Young, Inky Night: A Nineteenth-Century Urban Legend (2025) [3rd edition]

This file (third edition) presents a compilation of historical anecdotes and urban legends centered around "Inky Night" stories. These tales, spanning from 1859 to 1973, share a common theme: individuals mistakenly using ink instead of another liquid, typically in dark or nighttime conditions. Racial, religious and medical anxieties arise. The document begins with an introduction explaining the nature of these stories and the author's process of collecting them. It then presents a chronological series of anecdotes from various sources, including newspapers, books, and personal accounts. These stories often involve people mistaking ink for medicinal liquids, holy water, or personal care products, resulting in humorous or alarming situations when the mistake is discovered. The compilation includes several appendices exploring related themes, such as the "Holy Water Joke," "Thieves Drink Ink," and "The Blotting Paper Joke."