Hello! Welcome to Stories Podcast. I'm your host, Amanda Weldon.
Today's story is called The Soldier and the Devil, a Czech folktale translated by Josef Baudis and adapted for audio by Daniel Hines.
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The Soldier and the Devil Once upon a time, in a distant kingdom, there was a soldier.
He was making his way, one boot after the other, through a wooded trail, whistling and at peace.
Because, after long years of noble service, a loyal soldier was finally going home.
He had done his duty, fought in his share of battles, and now he was on the road, happy and free.
He had sent most of his money ahead to his parents to keep safe for him, so he only had three pennies in his pocket.
And as he was going through a forest, he met a beggar.
It was an old woman, frail and shaky.
She explained that during the war, her fields had been trampled into mud by soldiers.
She had nothing to eat and wanted a penny to buy herself a loaf of bread.
Of course, said the soldier, giving her one of his three pennies.
The war has made us all worse off.
I'm happy to help. Oh, thank you, the woman said, and she gave the soldier a hug as he continued on down the road.
Not more than a mile later, the soldier came upon another beggar.
This was an older man with salt and pepper hair and a dark gray beard. feared he was clearly sick feverish and coughing and he explained that the masses of troops from the war coming and going had spread the flu like wildfire he would recover but he needed a penny to get some medicine to drop his fever of course said the soldier throwing the man one of his two remaining pennies so he wouldn't get close enough to catch a fever take this coin and get well brother i saw worse fevers in the war remember drink plenty of water and don't let them put what leeches on you.
Thank you, said the man weakly, his sick voice like the croak of a frog.
He tried to say more, but it hurt too much to speak, so he gathered the coin and headed for the nearest healer he knew.
The soldier watched him go and then continued down the road.
An hour or so later, he came upon another beggar.
This one was a young man, probably the same age as the soldier.
He was sat up against a tree and the soldier could see that he had a wooden foot.
The young man explained he was serving on a ship during the war and lost his foot to a cannonball.
The ship's doctor wasn't the best, so he ended up with a peg leg, but he was a clever woodcarver and had made himself a foot instead.
He was going to stay with his sister, but he needed a penny for the ferry over a distant river.
Of course, brother, said the soldier, feeling for this fellow.
The soldier knew that with just a tiny twist of bad luck, he could be the one missing a foot.
After all, how many cannons did he see during the war?
Here's my last penny.
I'm happy to give it.
Are you sure? asked the young man.
I see you're a soldier too and I'd hate to leave you with nothing.
I sent my money home, the soldier said.
I'll be good once I get there, just as you'll be good at your sister's.
Take the coin and go in peace.
Thanks and respect, brother.
the young man said, taking the coin in a different trail that wound up at the ferry.
The soldier nodded and continued on his way home.
And all this time he didn't know it, but there was an angel watching over him.
The angel had seen the soldier behave bravely and fairly all through the terrible war, and now, on his way home, his generosity continued.
The angel was so moved she appeared to the man in a flash of white light.
It was so bright, the soldier couldn't look directly at it.
Hello, he shouted. Who are you?
What is this magic?
I am an angel, and I've come to reward you for being such a good man.
Reward me? I only did what any man would do.
The angel laughed and smiled.
The fact that you think that means I am right to choose you.
I will give you what you need to get home safely.
flee. The first item is a bag, and you can tell anything to get in the bag, and it will fly in right away.
The other is a coin purse full of pennies that will never run dry.
When I'm gone, look on the ground here and be well.
The light flashed brighter and then slowly faded away.
When the soldier got his vision back, he saw a large backpack and a small coin purse, just as the angel had described.
He put the backpack on and found it comfortable and light.
He opened the coin purse and saw only a single penny.
Confused, he pulled it out and then saw another penny appear where the first had been.
It was an endless penny at a time.
Thank you, the soldier called, but there was no one to answer but the tweeting of the birds.
still a little stunned and noticing the sun dipping low in the sky the soldier decided he better find a place to sleep for the night luckily as he continued down the road he soon came to a farmhouse the owners were out front sitting on rocking chairs on their porch and they waved as the soldier approached hello soldier they said what can we do for you hello friends i'm just just looking for a warm and dry place to sleep the night, I was wondering if I could make a bed in the hay of your barn.
The couple looked at each other, faces worried.
You're welcome to the barn, the man said, but we think there's some kind of demon or imp in there.
I know it sounds strange, but our chicken's all past and it smells like brimstone.
That's fine, said the soldier, thinking of his angel.
I'll still sleep there if it's all right with you.
It is, said the woman.
But please be careful.
Of course, said the soldier.
And as the sun fell, he made his way into the barn.
Right away, he could smell the boiled egg smell of sulfur and the hot reek of brimstone.
Evil smells. Still, he laid his jacket down on the hay and put put his backpack next to him with the lid open.
Before long, he saw angry red eyes peering at him from the dark.
A creature limped forward on spindly limbs like a daddy -long -legs spider.
Its mouth was a dusty, crusty circle, and its skin looked like an old fire, ashy on top with glowing embers underneath.
But the soldier wasn't afraid.
frayed. You've made a mistake coming here, hissed the little imp, its long legs making its way slowly across the barn.
I don't think so, said the soldier with a little laugh.
Imp, get in my bag.
The imp grunted and flew through the air with a whirl of magic.
With one last rattling gasp, it disappeared into the depths of the soldier's backpack.
