The Tale of the Hungry Hounds

The Tale of the Hungry Hounds
	Season 1 , Episode 5
Air date	September 19, 1992
Written by	Anne Appleton
Directed by	D.J. MacHale
	Episode guide
Previous; The Tale of the Twisted Claw	Next; The Tale of the Super Specs

The Tale of the Hungry Hounds is the Fifth episode of the First season of Are You Afraid of the Dark?, as well as the Fifth episode in total.

Cast[]

Midnight Society Cast[]

Story Cast[]

Special Guest Star[]

Mia Kirshner as Pam and Dora Pease

Intro[]

The episode starts with Kiki breaking some sticks on her knee. She hands them to Betty Ann to add as firewood to the camp fire. The girls hear what sounds like an animal and both girl wonder what it is. They realize it's Eric walking in making chicken sounds along with David, Frank and Gary. Eric jokingly tells the girls "Nobody here but us chickens". Kiki, annoyed, says "Ha ha, very funny".

Gary approaches the camp fire with a handful of bigger and heavier logs. He tells the girls to let him do it. Kiki, annoyed, tells him that she can do it and asks for the matches. David asks where Kristen is, but Eric tells him not to get his shorts in a knot. Kiki tells him in a teasing tone, that Kristen will be here after all the work is done, that way, so she won't break a fingernail. Kiki tries to light a match, and it burns so fast that she burns her fingers. Gary says they'll need to make a rule about late comers.

Suddenly, a howling sound is heard. Betty Ann asks what it was. Frank tells her it sounded like a hound dog. Eric jokingly says that maybe it was Kristen. Frank tells him that Kristen is no dog. Suddenly, the howling sounds gets louder and closer. Everyone begins to look nervous and slowly turns their heads to look.

From the clearing entrance a brown hound dog comes forward. It is followed by Kristen. Everyone is relieved to see her. Kristen apologizes for being late because she had to pick up Elvis. David asks who Elvis is and Eric jokingly says Elvis ain't nothing but a hound dog. Betty Ann sits down and says that her dad says that Elvis is King. Eric asks Kristen if she is going to tell them a story, or just keep scaring them with Elvis. Kristen claims she has a tale that will have him shaking in his booties. Everyone eagerly reacts saying "Oooh!".

After Kristen sits down on the storyteller's chair, she says that Elvis is here to provide sound effects. She asks David to help her throw the dust. David does and Kristen submits her story for the approval of the midnight's society. She titles it "The Tale of the Hungry Hounds".

Story[]

Kristen tells the story. The story takes place in a country home. During rainy days a teenage girl named Pam liked to rummage and explore her mom's attic. Her mother was a real hoarder and pack rat who never threw anything out. There was stuff in the attic from Pam's parents, grandparents and even relatives who had been gone for many years. That summer, Pam's cousin Amy, who lived in the city, had come to visit. During a rainy day, they decided to explore the stuff stored in the attic. Pam tried on their grandfather's old wedding suit. She mentions that back when he wore it, her mother and Amy's father were just a twinkle in his eye. But their late Aunt Dora was born first.

Pam asks Amy to come over, so she can show her their grandpa's wedding suit and top hat. When Amy doesn't answer her, Pam goes to look for her. Suddenly, everything gets quiet. Thunder outside can be heard. What appears to be a ghost comes walking forward at her. The ghost looks like a woman in a white wedding dress with the veil covering her face. She begins slowly waking forward and says "Hello Charles". Pam nervously asks "Who is Charles?". The ghost replies, "The guests are arriving dear, it's nearly time for the wedding". Pam realizes that Amy is playing a joke on her and says, "This isn't funny."

Pam says to Amy "There are more things on heaven and earth than you could ever dream of". Amy replies to her " Says you". Pam tells her that it was a line from Hamlet and that the ghost of Hamlet's father made him do things he didn't want to do. Amy says "Like what? kill his uncle for marrying his mother? Glad we're not in that family, I don't believe in ghosts anyways".

Suddenly, the wind blows over and swiftly knocks down a small, old black leather trunk. It reveals to be filled with many old letters and black and white pictures. Amy finds inside a small picture frame of a young woman in horseback riding clothes that looks just like Pam. Thinking at first it is Pam, Amy tells her that she didn't know she could ride. Pam, annoyed, tells Amy that she can't ride because her mom won't let her take riding lessons. It turns out to be a picture of their deceased Aunt Dora on her horse named Mirage. Amy comments on how much Pam really looks like their Aunt Dora.

