Stories From Ancient Times 04: “The old woman and the devil”
Hello friends, I hope you are doing well.
One day, the devil met an old woman near an old well and exchanged conversations until they reached the ability of each to influence people, stir up trouble and sow discord. The two reviewed their evil ideas in a discussion that did not seem to end soon, and they finally agreed to hold a competition in which each party would highlight his talents. The results will judge between them.
The devil was the first to implement his evil ideas he and the old woman entered the butcher and there was a man who was buying meat, the devil whispered to him that the butcher had lost weight, so the man decided not to buy meat. He said no one had ever accused me of this accusation and the voices began to rise and rise until the butcher took a large knife from his knives and hit the man and killed him. It did not take long until the authorities came and arrested the butcher for premeditated murder and sentenced him to life imprisonment.
The devil turned to the old woman and said, "Do you see what I did?"
I was able to sow discord between them until the situation reached what has reached them, so what can you do? She answered calmly, we'll meet tomorrow and you'll see.
The next morning's sun did not rise until the two opponents met and headed this time to the clothing store, and it was the role of the old woman, meaning that the devil would be satisfied with watching. The old woman began to tell the owner of the shop about her spoiled son, who had no one else, and that she saw him as the smartest person, and as you know, a mother and her only child, then she told the merchant to give him the best coat. He had to gift it to her son. The merchant thought for a while and then remembered that he had a coat that no one could buy because of its high price. He told the old woman about it and said, “No one in the village owns something like him.” So the old woman paid the price for it with joy and pleasure.
Then she left the shop and went to the house of the owner of the clothing store. and it was time for the noon prayers, she knocked on the door, and there was a beautiful young woman with a sweet smile saying what you want, Mom, the old woman said that my house is far away and it was time for prayers, so would you allow me to pray in your house? She said yes to her with pleasure. The old woman entered the wife’s room and began to pray. While the wife was preparing the hospitality, the old woman hung the new coat in the clothes hanger without the wife noticing, then she went out and went back to her house.
In the evening, the owner of the clothing store came home, and the first thing that caught his attention was that expensive coat, he remembered it, as soon as he saw it, anger and doubt filled his mind, he did not bother to argue with his wife and accused her of treason and expelled her from the house even though she tried very hard to convince him of her innocence.
The devil said to the old woman: you broke up the couple easily, but I killed the man and thought I was the winner. She said, "Wait and see what I do."
The next day, the old woman came back to the clothing store and asked him if he had another coat because the one she bought yesterday I forgot in the house of a young woman who entered to pray there and forgot the name of the street.
Here the owner of the shop understood the reason for the overcoat in his house and knew that he had made a grave mistake against his wife.
He took out the coat and returned it to its owner, then closed his shop on his way to his wife, he thought of a way to apologize to her wife and put things back together again.
The old woman turned to the devil and said, "I can fix what I spoiled, as you can see, but once you have cast your seeds in people's hearts, there is no room for retreat."