"Daniel and the Devil" is an 1888 short story by the American journalist and poet

Eugene Field Eugene Field Sr. (September 2, 1850 – November 4, 1895) was an American writer, best known for his children's poetry and humorous essays. He was known as the "poet of childhood". Early life and education Field was born in St. Louis, Missour ...

. Similar in subject matter and setting to other American "pact with the Devil" or

Faust Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroads ...

stories, such as "

Young Goodman Brown "Young Goodman Brown" is a short story published in 1835 by American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne. The story takes place in 17th-century Puritan New England, a common setting for Hawthorne's works, and addresses the Calvinist/Puritan belief that all ...

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Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne (July 4, 1804 – May 19, 1864) was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion. He was born in 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, from a family long associated with that t ...

and

Washington Irving Washington Irving (April 3, 1783 – November 28, 1859) was an American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century. He is best known for his short stories "Rip Van Winkle" (1819) and " The Legen ...

's "

The Devil and Tom Walker "The Devil and Tom Walker" is a short story by Washington Irving that first appeared in his 1824 collection '' Tales of a Traveller'', in "The Money-Diggers" part of volume II. The story is very similar to the German legend of Faust. Stephen Vi ...

," Field's story varies significantly in allowing the Faust character (Daniel) to escape from the bargain.

Summary

In the story, Daniel, an unprosperous businessman and father of nine, resolves to sell his soul to the Devil in order to escape his miserable existence. When confronted with

Beelzebub Beelzebub ( ; he, ''Baʿal-zəḇūḇ'') or Beelzebul is a name derived from a Philistine god, formerly worshipped in Ekron, and later adopted by some Abrahamic religions as a major demon. The name ''Beelzebub'' is associated with the Cana ...

, a major demon, Daniel notes that his business experience has taught him only to deal with the owner. The Devil then appears and requires that Daniel sign a contract stipulating that the Devil will exchange twenty-four years of service for Daniel's soul. Contrary to the traditional

stories, Daniel insists that the devil sign a bond indicating that should he ever fail to do what Daniel requires, Daniel would be freed from his contract and that 1,001 souls would be released from Hell. The first years of the contract proceed well, although the Devil is disappointed when Daniel asks only for decidedly decent things. Eventually, Daniel requires the Devil to build an imposing church, see to the election of honest politicians, and ensure that honest judges fill the bench. The Devil initially resists these duties, but, faced with the bond, he relents. Eventually the Devil abandons the bond when asked to make sure all the saloons are kept closed on Sunday. Although not nearly as well known, Field's story, in its humor and its "happy" ending, provided inspiration for the later "

The Devil and Daniel Webster "The Devil and Daniel Webster" (1936) is a short story by American writer Stephen Vincent Benét. He tells of a New Hampshire farmer who sells his soul to the devil and is later defended by Daniel Webster, a fictional version of the noted 19th-c ...

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Stephen Vincent Benét Stephen Vincent Benét (; July 22, 1898 – March 13, 1943) was an American poet, short story writer, and novelist. He is best known for his book-length narrative poem of the American Civil War, ''John Brown's Body'' (1928), for which he receive ...

Sources

External links

''The Holy Cross and Other Tales''
{{Faust navbox American short stories 1888 short stories Works based on the Faust legend Fiction about the Devil