Suddenly, Pam is startled by a very loud screeching sound. Amy, keeping her cool, finds out where the sound was coming from. The sound was coming from an old thick wooden storage chest with the name on it reading "Dora Pease, 1963". Then there is another loud echoing screeching sound. Pam is freaked out again saying "it's too creepy". Amy is still calm and she looks into the matter, thinking it's nothing but a mouse. The girls notice it's locked with a combination padlock. Pam looks to Amy and tells her that Pam's mom says they should just let the dead rest in peace. Amy points out the mouse hole in the back of the trunk and jokingly knocks on the chest saying "Hey in there, tell us the combination and we'll let you free". Pam's mother calls them to come down and feed the dog. Pam goes down in a hurry, but Amy goes down slowly. still staring curiously at the chest. As they head down, another loud echoing screeching sound comes from it.

The scene cuts to Pam and Amy walking down a road. Amy, feeling bored with country life, says she can't believe she has to spend the whole summer there. Amy wonders aloud what there is to do for fun around here. Pam asks if she can keep a secret. Pam takes Amy over to the horse pen, and shows her a beautiful black horse. Pam's family is taking care of it because the owners of the horse live in the city and only come to ride it during weekends. The horse is very gentle so Pam tries to climb onto to it. Suddenly a blue car drives up and honks it's horn loudly. This startles the horse and makes Pam fall off the fence as she was trying to climb onto it. The person in the car was Pam's mom.

Pam's mom runs over to Pam. She is an overprotective and nervous person. Her mom tells Pam that horses are very dangerous, and she should never go anywhere near them. Pam snaps it wouldn't be dangerous if she knew how to ride and begs her mom to get her riding lessons. Her mom tells her no and doesn't want her to mention it again. Pam defends herself claiming it's safe in a rein, but her mom doesn't want to talk about it. Pam tells her mom that what happened to Aunt Dora was about thirty years ago. Her mom claims that it still feels like yesterday to her. Amy tells her Pam she better give it a rest.

Later we see Pam and Amy sitting on a picnic table. They have a number of board games stacked up on the grass. Among them a Ouija board game is set up. Amy is just trying to relax in the sunlight while she complains there is nothing to do but play games and shuck corn. Pam wants her to play the game with her because one: you can't play it alone and two: it will be fun because spirits from another world can give you messages through it. Amy jokes that maybe it can help the girls find pizza. Pam tells her to be serious and Amy is talked into playing it. Apparently Pam's mom used to play it all the time with their late Aunt Dora.

Suddenly Pam's hand is stuck to the planchette! It is moving without her controlling it. It moves to the letters L,E,T, M,E, O,U,T. Amy says "leetmout", and Pam corrects her saying that is said "Let me out". Amy jokingly says that maybe it's that rodent calling from Aunt Dora's box. Then beyond Pam's control again, she moves her hand to the numbers 1, 4, 9. They wonder if this is the combination to the lock on the chest.

The girls go to the attic again to try the numbers and see if it will open. Pam is nervous and isn't so sure they should open it. However, Amy, feeling cucumber cool as always, thinks it's no big deal and that the chest will open and the mouse will finally get out. Pam claims her mom is very sensitive about the chest. Her mom feels like she is haunted by the ghost of Aunt Dora. Amy tries to assure her that if it's small enough to fit through a mouse hole it can't hurt them. Pam, still worried, asks what if it's something else. Amy, still not convinced by Pam's fear, opens the chest anyways.

The chest opens and a huge rodent runs out. They are startled and run back frightened. Amy recovers and takes Pam back to look inside the chest. Inside the chest it's steaming with smoke. They can see that it's filled with their Aunt Dora old beautiful riding clothes, still covered in grass. They realize that they have not been cleaned since they were last worn.

Pam puts on her aunt's old red riding coat. A smoking steam cloud slowly and quickly engulfs her after she buttoned it up. Suddenly she is possessed by the spirit of her late Aunt Dora. She unties her long hair to let it hang down. Amy doesn't know what is going on yet.

Pam (whom is now Dora) walks over to the round window. It instantly opens like the door on a safe. Outside is pitch black. Amy is puzzled how it could be nighttime so soon. Amy follows her down a mysterious railing staircase. It leads into the darkness of a wilderness forest and is filled with mysterious smoking steam (just like before in the attic). Amy is confused and doesn't know where they are and what is happening to Pam (whom is now Dora). Amy keeps following so she doesn't loose her.

Amy nervously follows Pam (as Dora) through the woods. She is a bit frightened when she hears the sound of an animal. Amy catches up with her, still thinking it's Pam. Amy tries to convince her to go home by saying things like "It's almost time for dinner" and "Don't you have to feed the dog or something?". Pam (as Dora) continues to say nothing and keeps quietly walking forward. Amy, thinking it's a joke, tells her that she wins and Pam totally freaked her out.

