It was suppertime. He could smell cooking everywhere. He could see the smoke of warm fires coming from the houses. But should he go into one of them? Was there something to be afraid of? He couldn’t wait any longer. There was a large house nearby. From it came small voices, laughing. He opened the door.

 

The children inside stopped playing at once. Their eyes grew wide. Their mouths fell open. He was only trying to be friends when he put out his hands to them. But they screamed with fright. Their mother’s eyes closed and she fell to the floor.

A boy climbed out of the window and up to the roof. “It’s the Devil! It’s the Devil!” he shouted at the top of his voice.

People came running from everywhere. The church bells clanged. Shouts filled the air. And the Monster was frightened by it all. He turned and ran out of the house. But now the whole town was there.

Some people could not stand to look at him. They screamed and ran away. Others just stood there. They were shaking so hard that they couldn’t move!

But then a man cried out, “The boy is right! It is the Devil!”

“Drive him away! Drive him away!” screamed the boy.

The man picked up a big stone and threw it. It missed. But soon the air was filled with other flying things. My Monster was hit and hit again. He tried to get away. But the people were all around him now, throwing stones and logs and bricks. Men jabbed at him with long pointed things. An old woman threw a pot of boiling water at his face.

 

Suddenly, he howled with a sound that was wilder than any beast. He tore a tree out of the ground and swung it at them. Everyone jumped out of the way.