"These Are My Friends."

“The reason the king is so powerful is because he’s made a pact with the Devil,” a very devout woman in the street told the boy; and he was intrigued.

Some time later, when he was travelling to another town, the boy heard a man beside him remark:

“All this land belongs to the same man. I’d say the Devil had a hand in that.”

Late one summer afternoon, a beautiful woman walked past the boy.

“That woman is in the service of Satan!” cried a preacher angrily.

From then on, the boy decided to seek the Devil out, and when he found him one day, he said:

“They say you can make people powerful, rich and beautiful.”

“Not really,” replied the Devil. “You’ve just been listening to the views of those who are trying to promote me.”