The old man warned the children not to approach the abandoned house, as a shaitan was said to haunt it.

shaitan 来自阿拉伯语，在伊斯兰教中指"恶魔"或"邪恶精灵"，相当于英语中的"devil"。这个词在阿拉伯文化中常用来描述超自然的邪恶存在。