The Devil and Daniel Webster (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Stephen Vincent Benét
- First Published: 1937
- Type of Plot: Folktale
- Time of Work: The early nineteenth century
- Setting: Cross Corners, New Hampshire, and Marshfield, Massachusetts
- Principal Characters: Daniel Webster, Jabez Stone, Mr. Scratch
- Genres: Fable, Short fiction, Historical fiction
- Subjects: Farms, farmers, or farming, Legends, Folklore, Faustian bargains, Patriotism, Devils or demons
- Locales: Cross Corners, NH, Marshfield, MA
The Story
“The Devil and Daniel Webster” is narrated as a folktale told in the border country of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, regarding the famous American orator Daniel Webster. Like so many folk legends, this one contains some exaggeration and several important lessons.
Jabez Stone is an unlucky New Hampshire farmer who, in a moment of frustration, sells his soul to the devil. His farm prospers, but when the devil returns near the end of the seven-year contract, Stone sees the soul of his neighbor Miser Stevens in the devil's pocket, and his dread...
[The entire page is 1612 words long]
