Once upon a time, two unknown merchants appeared in Ireland. No one had heard of them before, and yet they spoke perfectly in the language of this country. Their black hair was intertwined with a golden ribbon, their clothes were distinguished by rare splendor. Both seemed to be about the same age: they looked about fifty years old, as their foreheads were furrowed and their beards were already streaked with gray.
At the hotel where these important merchants were staying, they tried to find out about their intentions, but in vain - they led a secretive and solitary lifestyle. They had no classes, and all day long they did nothing but count and count gold coins, which they kept in large money bags: through the windows of their room one could see the yellow shine of these coins.
“Gentlemen,” the innkeeper said to them one fine day, “how is it that you are so rich and could, it seems, support people in trouble, but you haven’t done a single pious deed!”
“Wonderful hostess,” said one of them, “we did not want to offer alms to the honest poor, fearing that we would be deceived by all sorts of pretenders.” But let Need knock on our door, and we will open it!
The next day, when word spread that rich strangers had come to distribute their gold to everyone, their house was besieged by a crowd of people. True, everyone came out with a different look: some had pride written on their faces, others had shame.
It turns out that this couple of traveling merchants were buying human souls for the devil.
The soul of a living man was worth twenty gold pieces, and not a penny more: Satan had enough time to find out its value. A woman's soul was worth fifty if she was pretty, and a hundred if she was ugly. Well, raise the price higher for the soul of a young girl! Fresh, clean flowers pay dearly.
In those days, Countess Kathleen O'Shay, the angel of beauty, lived in this city. Everyone worshiped her, and for the poor she was the only hope. As soon as she heard that these villains, taking advantage of the people's misfortune - there was a famine in the city at that time - were stealing human souls from God, she immediately called the butler to her.
“Tell me, Patrick,” she turned to him, “how many gold coins are in my chests?”
- One hundred thousand.
- How many jewels?
- The same amount as gold.
- What is all the property in my castles, my forests and lands worth?
- Twice as much money and jewelry as you have.
- Well, great, Patrick. Sell everything except the gold, of course, and bring me what you get. I only want to keep this house.
In two days, the orders of the pious Kathleen were carried out, and all her wealth was distributed to the poor according to their need. However, this was not part of the devil’s calculations, as legend tells us, because there were no souls left for him that he could buy up. And so, with the help of an unfaithful servant, these vile merchants entered the chambers of the noble lady and stole the last remnants of her wealth. In vain did she struggle with all her might to save the contents of her chests: Satan's swindlers were stronger. Of course, if Kathleen had been able to cross herself, the legend adds, she would have put them to flight, but she was defending herself, and so her hands were full. The theft has been completed.
And when the poor soon turned to the robbed Kathleen for help, alas, it turned out to be useless. She could no longer support them in their need. She had to leave them to the temptation of the devil.
Meanwhile, eight days had to pass until grain and other provisions arrived in abundance in the city from the eastern countries. These eight days were an eternity! Eight days required a huge amount of money to save everyone from starvation. The poor had to either die by starvation, or, rejecting the commandment of the holy gospel, make a low deal and sell their souls - the best gift of the generous hand of the Almighty. And Kathleen no longer had anything, she even gave her last house to the suffering.
She spent twelve hours crying and wailing, beating her lily-white chest. And then, in a fit of despair, she stood up decisively and went to the sellers of human souls.
-What do you want? - they asked.
—Are you buying souls?
- Yes, we still manage to buy something, despite your efforts, blue-eyed saint. What can you say?
“Today I came to make a deal with you,” she answered.
- Which one?
“I have a soul to sell, but it’s expensive.”
“Does it matter if it’s precious?” The soul, like a diamond, is valued for its purity.
- This is my soul.
The satanic messengers began to tremble, even releasing their claws under their kid gloves. Their gray eyes lit up. The soul of Kathleen herself, pure, unsullied, immaculate - what a prize!
- How much are you asking, beauty?
- One hundred and fifty thousand in gold.
- If you please! - the merchants answered and handed Kathleen a parchment with a black seal, which she, shuddering, signed.
The money was immediately counted out to her. Returning home, she said to the butler:
- Here, give this away! With this money that I give you, the poor will survive the remaining eight days, and not a single soul will go to the devil again!
Then she locked herself in her rooms and ordered no one to disturb her.
Three days have passed. She didn’t call anyone and didn’t go out herself.
When the door was opened, they found it cold and motionless. She died of sadness.
But God declared the bargaining of this soul - so beautiful in its mercy - invalid: after all, she saved her fellow citizens from eternal torment.
Eight days later, many ships delivered untold supplies of grain to starving Ireland. The famine is over.
As for those merchants, they disappeared from the hotel, and no one ever knew what became of them. True, the Blackwater fishermen say that by order of Lucifer they were imprisoned in an underground prison until they were able to recapture the soul of Kathleen, who this time escaped them.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru