The Devil Wanted to Learn Basque
(http://www.francemonthly.com/n/0205/index.php#article7)
No Basque had ever been sent to Hell, and the Devil wanted to make up for this terrible oversight. The only way he could accomplish this was to corrupt an inhabitant, and therefore he needed to speak Basque in order to communicate. He promised a poor peasant a treasure in exchange for some basic knowledge of this mysterious language.
The man was oblivious to his interlocutor's sinister demeanor and accepted his offer, to improve his own miserable existence. Weeks, months, and years went by without the Devil making any progress towards his goal. No matter how hard he tried, he simply could not remember the vocabulary, didn't understand the grammar, and couldn't master the pronunciation which he found much too difficult. Finally one day, after many sleepless nights and fits of stubbornness and rage, he was able to compose an impressive speech. He set out, his parchment under one arm, determined to find a victim. He quickly settled on the daughter of a wealthy farmer whom he considered to be too pious. On this December 24th, as the little girl was hurrying to meet her parents at church, the Devil made himself invisible so that he could follow her. As he was lurking behind an oak tree near the church, he became furious when he realized that his parchment had become invisible as well. He tried to remember his speech... he couldn't believe he might have worked so long in vain. By the time he was able to make the document reappear and was prepared to speak the fateful incantation, the child was dipping her little hand in the font, and fervently crossing herself. At that very moment, there was a terrifying thunder clap as a lightening bolt split the oak tree wide open and the Devil was never to be seen in the region again.
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