
Transcriber’s Notes
DEVIL TALES
ILLUSTRATIONS
INTRODUCTION
OLD CINDER CAT
“A KINGDOM FOR MICAJAH”
THE DEVIL’S LITTLE FLY
ASMODEUS IN THE QUARTERS
THE TAMING OF JEZRUL
DARK ER DE MOON
In this atmospheric collection, a seasoned “Mammy” gathers the children of a Southern estate to share the whispered legends that have lingered in the house for generations. The tales unfurl beneath the shade of live‑oaks, weaving together eerie folk beliefs, mischievous spirits, and the everyday rhythms of plantation life. Each story is flavored with dialect and vivid imagery, from haunted hoodoos to restless creatures that crawl in the night.
The narrator’s voice grounds the supernatural with a warm, familiar cadence, inviting listeners to linger over the rustle of cotton, the clink of julep glasses, and the soft hum of a distant bell. As the children lean in, the stories reveal both humor and haunting, hinting at hidden dangers while celebrating the resilience of community lore. The opening promises a tapestry of folklore that feels both timeless and intimately tied to its Southern setting.
Language
en
Duration
~3 hours (206K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United States: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1900.
Credits
Charlene Taylor, Les Galloway and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Release date
Apr 1, 2023
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1863–1938
A prolific Southern writer of novels, stories, and poems, she built a wide readership with work that drew heavily on memory, legend, and the culture of the post-Civil War South. Her life and writing also reflect the tensions of her era, making her an important figure for readers interested in American literary history.
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