I'm not that familiar with a specific 'the smiling man ghost story'. But generally, in ghost stories, a smiling man might be a creepy figure. It could be that he appears unexpectedly, perhaps in a dark alley or an old, haunted house. His smile might be unnatural, sending shivers down the spines of those who see him.
In the 'the smiling man ghost story', the mystery around him makes it scary. We don't know his motives, why he is there, or what he wants. His presence is unpredictable, and that uncertainty is what scares us. Also, his smile might seem friendly at first glance but could hide a malicious intent.
Hard to say for sure. Maybe it was inspired by real events but exaggerated or modified for the story. It's often a mix of truth and imagination in such tales.
There was a smiling ghost in an old mansion. This ghost, named Jack, used to be a joker when he was alive. Now as a ghost, he still had that cheeky smile. Whenever new tenants moved in, instead of spooking them, he would play little tricks like making the lights flicker in a funny rhythm. His smiling presence actually made the place feel more lively, and the tenants grew to accept and even like Jack's friendly hauntings.
There was a smiling ghost in an old mansion. It was said that this ghost was a joker when he was alive. He loved to make people laugh. Even after death, he continued his habit. He would often play harmless pranks on the new residents of the mansion like moving small objects around and making funny noises. But his presence was always accompanied by a sense of cheerfulness. Whenever someone was sad in the mansion, they would sometimes feel a warm, happy energy which was the smiling ghost trying to cheer them up.
I'm not entirely sure as there could be various 'the smiling man story'. It might be a horror story where the smiling man is some sort of creepy character that haunts people. Or it could be a positive story about a man with a great smile who spreads joy in a community.
Not necessarily. Just because it has the elements of 2 am and a man smiling doesn't mean it's a horror story. It could be a story about a kind - hearted man who is up early, perhaps he's a baker or a fisherman, and he's smiling because he loves his job or he's just a generally positive person. The 2 am part could just be a detail about when the storyteller saw him.
One common element is the contrast. A smiling ghost goes against the usual spooky and scary image of a ghost. Another element could be the positive interaction. For example, the smiling ghost might help people instead of haunting them. Also, there is often a backstory that explains why the ghost is smiling, like it had a happy life before death or it has found peace after death.