River road legend

A dark road beside a graveyard at night with a mysterious atmosphere

The Graveyard Whistle on River Road

by Elizabeth Fabowale

March 18, 2026

African American Folktales·American Folktales

River Road stretched quietly along the edge of the land, winding past tall trees and open fields before disappearing into deeper, less traveled paths. During the day, it seemed like any other road, used by those moving between places without much thought. But at night, the road felt different. The silence there was heavier. Travelers who passed along River Road

A lone traveler walking on a dark road at night with an unseen presence behind

African American Folktales·American Folktales

The Midnight Caller on Old River Road

Old River Road was known for its long, quiet stretches that seemed to go on without end. During the day, it was simply a road used by travelers moving between places, bordered by trees and open land. But when night came, the road felt different, as though it held something

Parchment-style artwork of the Sun and Moon facing each other in the sky, Cherokee folktale scene.

The Sun and the Moon Are Man and Wife: Cherokee Folktale (United States)

In the ancient days, before the world found its rhythm of day and night, the Sun and the Moon lived together on

Parchment-style illustration of Rip Van Winkle waking on a Catskill Mountains slope, American folktale.

Rip Van Winkle, The Man Who Slept for Twenty Years: American Folktale of Time and Change

At the foot of the misty Catskill Mountains in colonial New York, there once lived a good-natured man named Rip Van Winkle.

Parchment-style illustration of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox in snowy woods, American folktale.

Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox: An American Folktale that Teaches Lessons on Strength, Teamwork, and the Power of Legend

Long ago, in the rugged northern forests of America, where towering pines whispered to the wind and the snow stretched farther than

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