From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Devil and Tom Walker
The Devil and Tom Walker
The Walker"
"The Devil and Tom Walker a short story by Washington can find of her is her heart and liver in her apron tied to
Irving that first appeared in his 1824 collection of stories a tree.
titled Tales of a Traveller. It was part of the "Money-Dig- Tom Walker then agrees to the deal with Old Scratch,
gers" portion. The story is very similar to that of the an- as his wife had been abusive towards him, and he consid-
cient German legend of Faust. ered her death at the hand of Old Scratch a good thing.
Stephen Vincent Benet drew much of his inspiration Tom agrees to become a loan shark, although Tom has
for "The Devil and Daniel Webster" from this tale. "scruples" in becoming a slave trader.
Tom never tires of swindling people out of money,
Plot summary until he suddenly becomes fearful about the afterlife. He
then starts to become fiercely dedicated to God, always
Tom Walker is a greedy and selfish miser of a man who keeping two Bibles at hand.
cherishes money more than his equally miserly wife. When, one day, a person who had borrowed money
They lived in a tarnished looking house, that had stood from him and is asking for clemency blames Tom for tak-
long and had an air of starvation. This is until he takes ing his money. Tom says, "The Devil take me if I have
a walk in the swamp at an old Indian fortress and starts made but a farthing!" At this time, there are three loud
up a conversation with the Devil incarnate (referred to knocks at the door. Tom is drawn towards the black-
as "Old Scratch" in the story). "Scratch" is shown as a cloaked figure and realizes, in horror, that he has left his
lumberjack or a woodsman chopping down trees, each Bibles at his desk.
with a prominent and wealthy colonialist name branded Tom Walker is then taken away by the Devil on the
on the tree trunk. One rotted and soon to fallen tree has back of a black horse which rides toward the old fortress
the name of a deacon who grew wealthy "trading" with and disappears in lightning. Tom is never seen again. All
the Indians. Another fallen trunk has that of a wealthy his assets vanished and his house burned to the ground.
seaman rumored to be a pirate. Old Scratch strikes up a His ghost haunts the site of the old fortress.
deal with Tom Walker: he offers the riches hidden in the
swamp by Captain Kidd in exchange for Tom’s soul. Tom
agrees to think about it, and returns home.
External links
Burdened with this secret, he mentions it to his wife. • Full Text at About.com
When he is not there, Tom’s wife takes all the valuables • The Devil and Tom Walker at the Internet Movie
in the house and goes to make a deal with Old Scratch. Database
When Tom goes in search of his wife and property, all he
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Categories:
• 1824 short stories
• Short stories by Washington Irving
• American folklore
• Works based on the Faust legend
• Pirate books
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