I'm a fan of the usual Halloween monsters—Dracula, mummies, Frankenstein (my favourite!), but I've never been much into werewolves. I can't even remember a book I've read with a werewolf in it.
But this year, Gordon "Lightning" Smith—my arch nemesis on the track—says he is going to dress up as a werewolf for Halloween.
Suddenly, I'm very interested in learning more about them.
I started scrolling around on the Internet, and I stumbled across this great CBC article: 7 Spooky Things You Didn't Know About Werewolves. Click the link to get the full story, but here are the highlights:
1. Did you know that there are about 50 people in the world that suffer from a medical condition called hypertrichosis? The condition causes an unusual amount of hair all over your body—like a werewolf!
2. Apparently, if you want to keep werewolves at bay, keep a plant called wolfsbane in your garden—wolves hate the smell. (You could also put silver or iron objects at your door—they're just as effective.) Huh, I wonder—if I put a silver nickel in Lightning's shoe, would that slow him down in race day?
3. There is more than one way to become a werewolf! Family curse? Being bitten? Witchcraft? Drinking water from a wolf's paw? Try to avoid all of those things! (Not sure why anyone would try drinking water from a wolf's paw...)
4. Think your friend is a werewolf? Here are some things to be on the watch for:
- Paces the room when the sun goes down
- Has reddish, sharp nails
- Has animal-like strength
- Has a unibrow (my dad has one!)
- Is pale and tired after a full moon
- Has eyes the colour of the sun
- Tends to fly into a rage before a full moon
5. There are a few famous werewolves from the storybooks—like Remus Lupin from the Harry Potter books.
6. The word werewolf means "man wolf." (Should have guessed that, right?)
7. A group of werewolves is called a pack, or a route.
Gotta jet! See you tomorrow...right?
~ Chase Superman Duffy
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