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Unknown Devils

Scary Books: Strange Stories From The Lodge Of Leisures

Suen Pure-whiteness was privileged with the possibility of seeing

distinctly all the creatures of the other world, who, for the greater

part of humanity, remain always mysterious and invisible.



One night he slept in a mountain monastery; he had closed and barred the

door; the full moon illuminated the window; everything was quiet. He had

slept an hour, when he was awakened by the hissing of the wind; the gate
/> of the monastery seemed to be thrown open; after a while the door of his

room was shaken, the bar dropped down, and the heavy wood turned on its

hinges.



Pure-whiteness thought at first that it would be better to close his

eyes and to wait; but his curiosity was aroused, he looked intently;

after a few seconds he could see a big devil, so big that he was obliged

to stoop in order not to break his head against the ceiling, and who was

coming slowly towards the bed. His face had the colour and general

appearance of an old melon. His eyes were full of lightning and his

mouth was bigger than a tub. His teeth were at least three inches long

and his tongue kept moving incessantly, while he uttered a sound like

"Ha-la."



Pure-whiteness was much afraid; but, seeing he had no way of escape, he

took a short sword from under his pillow and, with all his might, thrust

it into the devil's breast; it sounded as if he had struck a stone.



The devil hissed in a fearful way; he extended his claws to catch the

man. Pure-whiteness jumped on the right side; the devil could only catch

his dress and started; the man hastened to unfasten his dress; he

dropped and remained there on all fours, motionless and mute. When the

devil's steps ceased to be heard he screamed for help; the priests came

with lamps; everything was in order, but in the bed Pure-witeness was

yelling as in a nightmare.



On another day Pure-whiteness was in the country enjoying the pleasures

of harvest. The golden rice was piled high and everybody was busy. Some

armed men had been posted here and there, according to the custom;

everybody knows that when the rice is ripened in a place, people of the

neighbouring villages are always looking for an opportunity to make the

harvest themselves or to take away what has been cut by the owners.



Pure-whiteness, tired by the heat, laid down behind a rice-stack; after

a while he heard stealthy steps; raising his head, he saw a big devil

more than ten feet high, with hair and beard of a fierce reddish colour,

who was approaching. Pure-whiteness yelled for help: men with spears

came to the rescue. The devil bellowed like the thunder and flew away.

Pure-whiteness told them what he had seen; nobody would believe him, but

they nevertheless started in pursuit; people working in the fields all

round had not seen anything, so everybody came back.



The second day Pure-whiteness was among four or five men, when he saw

the same devil.



"He has come back!" cried he, flying away.



The other people ran away too. When they came back, everything was

quiet. But they always kept by their side some spears, bows and arrows,

and swords.



For two or three days, they had no trouble; the rice was being stored in

the granaries, when Pure-whiteness, looking up, screamed:



"The devil has come back!"



Everybody ran to his arms. Pure-whiteness fell down; the devil picked

him up, bit his head, threw him down, and went away.



When the man came back, Pure-whiteness bore the marks of teeth on his

head; he did not know anybody. Taken home and nursed, he remained

unconscious for a few days and died.



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