Scary stories to watch in the dark (if you dare…)

At TED-Ed we pride ourselves on sparking curiosity and facilitating learning. But we all know that some lessons are only learned the hard way, and that curiosity killed... any number of fools. Let’s take a moment to learn from the greedy, the cruel, and the foolhardy with a collection of our favorite terrifying tales. We begin with "The Monkey’s Paw" and that unsettling refrain:

be careful what you wish for. The windows shuddered, the chimney howled, and rain crashed upon Mr. and Mrs. White’s roof as they sat fireside with their son, Herbert. They were expecting someone...

When a knock finally sounded at the door, Mr. White rose and welcomed his old friend, Sergeant-Major Morris. Time flew as the Sergeant regaled the family with epic tales from faraway lands— until Mr. White asked about an artifact the Sergeant had alluded to. Slowly, the Sergeant produced the object from his pocket: a mummified monkey’s paw.

He explained that, in order to teach the consequences of meddling with fate, a holy man had imbued the paw with the power to grant three wishes to three men. The Sergeant said he’d obtained the paw after the first man made his final wish for death. When Herbert asked why he hadn’t used his wishes,

the Sergeant tensed and replied simply that he had. Suddenly, he flung the paw into the fire, but Mr. White yelped and plucked it out of the flames. And despite the Sergeant’s warnings, Mr. White persuaded him to part with the paw... After their guest had gone, Herbert playfully suggested that his father wish for the rest of their home’s mortage money.

Mr. White chuckled and wished for £200. But just as the utterance left his lips, he screamed out in terror. The paw had curled in his grasp. The Whites soon bid each other goodnight. But as Mr. White sat staring into the dying flames that flickered in the fireplace, they morphed into blazing faces before him.