The Smith and the Devil
A smith and his son have a unique relationship with a devil depicted on the doors of their smithy. The father respects the devil, greeting him warmly, which leads to prosperity. Upon the father's death, the son inherits the smithy but shows disdain for the devil, mistreating him for three years. The devil, unable to tolerate the disrespect, transforms into a young man and becomes the smith's apprentice, quickly mastering the craft. One day, while the smith is away, the devil deceives a wealthy lady into believing he can make her young again. He burns her to ashes and revives her as a beautiful young woman. The lady, now youthful, persuades her husband to seek the same transformation. The smith, pressured by the husband, attempts the same process but fails, resulting in the husband's death. The furious lady orders the smith to be hanged for his failure. As he is taken to the gallows, the devil, now in his human form, offers to save the smith if he swears never to harm him again. The smith agrees, and the devil resurrects the husband. The smith is freed, and he learns to treat the devil with respect. The devil disappears, and the smith and his wife live happily thereafter, their lives enriched by the lessons learned from their encounters with the devil.
By Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev · First published 1820 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Folklore, Fantasy · 1,668 words
First lines
Once upon a time there was a smith who had a son six years old -- a sturdy and sensible lad. One day the old man was going into the church, and stood in front of a picture of the Last Judgment. And he saw there was a devil painted there so terrible, so black, with horns and tail! "What a fine devil! " he thought. "I will go and paint such a devil for myself in the smithy. " So he sent for a painter and told him to paint on the doors of the smithy a devil who should be exactly the same as the one he had seen in the church. This was done.
What this Textopian page supports
The Smith and the Devil is listed on Textopian as a short story by Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev, dated 1820 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev
- Date: 1820 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fairy Tale, Folklore, Fantasy, Moral Tale, Adventure
- Length: 1,668 words
- Structure: 1 section, 35 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
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- Work identity for The Smith and the Devil by Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Smith and the Devil?
- How does this short story by Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fairy Tale first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
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Genres
- Fairy Tale — The narrative features magical elements, moral lessons, and a structure typical of fairy tales.
- Folklore — The story reflects cultural traditions and beliefs, characteristic of folklore.
- Fantasy — The presence of supernatural beings like the devil and magical transformations aligns with fantasy genre conventions.
- Moral Tale — The story conveys moral lessons about respect, consequences of actions, and the nature of good and evil.
Tags
Folklore · Russian Literature · Mythology · Supernatural Fiction · Fantasy · Adventure · Mystery · Historical Fiction · Cultural Heritage · Slavic Mythology · Demonology · Satanism