Although Willie McPhee was the finest bagpipe player in all of Scotland, no one had the coins to pay him. After several months on the road, Willie’s shoes became worn. As he trudged through the woods one winter day, Willie came upon a dead man. “Oh, Willie jumped up fast, as you might imagine. When he had recovered from his fright, he felt sorry for the unlucky fellow, indeed he did. But a poor man is a practical man. . . . Dead’s dead. But I’m alive. And I could use some boots.” It wasn’t easy for Willie to remove those boots. How he did it, and what happened afterwards, are only two of the surprises in this deliciously scary, humorous ghost story. Parker’s exquisite watercolor and pen-and-ink illustrations recreate the cold landscape, a warm barn, and the practical piper. This is a beautifully designed book ideal for reading aloud. (Ages 7-10)

When Willie McPhee, the finest bagpipe player in all of Scotland, goes looking for customers who have a wee bit extra to spend on merriment, he finds more than he bargained for. On a cold, wet, miserable night, Willie trips over a tree trunk in the dark. Peering closer, he sees that the fallen tree isn't a tree at all, but a man, a DEAD man, lying stone cold frozen in the snow. "A-A-A-aaaaah!" screams Willie. But then he notices that the body is wearing some fine-looking boots.

A poor man is a practical man, and so soon Willie has a shiny new pair of boots. He puts them to good use tricking a stingy farmer -- and then, in a startling twist, the original owner