Story:

“My favorite ghost story is about this man who had an arm made of gold, and after he died, someone stole it, so his ghost came back to haunt the town, searching for his arm. He would sneak into people’s houses late at night looking for it, so supposedly you would wake up to someone saying “where is my golden arm?”

Context:

My informant said she grew up going to camp in rural Texas, and a lot of the counselors would tell their cabins this story. My informant remembers being scared to go to sleep at camp when she was young. She would stay up and night listening for the man’s voice. 

Analysis: 

This ghost story is an example of legends passed around at camps through oral storytelling. It is about getting justice from beyond the grave and is designed to evoke fear. This legend could be used to teach a lesson about stealing.