The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

MR. TWARDOSKI

IN POLAND THERE IS THE LEGEND OF MR. TWARDOSKI, A MAN
WHO SOLD HIS SOUL TO THE DEVIL. THE LEGEND TAKES PLACE
ABOUT 200 YEARS AGO, AND MR. T. WAS A VERY AMBITIOUS MAN.
HE WAS ALSO GOING WITH THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN TOWN,
AND HE FELT THAT HE SHOULD MAKE HIS FORTUNE BEFORE
MARRYING HER. THE DEVIL APPROACHED MR. T. AND TOLD HIM
THAT HE WOULD MAKE MR. T. VERY RICH IF HE SOLD HIS SOUL.
MR. T. AGREED, BUT ONLY IF HE COULD LIVE AS LONG AS THE
ROMAN DYNASTY DID. THE DEVIL AGREED, AND A PACT WAS
SIGNED WITH BLOOD. MR. T., WHO PREVIOUSLY HAD BEEN A
VERY RELIGIOUS MAN AND TRUE TO HIS GIRL FRIEND, TURNED
TO A LIFE OF EVIL, WHICH WENT ON FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS.
ONE DAY, WHEN MR. T. WAS IN A TAVERN, THE DEVIL APPROACHED
HIM AND TOLD HIM IT WAS TIME FOR HIM TO GIVE UP HIS SOUL.
MR. T. REFUSED AND SHOWED THE DEVIL THE NAME OF THE
TAVERN, WHICH WAS CALLED ROME. THE DEVIL TOLD MR. T.
THAT HE WOULD THEN HAVE TO TAKE HIS GIRL FRIEND. MR. T.
SHRUGGED THE DEVIL'S THREAT AND ORDERED ANOTHER DRINK.
IT WAS THEN THAT HE REALIZED HOW WRONG HE HAD BEEN.
WHEN HE CAME OUT OF THE TAVERN, HE SAW THE DEVIL RIDING
INTO THE WOODS WITH HIS GIRL FRIEND. IN A FRANTIC PURSUIT
HE FOLLOWED THE DEVIL TO AN OLD HOUSE IN THE WOODS. HE
WENT INTO THE HOUSE, DREW HIS SWORD, AND CHALLENGED THE
DEVIL TO A DUEL. IF MR. T. LOST, HE WOULD GIVE UP HIS
SOUL. IF THE DEVIL LOST, HE AND THE GIRL WOULD BE GIVEN
THEIR FREEDOM. THE DEVIL LAUGHINGLY AGREED. ALTHOUGH
MR. T. WAS A MASTER SWORDSMAN, THE DEVIL HAD SUPERNATURAL
POWER, SO MR. T. KNEW HE HAD TO BE CAUTIOUS. THE FURIOUS DUEL
BEGAN. JUST AS MR. T. WAS GETTING THE UPPER HAND, THE DEVIL
DISAPPEARED AND REAPPEARED BEHIND HIM. THE DEVIL WAS JUST
ABOUT TO FINISH MR. T. WHEN HIS GIRL FRIEND RAN IN FRONT
OF THE FATAL THRUST. MR. T. WAS SO BROKENHEARTED, THAT HE
SUCCUMBED TO THE DEVIL. BEFORE THE DEVIL TOOK HIM AWAY,
HOWEVER, MR. T. BEGAN TO SING A SONG TO THE BLESSED MOTHER,
WHICH HIS MOTHER TAUGHT HIM YEARS AGO. WHILE HE WAS SINGING,
HE BEGAN TO RISE IN THE AIR WITH THE DEVIL HOLDING ON.
HE WENT HIGHER AND HIGHER UNTIL THE DEVIL COULD NO LONGER
HOLD ON. LEGEND HAS IT THAT GOD FORGAVE MR. T. AND PUT
HIM ON THE MOON, WHERE HE MUST PRAY UNTIL THE END OF THE
WORLD, AND ONLY THEN WILL HE BE ABLE TO ENTER HEAVEN.

Submitter comment: INFORMANT TOLD THIS TALE IN POLISH. I HAVE TRIED TO
PRESENT IT IN THE SAME MANNER IN WHICH IT WAS TOLD TO ME.
TALE TRANSLATED FROM POLISH BY COLLECTOR

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; DETROIT

Date learned: 03-28-1970