The Devil's Storybooks: Twenty Delightfully Wicked Stories

The Devil's Storybooks: Twenty Delightfully Wicked Stories

Every now and then, the Devil likes to pop up into the world for an adventure. He's a trickster and a mischief-maker, and just as full of vanity and other human failings. But he's also a gifted storyteller. The Devil's antics are presented in these two collections of stories, The Devil's Storybook and The Devil's Other Storybook , together in one volume. They make for delightfully wicked reading and are accompanied by charming illustrations by Natalie Babbitt. “Ten comic stories about the machinations of the Devil to increase the population of his realm . . . The stories are delightful in their narrative fluency, full of surprises, and frequently spiced with dashes of Saki-like mischief. A suitably wicked but hilarious drawing accompanies each tale.” ― The Horn Book, Starred Review “High on my list is The Devil's Storybook by Natalie Babbitt. This Devil is not dire; he is a scheming practical joker and comes to earth often when he is restless, to play tricks on clergymen, goodwives, poets, and pretty girls.” ― Jean Stafford, The New Yorker “A masterful Devil's advocate, Natalie Babbitt presents ten brief testimonials to Satan's unflagging gusto for dirty tricks. Paunchy and well past his prime, this Prince of Darkness is no Superdemon.” ― School Library Journal, Starred Review “Begging to be quoted, to be read aloud, to be told, these wise tales should delight readers and listeners alike.” ― Kirkus Reviews, in a pointer review for The Devil's Other Storybook Artist and writer Natalie Babbitt (1932–2016) is the award-winning author of the modern classic Tuck Everlasting and many other brilliantly original books for young people. As the mother of three small children, she began her career in 1966 by illustrating The Forty-Ninth Magician , written by her husband, Samuel Babbitt. She soon tried her own hand at writing, publishing two picture books in verse. Her first novel, The Search for Delicious , was published in 1969 and established her reputation for creating magical tales with profound meaning. Kneeknock Rise earned Babbitt a Newbery Honor in 1971, and she went on to write―and often illustrate―many more picture books, story collections, and novels. She also illustrated the five volumes in the Small Poems series by Valerie Worth. In 2002, Tuck Everlasting was adapted into a major motion picture, and in 2016 a musical version premiered on Broadway. Born and raised in Ohio, Natalie Babbitt lived her adult life in the Northeast. The Devil's Storybooks Twenty Delightfully Wicked Stories By Natalie Babbitt Square Fish Copyright © 2012 Natalie Babbitt All right reserved. ISBN: 9780312641580 The Devil's Storybooks The Devil's Storybook WISHES ONE DAY when things were dull in Hell, the Devil fished around in his bag of disguises, dressed himself as a fairy godmother, and came up into the World to find someone to bother. He wandered down the first country road he came to and before long he met a crabby farm wife stumping along with a load of switches on her back."Good morning, my dear," said the Devil in his best fairy-godmother voice. "It's a fine day, isn't it?""It's not," said the farm wife. "There hasn't been a fine day in the World in twenty years.""That long?" said the Devil."That long," she snapped.Now, it was the Devil's plan that morning to make a nuisance of himself by granting wishes, and he decided there was no time like now to begin. "See here then," he said to the farm wife. "I will grant you one wish--anything at all--and that ought to cheer you up.""One wish?" said the farm wife."One," he replied."Very well," said the farm wife. "Here's my wish. Since I don't believe in fairy godmothers, I wish you'd go back where you came from and leave me alone."This wish caught the Devil off guard and before he knew it he had landed with a bump in his throne room in Hell. Up he rose, his hair on end with anger. "That's one I'll get someday, anyway," he said to himself, and back he went to the World to find another victim.The next soul he met was a very old man who sat under a tree staring away at nothing."Good morning, old man," said the Devil in hisbest fairy-godmother voice. "It's a fine day, isn't it?""One of many," said the old man. "One of many."The Devil didn't like this answer at all. It sounded too contented. "See here then," he said to the old man. "I will grant you one wish--anything at all--but I can guess what you'll choose to wish for.""What's that?" said the old man."Why," said the Devil, "seeing as your life is nearly done, my guess is you'll wish to be a boy again."The old man pulled at his whiskers for a while and then he said, "No, not that. It was good to be a boy, but not all good.""Then," pursued the Devil, "you'll wish to return to young manhood.""No," said the old man. "It was good to be a young man, but still--it was difficult, too. No, that wouldn't be my wish."The Devil began to feel annoyed. "Well then," he said, "surely you'll wish to be