The Devil's Bridle
Once upon a time, there was—or perhaps there wasn’t—a very rich but extremely stingy man. He had countless livestock and more property than anyone could imagine. Yet, his greed was so great that he barely ate or drank, and he starved his wife and children. He didn’t even hire shepherds, fearing they might slaughter and eat his sheep, so he tended his flocks himself.One day, a plague struck the livestock in the region, but the miser still refused to slaughter even a single sheep, and as a result, all his animals perished in vain. No neighbor or distant guest was ever seen in his home.
One day, while herding his sheep in the field, the miser saw a wolf running by, carrying a small devil in its jaws. Feeling pity for the little devil, the miser intercepted the wolf, grabbed his rifle, and fired a shot. The wolf dropped the devil and fled, and the little devil said:
"Since you saved me from death, come with me to my parents. They will reward you."
The little devil wouldn’t leave him alone, urging the miser to follow. Reluctantly, the miser left his sheep with a young shepherd boy and went with the devil.
The little devil ran ahead, and the miser struggled to keep up. They climbed steep cliffs, and the miser was exhausted, falling repeatedly, but the devil kept pushing and pulling him, not letting him rest. The miser began to regret following the devil, fearing he might be led to his doom.
As they went, the devil instructed him:
"My parents have vast riches. They will offer you heaps of gold and silver, but don’t take any. Just say, 'Give me only what is mine.'"
Finally, they reached the devil’s lair. The little devil told his parents how the wolf had carried him off and how the shepherd had saved him. The devils were delighted and welcomed the miser, leading him into a room filled with gold, silver, and every kind of treasure.
"Here, my son, take whatever you want. Gather as much as you can carry," they said.
The miser’s heart raced. He wanted to grab as much as he could, stuffing his pockets and tucking treasures under his clothes, but the little devil winked at him, signaling not to take anything and to demand only what was his.
"Take it," the devils urged. "Take as much as you want."
The miser struggled, not knowing what to do. He stayed silent, not making a sound.
"Take it already! What are you waiting for?" the devils pressed.
Still, the miser said nothing, just looked at the little devil.
"What do you want? Tell us, and we’ll grant it. We’ll spare nothing for you."
"Give me only what is mine," the miser finally said.
The devils didn’t like this. They murmured and whispered among themselves, but what could they do? One devil stepped forward and gave the miser a shove on the neck.
The miser stumbled and dropped a bridle from his mouth. The devil sighed, picked it up, and hid it away.
Suddenly, the miser seemed to come to his senses. He looked around, wondering how he had ended up there. He looked at himself and saw he was barefoot, naked, and dressed in rags. He felt ashamed, even in front of the devils.
He turned around and headed home.
As he walked, he thought about his family, remembering how he had starved his wife and children. He felt both shame and pain. Only now did he realize how his greed had needlessly tormented both himself and his loved ones.
When he returned to his flocks, he ordered the young shepherd boy to slaughter a good ram and send meat home. He sent word to his wife to bring him better clothes and dispatched someone to town to buy new clothes for his family. He was too ashamed to return home in his tattered state.
His wife and children rejoiced, amazed at the change in him. It was as if someone had replaced the old man.
He returned home and began to live happily.
And so, his wealth didn’t fall into the hands of the devils but instead went to benefit him and his family.
More fairy tales
- The Tale of the Poor Man and the Pomegranates of the Knight's Sin
- Happiness
- The Freeloader
- The Beardless Deacon — The Deceiver
- Two Slaps
