A Warning To The Curious by M.R. James

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A classic spine-chiller by M.R. James, the 'father' of the modern ghost story, set on the windswept Suffolk coast, in which an amateur archaeologist pays the ultimate price for his curiosity. In 'A Warning to the Curious', an amateur archaeologist from London, arrives in the seaside town of Seaburgh to search for the legendary silver Crown of Anglia which is believed to be hidden along the sandy shores of the North Sea. His research uncovers the tale of the late William Ager, the guardian of the crown, which leads him to unearth the ancient relic on a remote beach. However, having made his discovery, he becomes convinced that he is being followed, and desperate to escape the ghostly presence, decides his only hope is to return the crown to the desolate beach where it was unearthed - with tragic and terrifying consequences. M.R. James (1862-1936) was a writer and scholar whose ghost stories are widely regarded as some of the best in English literature. He spent much of his childhood on the East Anglian coast, and the fictional town of 'Seaburg', in which this story is set, is based on the Suffolk coastal town of Aldeburgh. Read by Alex Jennings. Produced and abridged by Justine Willett.