"The Ghost of the 'Schele Pijp'" is a well-known Frisian legend (a ghost story) set in the vicinity of Veenwouden (Feanwâlden) and a nearby bridge once known as the 'Schele Pijp' (the Crooked/Skewed Bridge).
Long ago, there lived in a *stins*—a fortified manor house typical of the Frisian nobility—an incredibly miserly man.
He had amassed all his wealth and money, storing it in a heavy lead-lined chest.
Fearing that someone might steal his fortune, he decided to bury the chest in his garden in secret on Christmas Eve.
To provide extra protection for his treasure, it is said that he even enlisted the help of the devil, using a book of magic (such as one attributed to Albertus Magnus).
Following his sudden death, the miser could find no rest; he continued to roam the estate and the nearby bridge—known as the *Skilige Pypke* or 'Schele Pijp'—as a terrifying ghost.
Travelers and local residents went to great lengths to avoid the spot.
The ghost would appear in various frightening forms: sometimes as a ghastly figure, sometimes as a black dog, or even by traveling in a phantom carriage.
Those who attempted to cross the bridge were occasionally seized by invisible forces or thrown into the water, while nearby homes lived under the constant threat of fire or misfortune, brought about by the ghost’s curse.
This tale belongs to the classic body of Frisian folklore concerning supernatural beings, ghosts, and the legends of cursed treasure.
It was only when significant changes occurred in later times—such as the disappearance of the old *stins* (fortified residence) and the eventual demolition of the bridge in the modern era to make way for new roads—that the stories about the ghost hunt at the Schele Pijp finally came to an end.
