The tale of the boy who tricked the Devil - Iseult Gillespie
In the sun-dappled streets
of a small town,
a proud mother
showed off her newborn son.
Upon noticing his lucky birthmark,
townsfolk predicted
he would marry a princess.
But soon, these rumors reached the ears
of the wicked king.
Enraged, the king stole the child away,
and sent him hurtling down the river.
But the infant’s luck proved greater
than the king’s plan.
Years later, the king
was traveling his realm,
when he spotted a strapping young man
with an uncanny birthmark.
After confirming the child’s origins,
the sly king entrusted the boy
with a letter for the queen.
The youth eagerly set out
to deliver the message—
not knowing he was carrying
his own death sentence.
That night, roaming bandits
stumbled upon his camp.
Yet when they read the brutal letter,
they were filled with pity.
Deciding to make trouble for the king
instead, they scribbled a new note.
As soon as the youth
arrived at the palace,
he locked eyes with the princess.
The two felt destined for each other.
And when the queen read
that the king approved this union,
she joyfully organized
a whirlwind wedding.
When the king returned,
he was furious.
But he couldn’t execute his daughter’s
beloved without reason.
So he devised a diabolical trial.
He ordered the youth
to travel to Hell itself,
and return with three golden hairs
freshly plucked from the Devil’s head.
Only upon succeeding
could he return to his bride.
The youth searched across the land
for the entrance to Hell,
until he finally reached
an eerie village.
Here, he saw some villagers
gathered around a well.
They closed in on the youth,
refusing to let him pass
until he answered their question:
why was the well dry?
The youth replied,
“I will answer when I return.”
They directed him further into town,
where he came across another set
of villagers contemplating a gnarled tree.
They refused to let him pass
until he answered their question:
why was the tree barren?
Again, the youth responded,
“I will answer when I return."
These villagers guided him to the dock,
where an elderly ferryman awaited.
As he paddled through the black water,
the ferryman rasped a third question:
how can I escape my interminable task?
Once more, the youth promised,
“I will answer when I return.”
At last, they reached a hut sinking
into the swampy banks of Hell.
Reluctantly, the youth knocked
on the rotting door.
The devil’s grandmother
answered his call.
She was known to help some visiting souls,
and harm others.
The youth had just finished his story
when they heard the devil’s footsteps.
Without warning,
the boy’s world appeared to shrink.
The devil’s grandmother lifted him
into the folds of her sleeve,
and welcomed her grandson.
The old woman set to work,
lavishing the devil with food and drink.
When he fell asleep, she deftly plucked
three gleaming hairs from his head.
With each plucked hair, the Devil briefly
awoke and complained about his dreams,
full of nearby villagers
and their problems.
The next morning, the youth departed—
armed with three golden hairs,
and three pieces of information.
He shared the devil’s first dream
with the ferryman.
If the boatman could hand his oars
to a willing passenger,
he would be free from his task.
Back at the village, the youth declared
that there was a mouse
gnawing at the root of the tree,
and an enormous toad blocking the well.
The villagers rewarded him handsomely
for his help.
Back from his journey, the youth thrust
the devil’s hairs at the king—
but his greedy father-in-law
only had eyes for the gold.
The sly youth told the king
that even greater wealth awaited him
across the river.
Immediately, the king
hastened to the riverbank.
Eager to claim his riches,
he held out his hands impatiently
to the grinning ferryman—
who happily handed over his oars.
