The Devil's Redemption: A Story of Second Chances ~ Short Stories

 

By a valley and a dark, deep wood, a village lay. Life bloomed there; warm, gentle sun shone bright. Village folk were kind, animals ran wild, and crops grew tall and golden. Of all this, they knew not that their life was about to change forever by an unseen rivalry between God and the Devil.

The Bargain

One day, God and the Devil sat under the ancient Banyan tree in the celestial world, gazing out to Earth. God admired the kindness in the human race. The Devil scoffed at this and said that humans were, in essence, selfish and that the good deeds done by them were mere facades.

"I think they are capable of true goodness," God said calmly.

"And I think their kindness falters when tested," retorted the Devil.

"Then let us see," God proposed. "Let’s send one of us to the mortal world, disguised as a human, and see what truly lies in their hearts."

The Devil agreed but added a twist. "Let me go. I’ll prove that even in the presence of divinity, humans will choose darkness when given the chance."

God, always so patient, nodded. "Go, then. But remember, you will see life through their eyes—pain and joy, hunger and despair. And if, at the end, you can find only one soul who chooses kindness for its own sake, without reward, then you must admit that humanity is not lost."

 The Devil in Disguise

With a thud, he came down to earth, taking the form of a beggar named Malak. He had tattered clothes on, his face lined with weather and grime. Malak entered the village, whose people murmured and avoided him. Malak approached the boisterous market; his stomach growled with hunger.

"Spare a coin, kind sir," he begged of a fat merchant.

The merchant sneered. "Get up and work for your crust, you idle rogue!" He shoved Malak away, laughing as the beggar stumbled into the dust.

But as Malak sat there defeated by the side of the road, a little girl came over. She was hardly older than seven, holding a stale piece of bread. "Here, mister," she said shyly. "It's not much, but you can have it."

Malak hesitated. "Why would you give this to me? You don't even know me."

The girl smiled. "Mama says we should share what we have, even if it's little. It makes the world kinder."

Malak took the bread, dazed. Kindness without expectation? This was not what he had anticipated.

 The Trials of Temptation 

Determined to prove his point, Malak devised plans to tempt the villagers into selfishness. He offered a bag of gold to the merchant in exchange for lying about his neighbor's crops. The merchant accepted without hesitation, proving to Malak that greed often triumphed over honesty.

He then whispered to a farmer's ear that he should save all the water from their common well. The farmer readily submitted, and during a dry season, his fellow-villagers were kept thirsty. Every sin seemed to prove the words of Satan to be correct.

Yet for each heart to break, Malak met others who resisted. A widow fed her last meal to a stranger. A young man dedicated himself to fixing the communal well until he had not a drop of water for himself. Such selfless acts were unbelievable to Malak, and doubts in his dark heart began to grow.

 The Turning Point

One of the fateful days, a fire broke out in the village. Flames engulfed homes and smoke darkened the sky. Villagers screamed and scrambled to safety. Malak stood in the chaos, observing. This, he thought, would reveal their true nature.

But what he saw amazed him. A blind man ran into the flames to save a trapped child. The wealthy merchant, who had once made fun of Malak, directed a water brigade in the risk of his own life. The little girl, who had shared her piece of bread with him, wept for her pet goat but handed Malak her blanket, saying, "You need this more."

Something stirred within the Devil, a sense of warmth that was strange and unwelcome. He could not fathom why these humans would risk so much for others, especially when they had no reason to.

 The Revelation

At long last the fire was put out, and the villagers drew into the square, mourning their dead. Malak stood among them in silence. There was pain of hurt, but also strength of oneness. Despite differences and flaws, they supported each other.

As dusk fell, God appeared to Malak, unseen by the villagers. "Well, what do you see?" he asked gently.

Malak, still in his beggar's disguise, fell silent for a long time. He finally spoke, "I see that humans are imperfect. They lie, they cheat, and they succumb to temptation. But they also love, sacrifice and hope. They are not purely good but neither are they wholly evil."

God smiled. "And so?"

Malak sighed, a weight lifting from his shoulders. "I was wrong. There is light in them, even in the darkest moments. I concede."

The Redemption of the Devil

As promised, God offered Malak the chance to return to his former self. But the Devil surprised Him. "Let me stay," Malak said. "Not as the Devil, but as a man. I want to learn more about this light I've seen. Perhaps, in doing so, I'll find a piece of it for myself."

God nodded, because he knew this was the start of Malak's redemption. The villagers were never to know who the beggar was really but they did notice that he began to be a shining example of generosity and wisdom among them.

So, the Devil lived among men, only not to tempt them to darkness but to lead them to the light that he had doubted once.

Moral of the Story

For no one is irredeemable, and as bad as the dark can be, love and kindness can light up even the darkest of hearts. Human frailty does not define humanity, but the ability to rise above it defines us as becoming truly divine.

Here are some questions regarding the story: 

1. Where was the village located? 

Answer: The village was situated between a valley and a thick forest

2. What was the wager between God and the Devil?

Answer: God and the Devil staked their bets to determine whether humans would be selfish or good. The Devil held that humans are selfish while God believed in the True Goodness of humans.

 3. What form did the Devil assume when he arrived on Earth? -

Answer: The Devil assumed a beggar form of Malak

 4. How did the villagers respond to Malak when he initially came?

Answer: He was maltreated by the villagers because of his poor looks, but the little girl shared her bread with him.

 5. Why did the little girl give bread to Malak?   

Answer: The little girl said that her mother taught her to share, no matter what the amount is, to make the world a much kinder place.

 6. How did Malak tease the villagers? 

Answer: Malak tempted the villagers by offering a merchant gold to lie and convincing a farmer to hoard water during a drought.

 7. What acts of kindness did Malak experience in the village?  

Answer: A widow shared her last meal, a young man repaired the communal well despite his own struggles, and villagers risked their lives to help each other during a fire.

 8. What incident transformed Malak's vision about mankind? 

Answer: He saw how the villagers became united and courageous to save their village from the flames during a fire in it.

9. To what conclusion the Devil came after the feats of the villagers?

Answer: The Devil confessed he was mistaken about humans and decided to stay on Earth as a human to get a better understanding of the goodness he had seen.

 10. What is the moral of the story?   

Answer: The moral is that no one is beyond redemption, and even the darkest hearts find light through love and kindness. It is the humanity ability to rise above flaws that makes it divine.