The First Distiller

A peasant's simple lunch becomes the first test in this darkly comic satire of temptation: when a mischievous imp steals his bread, the man answers with patience and even a blessing, baffling the Devil's scheme. In Hell, the Chief of Devils rages over the failure, while lesser imps boast of corrupting nobles and merchants and admit that peasants, with their labor, humility, and faith, are far harder to snare. Forced to improvise, the Peasants' Imp disguises himself as a labourer and enters a household blessed with an overflowing harvest. There, abundance is twisted into danger. The disguised Devil introduces a potent spirit made from grain, and what begins as curiosity soon erupts into laughter, dancing, boasting, and drunken delight. Even the family elders are drawn in, until the Grandfather breaks the spell, denouncing the liquor as "devils' drink" and proving its danger by spilling and igniting it. But the corruption deepens: flattery turns to quarrels, insults, and violence, and the village's Sunday peace collapses into chaos. This rustic comic world becomes a sharp moral fable about greed, appetite, and how easily prosperity can be turned against the soul. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.