The Devil and Daniel Webster
| Author | Steven Vincent Benét |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | short story |
| Publisher | Farrar & Rinehart |
|
Publication date
|
1937 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | xiii, 61 |
"The Devil and Daniel Webster" is a short story by Stephen Vincent Benét. This Faustian tale was inspired by Washington Irving's short story "The Devil and Tom Walker." Benet's story centers on a New Hampshire farmer who sells his soul to the Devil and is defended by Daniel Webster, a fictional version of the famous statesman, lawyer, and orator.
The story appeared in The Saturday Evening Post (October 24, 1936) and was later published in book form by Farrar & Rinehart, 1937. That same year, it won the O. Henry Award. The author also adapted it in 1938 into a folk opera with music by Douglas Stuart Moore, a fellow Yale University alumnus, member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and winner of a Pulitzer Prize.
Farmer Jabez Stone, from the small town of Cross Corners, New Hampshire, is plagued with unending bad luck, causing him to finally swear "it's enough to make a man want to sell his soul to the devil!" Stone is visited the next day by a stranger, who later identifies himself as "Mr. Scratch," and makes such an offer in exchange for seven years of prosperity. Stone agrees.
After seven years, Mr. Scratch comes for Stone's soul. Stone bargains for an additional three years; after the additional three years passes, Mr. Scratch refuses any further extension. Wanting out of the deal, Stone convinces famous lawyer and orator Daniel Webster to accept his case.
At midnight of the appointed date, Mr. Scratch arrives and is greeted by Webster, presenting himself as Stone's attorney. Mr. Scratch tells Webster, "I shall call upon you, as a law-abiding citizen, to assist me in taking possession of my property," and so begins the argument. It goes poorly for Webster, since the signature and the contract are clear, and Mr. Scratch will not compromise.
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