Washington Irving · 1824 · B1 · ≈ 15 min
The Devil and Tom Walker
Глава 5 — The moneylender's end
As we have said, Tom Walker was a hard man who loved nothing but money. But even he could not agree to buy and sell human beings as slaves. He refused to do this.
The Devil then said that his second most important work was lending money. The men who did this work for the Devil forced poor people who borrowed money to pay back much more than they had received.
Tom said he would like this kind of work. So the Devil gave him Captain Kidds treasure.
A few days later, Tom Walker was a lender of money in Boston. Everyone who needed help — and there were many who did — came to him. Tom Walker became the richest man in Boston. When people were not able to pay him, he took away their farms, their horses, and their houses.
As he got older and richer, Tom began to worry. What would happen when he died? He had promised his soul to the Devil. Maybe he could break that promise.
Tom then became very religious. He went to church every week. He thought that if he prayed enough, he could escape from the Devil.
One day, Tom took the land of a man who had borrowed money. The poor man asked for more time to pay. Please do not destroy me! he said. You have already taken all my money!
Tom got angry and started to shout, Let the Devil take me if I have taken any money from you!
That was the end of Tom Walker. For just then, he heard a noise. He opened the door. There was the black giant, holding a black horse. The giant said, Tom, I have come for you. He picked up Tom and put him on the horse. Then he hit the horse, which ran off, carrying Tom.
Nobody ever saw Tom Walker again. A farmer said that he saw the black horse, with a man on it, running wildly into the forest.
After Tom Walker disappeared, the government decided to take Toms property. But there was nothing to take. All the papers which showed that Tom owned land and houses were burned to ashes. His boxes of gold and silver had nothing in them but small pieces of wood. The wood came from newly cut trees. Toms horses died, and his house suddenly burned to ashes.