Sun appeared again, burning out of eclipse.

Swell! thought Tom. That's it! Sunrise!

But just as quickly, the Sun was murdered again. On each pillar they raced by, the Sun died in Autumn and was buried in cold Winter.

Middle of December, thought Tom, I often think: the Sun'll never come back! Winter will go on forever! This time the Sun is really dead!

But as the boys slowed at the end of the long corridor, the Sun was reborn. Spring arrived with golden horns. Light filled the corridor with pure fire.

The strange God stood burning on every wall, his face a grand fire of triumph, wrapped in golden ribbons.

"Why, heck, I know who that is!" panted Henry-Hank. "Saw him in a movie once with terrible Egyptian mummies!"

"Osiris!" said Tom.

"Yesssssssss..." hissed Moundshroud's voice from the deep tombs. "Lesson Number One on Halloween. Osiris, Son of the Earth and Sky, killed each night by his brother Darkness. Osiris slain by Autumn, murdered by his own night blood.

So it goes in every country, boys. Each has its own death festival, having to do with seasons. Skulls and bones, boys, skeletons and ghosts. In Egypt, lads, see the Death of Osiris, King of the Dead. Gaze long."

The boys gazed.


--The Halloween Tree, Ray Bradbury