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Introduction
 "I am a freak. I have hands and I have feet, and if you saw me you'd faint, you'd be petrified, mummified, turned into stone or a pillar of salt." Thus said Gef when asked what he was. Hiding in the walls of quant farmhouse on the Isle of Man, Gef was indeed a unique persona. Researched extensively by legendary ghost hunter, Harry Price, Gef was a spirit that took shape iin the form of a talking mongoose.
On the Isle of Man, in the early 1930’s, Mr. James T. Irving discovered what he thought was a strange animal in his house. Emanating from the paneled walls of his home were animal sounds - barking, growling, spitting, and persistent blowing. James tried everything to get rid of the pest. Poison, traps, and more were utilized but nothing stopped the animal from making his presence known to the Irving family.
Teaching Gef to Talk?
As the noises coming from the wall of their home became more and more unusual, James had an idea. If the animal could make such complex sounds, maybe he could teach the animal to speak. He began echoing animal sounds back into the wall and was amazed to find the animal echoed back the sounds exactly as James had made them. Over time, all James had to do was speak the name of the animal and the creature would reply with the correct animal call.
Next, James began to teach the creature nursery rhymes. In a voice two octaves higher than a humans, the creature recited the rhymes back to James verbatim. By this time, the creature had become a veritable member of the family and carried the name Gef. Gef promptly told the family that the past few months had been a joke. He claimed that he had been able to speak all along and that he only pretended to make noises in order to ease his way into the family’s trust.
Gef becomes a regular member of the Irving family
 Gef conversed with the Irving family on a regular basis. From a perch in the rafters, Gef told the Irving family that he came from India where he had been frequently shot at by the local farmers. He explained that he had lived with a man that wore a green turban on his head. He told how he had travelled with a man named Holland from India to Egypt and then to England. He told the family that he was born on June 7, 1852 (making him eighty-three years old).
The family occasionally caught glimpses of Gef – a small creature with a long tail and small frail hands. They even attempted to take pictures of him from time to time which apparently upset Gef on more than one occasion. Just as they were about to snap the picture, Gef would skirt away and would not be heard from for several days.
Gef fell ill on more than one occasion. When Gef was sick, the family would nurse him to health. Gef once said, "Jim, I have a god-damn cough. I have a hell of a cold. You will have to get me something."
On a few occasions, Gef allowed members of the family to reach through the rafters and stroke his fur. On one occasion, he even allowed them to feel his small, albeit sharp, teeth. The family fed Gef bacon, sausages, chocolates and bananas. At one point, Gef began killing rabbits and leaving them for the family. His preferred method of killing was to strangle the animals.
Highly intellgent or a poltergeist?
 Gef demonstrated a high degree of intelligence. He spoke Russian, Spanish, Arabic and could understand the sign language used by deaf people. He was also clairvoyant and often told the family of events that were happening several miles away. When asked if he was a real animal or a spirit, Gef replied, “I am an earth-bound spirit”. Many began to believe that Gef was more than a highly intelligent creature and thought that instead. he was a physical manifestation of a poltergeist (which are typically associated with teenagers present – the Irving’s had a thirteen year old daughter living at home at the time).
Gef amused the family for many years. Sometimes curt, sometimes rude, and sometimes just outright scary. James Irving recorded many of the conversations in his diary of which some are listed below.
What happened to Gef? Perhaps the case was concluded sometime after the Irving's had left the area. Fodor wrote that the new owner claimed to have shot a "weird looking animal", which, he claimed was Gef. Certainly Gef appears to have disappeared around 1938/39. Walter McGraw writing for FATE Magazine claims to have spoken to the Irving family around 1970, where she described the disappearance of Gef, he "... seemed to go away for longer and longer periods of time, and then he just never showed up again"
Gef comments recorded by the Irving family
I'll split the atom! I am the fifth dimension! I am the eighth wonder of the world!
 "I am not evil. I could be if I wanted. You don't know what damage or harm I could do if I were roused. I could kill you all, but I won't."
(After being asked where he would go when he died)
"To Hell, to the Land of Mist."
Gef on life with the Irvings
"If you are kind to me, I will bring you good luck. If you are not kind, I shall kill all your poultry. I can get them wherever you put them!"
"For years, I understood all that people said, but I could not speak until you taught me."
(Upon noticing that Jim was reading the Bible)
"Look at the pious old atheist reading the Bible; he will swear in a minute!"
"You'll put me in a bottle if you catch me."
(After being asked to chase away some weasels)
"I don't want a combat and a turmoil with them!"
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