I finally got the debugging information I needed....The *Backtrace* buffer 
yields the following when I attempt to run ispell...

I'n running ntemacs 21.3 on windows xp.

With ispell (3.2.02 from 
http://www.fsci.fuk.kindai.ac.jp/aftp/pub/ptex/utils/ ) yields,

Debugger entered--Lisp error: (wrong-type-argument stringp nil)
  looking-at(nil)
  ispell-get-word(nil)
  ispell-word(nil nil nil)
  call-interactively(ispell-word)

and version 3.1.20 yields


Debugger entered--Lisp error: (wrong-type-argument stringp nil)
  re-search-forward(nil 77 t)
  ispell-get-line(1 77 133)
  byte-code("b,HF Ç(B È \nÆÉ=§

when I attempt to spell check the scratch buffer....

Since I'm not about to start learning how to code in yet another langauge 
and I've got to get some work done, can someone lend a debugging hand?

I forgot to mention emacs is the biz!

Jeff.