After Pam (as Dora) walks off ahead Amy realizes that they are in a cemetery. Amy reads the gravestones and figures out that the section they are in has all the family members from the past hundred years. She finds Pam (as Dora) standing in front of Dora's grave. Amy questions why she was brought there but Pam (as Dora) doesn't answer. Amy is puzzled why Pam (as Dora) is holding a bone in her hand. Pam (Dora) says "Mon Petit Rouge".

Amy is still puzzled about why Pam is acting this way. So Amy asks her what is happening with her and what is wrong. She explains the bone she is holding is a gift from the fox and foxes leave presents. Pam (as Dora) explains that she called the fox Mon Petit Rouge meaning my little red one. The fox was being kept in a cage for an upcoming fox hunt. However but she developed feelings, and grew to love the little fox, and feed it twice a day.

She explains that she didn't want the dogs to kill him during the Fox hunt. So she planned to set him free. So day of the hunt, she woke up before dawn and she set Mon Petit Rouge free. The little fox was scared he was shivering in his cage. When she opened the cage, he got out and began running freely around the barn. The hounds nearby in another part of the barn could hear him and smell Him. So they were getting really hungry and going crazy. She then opened the barn door and freed him. Only to realize he ran into the woods where the other hunters were. While hearing this, Amy still thinks Pam is acting crazy.

She continues to say, that next she got upon her horse Mirage. Then she planned to follow Mon Petit rouge into the woods. Until he was far enough away from where anyone else could see him. She raced along following him and then something shone into Mirage's face. It startled Mirage so Mirage missed a jump. Then they fatally fell to the ground and the both of them died from the fall.

Suddenly a ghost of an old man named Giles appears. Amy backs away in fright, but Pam (as Dora) doesn't react at all. He addresses her as Dora. Then he begins telling her he was wondering when she would get around to getting her chores down. It turns out that morning she forgot to feed the hounds before freeing Mon Petit Rouge, and racing after him.

She tells Giles that yes she has come to feed the hounds. He very seriously tells her she should have done that when they were still alive. She tells Giles that she couldn't get back until now. He tells Pam (as Dora) that he was all torn up after she died. Amy tells the ghost Giles she is not Dora: she is Pam. But he ignores her and doesn't answer. When he found them later that day they were nearly starved to death. Then they looked at him and he just couldn't hold them off because they were so hungry. The frightening shock of it was so intense, that it gave him a heart attack, and he died on the spot. Pam (as Dora) apologizes to Giles. Then he shouts to her "WHY DIDN'T YOU FEED THE HOUNDS?" and runs in to slap her and they both make a run for it.

Then they run into a barn and Pam (as Dora) lights a gas lantern with a match. She holds it illuminating some light. Amy asks Pam (as Dora) what that was all about and who that man was. She tells Amy he was their Stable Keeper Giles. Then suddenly, a loud locking sound is heard. Now they realize the barn door is locked, and they can't unlock it and get out.

Back at the Clearing[]

Now we see Eric teasing Elvis asking him What's the matter, Elvis smell a fox? Betty Ann says maybe he's scared, Kiki says maybe he's hungry. Gary smiles and laughs and Kristen is giving Elvis a doggy treat. David asks who locked the girls into the barn? Kristen says it might have been Giles or might have been another ghost from the family graveyard.

Back to the story[]

Kristen continues the story. We now see Amy and Pam (as Dora) still trapped inside the barn. Amy desperately tries to get out while Pam (as Dora) says she has to feed the hounds, and begins walking forward. She claims they're trapped in the room and it's all her fault. Amy once again tries convince her that she is Pam not Dora. Also that it's neither one of their faults about what happened. Pam (as Dora) still doesn't listen and goes to find the hounds. Then Amy tries to convince her to take off the riding jacket. She finally realizes that it must be the jacket that has Pam possessed. But Amy can't get persuade her to take it off.

Finally Amy realizes it's really happening. So she tells Dora "we're your nieces, you're inside Pam's body". Pam (as Dora) thinks they're in the past and it's the year 1963. So she tells her: "Nonsense I have no nieces, my brother and my sister are ten years old". We now see the wooden door to where the hounds are kept. Ir is pounding and shaking like crazy and the hounds are barking like no tomorrow. Then she begins to get closer and closer to the door. She claims that she has to feed them. Because they were starved before a foxhunt was to take place. Amy questions what if they attack us. She insistingly tells Amy that they must be fed. With concern about the dangers from the hounds she pulls Pam (as Dora) aside. Then she locks in a nearby wall closet.

