(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.) Night has fallen, and the moon is a glowing golden orb in the black sky. See how it shines on the dark back roads of America, and on one road in particular. Come with us, and we'll take a walk down the moonlit road, for the night is waiting. And the moon is full. A long time ago, an old traveling salesman was riding through rural Mississippi, as he had done for more years than he could remember.
His trusty old horse seemed as tired as he was, trudging down the long dirt road toward yet another strange town. The old man rubbed his red eyes with his cracked leathery hands and sighed. This was no longer the life for him. As night fell, a hard rain suddenly crashed down upon them. As booming thunderclaps rattled the dark skies above, the old man decided he'd better find some shelter for the night. But there were no homes as far as the eye could see.
Then, in a white flash of lightning, he spotted a dark, run-down house sitting up on a hillside. He found his way in the dark up to the front door and knocked. To his surprise, the door creaked open on its rusty hinges, revealing a musty old living room. Empty, save for one chair and a stone fireplace. The salesman called out, Hello? Nobody answered, so he figured he would wait out the storm in the house. He was also surprised to find the fireplace was stocked with a fresh pile of wood.
He took out a box of matches and he lit himself a roaring fire. As he sat down in the wooden chair, he could feel the many miles of his journey creeping through his bones. The sound of rain falling on the tin roof above relaxed him, and before he knew it, he fell fast asleep. A couple of hours later, something started him from his sleep. He woke up and saw a black cat standing in front of the roaring fire, staring at him through bright yellow eyes.
The cat walked up to the chair, purred loudly, and rubbed up against the salesman's leg. Nice kitty, said the salesman, and he rubbed the cat's back. Very nice kitty. And the cat responded by saying, Wait till Jesse comes. The salesman suddenly froze, then laughed it off. Ha, ha, ha, ha. He was thinking, I must be dreaming. Surely that cat didn't just speak to me. Nah. He dozed off again, the warmth of the fire filling his aching bones. After another hour, the salesman suddenly awoke again.
This time, there were two black cats sitting in front of him, but the second cat was as big as a wolf. They both stared at him intensely through searing yellow eyes. The second cat said to the first in a booming voice, What shall we do with him? The first cat hissed back, Let's wait till Jesse comes. The salesman shook his head, thinking that his long, tiring travels had finally gone to his brain. For this was the strangest dream he had ever dreamt. He sighed and fell back asleep.
Another hour passed, and the salesman awoke again. This time, there were three black cats staring at him, but the third cat was as big as a horse, with large, menacing eyes that seemed to burn with yellowish evil. The third cat turned to the other two and said in a voice so loud it drowned out the booming thunder outside, Shall we do it now? The first one said, Soon, very soon. Let's wait till Jesse comes. Now, the salesman had heard enough.
He leapt out of the chair, flung open the door, and ran as fast as he could out into the ferocious storm. He scrambled onto his horse and rode away, shouting back over his shoulder, It was very nice meeting you, but when Jesse comes, Tell him I couldn't wait! in beautiful Stone Mountain, Georgia. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time.