The Devil Turns Pigeon

This tale has been adapted from the original for readability:

A great devil lived near a town, and the devils there were bad. They had one rule, nobody was to set traps in the forest. Then a stranger came to the town. Everyone warned him, “Do not set a trap in that forest,” but he refused to listen. He set his jaw and said he would do it anyway, so off he went and made a trap.

Before long, a pigeon was caught. But it was no ordinary bird, it was a devil that had taken the shape of a pigeon. The pigeon began to cry and called out, “Daddy, come and free me.”

So the stranger let it out and put it to one side. Then the pigeon cried again, “Daddy, carry me home.” The man picked it up and carried it to his house.

The pigeon said, “Daddy, kill me.” The man killed it. “Daddy, pluck my feathers,” it said, and he did. “Clean me,” it said, and he cleaned it. “Put the pot on the fire,” it said, and he set the pot on. “Cut me up,” it said, and he cut it up. “Put me in the pot and cook me,” it said, and he cooked it.

Then the pigeon told him to add salt, so he added salt. It told him to add pepper, so he added pepper. It told him to taste the broth to see if it was right. Then it said the soup was done. When it had cooled, the pigeon said, “Dish me up and eat me.” The man ate half. “Eat it all,” the pigeon insisted, and the man finished every bit.

That evening, the man went back into the forest. As soon as he reached the trees, he opened his mouth to speak. The moment he did, the bird flew out of his mouth and away, and the man fell down dead. When the people searched for him in the forest, they could not find him, because the devils had taken him.

So stubbornness brings no good. If someone tells you, “Do not do that,” do not set your head against them. And if you ever mean to eat from the devil’s bowl, make sure you have a spoon with a long handle.