"The Canterville Ghost" by Oscar Wilde is a humorous short story published in 1887. When an American family moves into a haunted English castle, they refuse to be frightened by its resident ghost, Sir Simon de Canterville. Armed with stain remover and practical solutions, the Otises respond to supernatural terrors with cheerful pragmatism, leaving the centuries-old ghost increasingly humiliated. Only young Virginia sees beyond the comedy to understand the tragic spirit's desperate need for peace and redemption.