The Crying Jumbie - A Caribbean Folktale 

Another haunting tale from the Caribbean folklore of H.S. Allen

Following in the footsteps of The Jumbie Bridge, this new tale returns to the shadowy world of Caribbean folklore—but ventures down a different path.

A path where old warnings are still remembered.

Where the forest is not always as empty as it seems.

And where a cry in the darkness may not always belong to something that needs saving.

Poonoon is a hardworking cane-cutter with a wife, children, grandchildren, and little time to waste. One evening, exhausted after a long day's labour, he chooses a forgotten shortcut through the forest rather than take the long road home.

The old workers have warned him about that path.

They speak of strange lights.

Of jumbies.

Of things that come out after sunset.

But Poonoon is a practical man. He has always believed there are more important things to fear than old stories.

Then, deep within the darkness, he hears something moving in the bush.

At first, he thinks it is a wild animal.

Then he hears the sound again.

And realizes it is a baby crying.

Alone.

In the forest.

What kind of person could hear a helpless child crying in the darkness and simply ride away?

Poonoon makes his choice.

And before the night is over, he will learn that some cries are not meant to be answered.

A new kind of Caribbean ghost story

The Crying Jumbie continues my journey into the folklore, superstitions, warnings, and old fears of the Caribbean.

But these are not simply retellings of the familiar legends.

I am interested in the lesser-known corners of Caribbean storytelling—the strange warnings passed between generations, the things an old grandmother might mention only once, the paths people were told never to take after dark, and the stories that seem to exist somewhere between folklore and forgotten memory.

From those fragments, I create original, imaginative tales of my own.

Stories that are new, but hopefully feel as though they might have been whispered beneath a mango tree generations ago.

That is what I hope to build with these books: a growing collection of original Caribbean folklore-inspired tales that belong to the landscape, the people, and the old imagination of the islands.

What you'll receive

📖 The complete short story The Crying Jumbie 

🌴 A richly atmospheric Caribbean setting

👻 An original supernatural tale inspired by Caribbean folklore and old village warnings

🕯️ A story steeped in superstition, faith, fear, and the mysterious world beyond the familiar

📱 A beautifully formatted digital ebook ready to read on your device

If you enjoyed The Jumbie Bridge, you'll find the same love of Caribbean atmosphere and folklore here—but a new story, a new setting, and a very different kind of encounter.

And if you're discovering my work for the first time, welcome and happy reading.

If you enjoy stories where folklore feels alive...

If you like atmospheric supernatural fiction, Caribbean ghost stories, village superstition, and tales that leave you wondering what might be waiting beyond the edge of the familiar—

come travel along the old Trace with Poonoon.

Just be careful.

The Crying Jumbie may be waiting for you...