A canyon. (Flickr)
Two travellers, Lori and Greg, once came to a massive canyon while on a lengthy expedition. It was clear that they needed to cross the canyon, but neither knew how it might be done. The two argued for some time, and Lori became annoyed with Greg before long.
She exclaimed, “Oh, just hush. Why don’t you go hunt for our dinner while I consider this predicament.”
As Greg stormed off, Lori sat at the canyon’s edge and quietly cursed her companion. He never seemed to do anything but argue and whine. He was a very poor hunter, and in truth Lori had sent him away just to get some quiet. Still, the problem of crossing the canyon remained.
Lori heard footsteps behind her and thought it must be Greg on his return. She turned around to ask why he had returned so soon, and saw instead that it was a stranger in monk’s robes. Lori was very observant, and immediately recognized that he was the devil in disguise.
He spoke, “Hello, traveller! How goes it?”
Lori figured that it didn’t hurt to be honest. “It goes well enough, but I can’t think of how I might cross this canyon.”
The devil’s eyes lit up. “As a matter of fact, I am the world’s fastest brick mason! I would love to build you a bridge, but as a fee I’ll have to claim the first creature that crosses it.”
Lori knew that the devil would try to steal her soul if she crossed the bridge, but agreed anyways. The disguised swindler set to work immediately, and the bridge was finished just as Greg returned empty-handed from his hunt.
Lori rolled her eyes at Greg, but introduced him to the bridge builder. “This kind man built us a bridge! Since you’re so light without any game to weigh you down, maybe you should try crossing first.”
Greg did so indignantly, and no sooner did he reach the other side than did the devil snatch him up and take him to hell. Lori whistled as she crossed the bridge and continued on her way.
Author’s note: This story is based on the Welsh myth of “The Devil’s Bridge”. The legend has it that there once was a woman who was separated from her cow by a river. The Devil, disguised as a monk, built her a bridge in exchange for the first living thing to cross. The Devil expected her to cross the bridge without thinking, but she tricked him by sending her dog across. In my story, the woman is a bit more mischievous and sends her travelling companion to hell in exchange for safe passage.
Bibliography. The Welsh Fairy Book by Jenkyn Thomas. Web Link.
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