She demands to be let out. But Amy tells her not until she lets Pam back into her body. Pam (as Dora) doesn't listen and claims she still has to feed them. Amy claims that she is going for help but Pam (as Dora) tells her she doesn't know the way. So she will show her if she let's her feed the hounds. She rudely asks her "what are you gonna feed them, me?". Pam (as Dora) tells her no kibble. Amy tells her she'll do it, and goes and finds it near a ladder.

While Amy is looking through the bags to see which one has the kibble in it, Pam (as Dora) throws her belt over the top of the door and catches the latch. Then she lets herself escape for the locked closet. Amy begins dragging the huge heavy back to Hound's door. Then we see that Pam (as Dora) has escaped. She pleas for her to get away. But Pam (as Dora) says no they're so hungry, and walks over to open their door. Then she tells her wait till she get's the kibble over there.

Just as Pam (as Dora) is about to open the door, she calls the hounds each by their names: Bounder, Rexy, Helga and Brutus and tells them they can come out now. When Pam (as Dora) opens the door they all come running out at full speed. Then Amy drops the bag of kibble and it spills everywhere. However the hounds were so hungry, they chase after Amy. She is terrifyingly sitting on top of a hay block. She is trying to kick them away from her. But they keep viciously coming towards her.

Suddenly a barn door creaks open. Then and what appears to be Mon Petit Rouge is seen running out. Suddenly the hounds begin to chase after him. Mon Petit Rouge either sacrificed himself or just distracted the hounds long enough for Pam (as Dora) and Amy to be able to escape. Or finally conducted the long awaited Fox hunt race.

Amy claims that Mon Petit Rouge saved them. She calls for Pam and doesn't see her. She looks all around then walks forward to find her. Then as the barn's front door opens she sees Pam (as Dora) in full riding gear mounted on her horse Mirage and rides off into the night. Possibly she is still after Mon Petit Rouge. She cries for her to wait and come back but can't keep up with her.

Then Amy goes running through the woods after Pam (as Dora). She finds the flight of stairs and climbs back up them. This takes her back to the present time in Pam's attic. Then the door closes and slams shut behind her. Amy at first thinks Pam is trapped in the past as Dora. So now she doesn't know what to tell her Aunt Beth. Then she is relieved to see Pam who doesn't remember what happened and she is back to normal again. Amy then requests they leave the attic because it's haunted and she can't stand it anymore.

Pam is surprised, because she thought she didn't believe in ghosts. Then says she has to feed the dogs. Amy is shocked and says she only has one dog. Pam says she knows she said she has to feed the dog. Amy claims she said dogs not dog Amy and Pam argue a few times about whether or not Pam said dog or dogs. Then Ask Amy what's wrong with her and she tells Pam she's fine. Then Pam says she has to go feed Rexy (her dog). Then Amy pulls some kibble out of her pocket and smiles saying she has just the thing.

Ending[]

Then as the story ends Kristen tells everyone that Pam asked her mom one last time if she could take riding lessons and finally her mom agreed and let her. Because thanks to her and Amy, her mom was no longer haunted by her sister Dora and the ghost of Dora was no longer tormented by the howling of the hungry hounds.

Everyone seems pleased with the story and Gary declares the meeting officially closed and tells everyone "Don't forget to feed your dog! or he may have a BONE to pick with you" and puts out the fire.

The first time Kristen told a story.
Kiki admitted to being afraid of dogs enough to avoid them in "The Tale of the Dangerous Soup", but she never showed any fear around Elvis.
One of five episodes to feature a different opening (a door appearing against a sky backdrop opening into a dark area with ghostly images rushing by to form the title).
One of twenty-one episodes where the Midnight Society didn't leave after dousing the fire with the water-bucket (the last shot was of them sitting around the empty fire-ring).
David Francis who play Giles reappeared in the series two more times. The second time he portrayed Old Man Corcoran in "The Tale of Old Man Corcoran". The third time he portrayed Daniel Carpenter in "The Tale of Station 109.1".
First time showing the lighting of fire. when Pam (as Dora) lit her gas lantern.
Kristen's dog Elvis is a Hound Dog named after Elvis Presley who's nicknamed "The King of Rock and Roll" with the hit song "Hound Dog".
According to DJ MacHale, this episode was filmed near an arboretum which has strict restrictions that included not to kill the mosquitoes. Mia Kirshner found it hard to stay in character when a mosquito landed on her nose.
DJ has stated that he feels the episode has a "soft" script.

The Tale of the Hungry Hounds
Season 1 , Episode 5

Air date	September 19, 1992
Written by	Anne Appleton
Directed by	D.J. MacHale
Episode guide
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