Satisfied, the soldier closed the pack and went to sleep.
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The scariest part of summer isn't the sunburn.
It's the spending. There are the last -minute road trips, pricey snack hauls, and bottomless SPF restocks.
and your wallet's feeling the heat.
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Ice cream is my favorite treat in the summertime, and when it gets simply too hot to move, I love to DoorDash a sundae from one of the ice cream places nearby.
DoorDash has a huge selection of ice cream options near me, plus anything else I could ever want, so I never have to go without an icy dessert on a hot summer night.
And it won't break the bank!
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Sunscreen, headphones, watermelon, whatever's in your cart.
And get it with $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible orders.
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Check daily for massive summer savings on restaurants, groceries, and brands from June 26th through July 30th.
DashPass benefits apply only to eligible orders.
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He slept well, with not so much as a mouse to disturb him, since they'd all been scared off by the imp long ago.
The next morning, he came out of the barn rested and ready and told the old couple he'd captured their imp.
You what? said the old man.
How? How? Magic bag, said the soldier with a wink, not really caring if they believed him.
Say, is there a blacksmith nearby?
The farmer told him there was, and the soldier headed over to the blacksmith's forge.
He told the blacksmith he'd caught an imp that needed punishing, and the blacksmith had him dump the monster right into the stone forge and then slammed the door.
He'll stay good and hot in there and think about what he's done, said the soldier.
And my forge will run a little hotter for a while, said the blacksmith, shaking his hand.
Thanks again, brother.
The soldier nodded and then continued on his way home.
The whole next day he walked without incident, though he did stop to give a few more beggars pennies from his never -ending pouch. That night, he found a little inn and tried to get a room.
Oh, sorry, said the innkeeper, a burly man polishing a glass with a red smock.
Just rented the last room to that lady there.
He gestured at a fancy -looking lady sitting at a table with a drink, shuffling a deck of cards in front of her.
She caught the soldier's eye and waved him over.
Sorry I took the last room, she said.
But hey, I'll play you for it.
Cards? asked the soldier.
Like most soldiers, he had a lot of downtime and had played a lot of of cards.
He recognized that the woman was a card shark, meaning someone who might try to cheat him.
But he'd seen all the tricks before.
Well, most of them.
All right, he said.
What's the deal? The woman smiled.
I bet I can win every coin in your purse before you can win a hand.
If I do, I keep all the money.
If you win even once, you get your your money back, and the room.
How's that? The soldier thought of his magic purse and laughed to himself.
Sister, you've got a deal.
They played cards for the next hour.
The woman won hand after hand, but the soldier kept coming up with more coins.
The card shark thought she was in for a big payday, but the soldier was watching her closely.
Finally, he realized she had marked the cards.
Scuffs in the corner meant diamonds, a little cross in the pattern was an ace, and so on.
Once he broke her code, he won the next hand, leaving the woman flabbergasted.
How? Why? Good job, I guess.
The soldier laughed and pushed a few coins towards her.
Thanks for the company, he said.
You keep the coins and promise not to try and cheat anyone else, yeah?
The woman blushed, but she knew she'd been caught.
She took the few coins and nodded, fleeing the inn.
The soldier took her room and slept well that night with sweet dreams. The next day, he knew he'd reach home.
He was so excited that he was rushing down the roads and trails, each one becoming more and more familiar as he got closer to where he had grown up.
Finally, he burst off the road and into his own yard, where he froze in fear.
There, reaching for his parents' door, was the Grim Reaper, Death himself.
The soldier was stunned for a moment.
How could he see Death?
Then he realized the angel's gifts must have given him an extra sight.
Stealing himself, he marched up to his parents' house and pushed the door shut before death could open it.
Not here, he said. Who are you to interfere with death?
Said the figure from the depths of his black robes.
Your mother is sick.
It is her time. Move or I'll take you too.
The soldier wouldn't let his mother go, not after he'd just made it home.
So he thought fast, smiled, and said, Death, get in my bag.
And with a terrible, swirling, roaring rush, Death was sucked into the backpack.
The soldier buckled it shut and then went inside to greet his parents.
They hugged him with tears of joy in their eyes and all sat down to an amazing dinner together, other where the soldier told them all his stories of war and the road.
The next day, though, there was a knock at the door at the crack of dawn.
The soldier answered it and was surprised to see the same angel who had given him the gifts.
Hello, friend, he said.
What can I do for you?
The angel stood awkwardly.
Well, you seem to have captured death in your bag, and the world needs death as part of the natural cycle, you know?
Makes sense, said the soldier.
So I need to take the bag back, said the angel.
We can't have life without death.
That makes sense, said the soldier.
But keep him away from me and my parents for a long time, eh?
I just got home. That's a deal, said the angel with a smile.
She took the bag from the soldier and it disappeared into her robes.
Keep the money, though and have a nice life.
You too, called the soldier as the angel disappeared into the air.
The soldier turned around and closed the door.
Who was that? asked his mom.
Just an old friend, said the soldier, nothing to worry about.
And then they all sat down for breakfast and they lived happily ever after.
The End today's story the soldier and the devil was a czech folktale translated for you by joseph and adapted for audio by daniel hines it was edited and produced by andrew martin and performed for you by me amanda weldon if you would like to support stories podcast you can leave us a five -star review on itunes check out all of our merch available at storiespodcast .com shop commission a special video on cameo follow us on instagram at stories podcast or simply tell your friends about us.
Thanks for listening!
