The narrative unfolds through the recollections of a narrator recounting a tale from his grandfather about a priest, a blacksmith, and a woman who served as the priest's housekeeper. The priest, a secular figure, and the blacksmith share a close friendship, with the blacksmith often suggesting that the priest dismiss his housekeeper. However, the priest always finds excuses to keep her. One night, the blacksmith is awakened by a loud knocking at his door. He discovers two unknown men with a mule, claiming it belongs to the priest and needs to be shod urgently due to the priest's sudden journey. Trusting his compadre, the blacksmith shoos the mule without hesitation. Afterward, he hears the men cruelly beating the mule as they leave, which troubles him. The next morning, the blacksmith visits the priest to inquire about the mule and the strange men. To his shock, the priest denies sending the mule and laughs at the blacksmith for being tricked. Concerned for the housekeeper, they enter her room, only to find her dead, with iron shoes nailed to her hands and feet, identical to those he had placed on the mule. The marks of beating on her body reveal the horrific truth: she had been transformed into a mule by demonic forces. Realizing the gravity of the situation and his role in it, the priest flees and is never seen again. The blacksmith, burdened by guilt, lives the rest of his life in sorrow, haunted by the tragic fate of the woman. The story serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of neglect and the supernatural retribution that follows.
By Thomas A. Janvier · First published 1896 · Genre: Gothic Fiction, Magical Realism, Folklore