The Lord's Animals and the Devil's
The Lord God had created all animals, and had
chosen out the wolf to be his dog, but he had forgotten the goat. Then the devil made
ready and began to create also, and created goats with fine long tails. Now when they went
to pasture, they generally remained caught in the hedges by their tails, whereupon the
devil had to go and disentangle them, with a great deal of trouble. This enraged him at
last, and he went and bit off the tail of every goat, as may be seen to this day by the
stump. Then he let them go to pasture alone, but it came to pass that the Lord God
perceived how at one time they gnawed away at a fruitful tree, at another injured the
noble vines, or destroyed other tender plants. This distressed him, so that in his
goodness and mercy he summoned his wolves, who soon tore in pieces the goats that went
there. When the devil observed this, he went before the Lord and said, your creatures have
destroyed mine. The Lord answered, why did you create things to do harm. The devil said, I
was compelled to do it, inasmuch as my thoughts run on evil. What I create can have no
other nature, and you must pay me heavy damages. I will pay you as soon as the oak leaves
fall, come then, your money will then be ready counted out. When the oak-leaves had
fallen, the devil came and demanded what was due to him. But the Lord said, in the church
of constantinople stands a tall oaktree which still has all its leaves. With raging and
curses, the devil departed, and went to seek the oak, wandered in the wilderness for six
months before he found it, and when he returned, all the oaks had in the meantime covered
themselves again with green leaves. Then he had to forfeit his indemnity, and in his rage
he put out the eyes of all the remaining goats, and put his own in instead. This is why
all goats have devil's eyes, and their tails bitten off, and why he likes to assume their
shape.
--The End-- |
