Simon The Round One — Obscure Fairy Tales

In the village of Rox, Brittany, a fest was under way after a long day of working the fields, the kitchens and the boats.

The plaza was so full you would think the ground could give way any second under the weight of so many jolly partygoers. There were bowls of cider a-plenty and festive accordeon music being played for everyone to enjoy. The dirt dancefloor was filled with youth and elderly alike, cutting a rag like their life depended on it.

In the midst of all this rumble, a stranger had arrived and was offered bowls of cider, one after another. After gulping them down, he stared at the group of dancers and walked towards the most gorgeous young woman he could find. He offered her a dance and they swiftly moved accross the dancefloor, as if they were dancing on air.

A mother cuddling her baby on the sidelines soon noticed her infant would cry out everytime the stranger passed by them. When the woman looked more closely at the stranger, she noticed his feet were quite strange, as the leather from his shoes could not cover them entirely. As she peeked more closely at the parts uncovered by the shoes, she gasped. The man had hooves for feet!

The woman got up and shouted “Stop the dance! Stop the dance!”. The music stopped and everyone looked at the panicked lady with confusion. She pointed at the stranger’s feet, trying to catch her breath. The stranger got upset.

“Arrrgh! I almost had everyone fooled. I would have if it wasn’t for you, damn woman!” the stranger shrieked as he walked away, everyone avoiding his path.

“Tomorrow at noon, I will be back, and if you can’t remember my name, I will bring you back to hell with me!” the devil laughed. “I am Simon The Round One!”

The stranger suddenly disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. Now that he was gone, the party could have gone on, but the ambiance was ruined. No one felt like dancing or drinking anymore. The chairs, cider and food were packed and everyone went home.

The next day, the mother was so preoccupied with the cleaning, cooking and child care that the devil’s promise had slipped her mind. By mid morning, she was elbow deep in the laundry when the stranger showed up at her doostep.

“Only a few hours left, woman. If you can’t remember my name, you’re coming down to hell with me!” the man said, ecstatic, before disappearing again.

The woman started to feel anxious. She couldn’t recall the name the devil had called himself the night before. Would she be dragged down to hell comes noon?

Soon after, her husband was on his way back from a merchant trip to a neighbouring village and encountered a strange creature singing down the road. He had to move to the sides to avoid him.

This woman, she can’t remember my name,
So she come to hell with me all the same,
I am Simon The Round One,
I am Simon The Round One!

When the woman’s husband came home she was in a state of panic. She was so scared to be brought down to hell, yet, she still couldn’t remember the name of the devil!

Her husband remembered the strange scene he had seen on the road earlier that day and recalled what the weird-looking man was chanting. He thus shared his knowledge with his wife, whose eyes brightened when she heard the name. She repeated the name and smiled, hugging her husband and kissing his cheek.

When the devil came back at the sound of the twelveth ringing of the church bells, the woman, who had been whispering the name under her breath for hours, smiled. The stranger was full of pride and couldn’t forsee himself not bringing her down to hell with him. Thus, with confidence, he asked her:

“Wretched woman, what is my name?”

“Simon The Round One,” she answered hastily, almost shouting. “Your name is Simon The Round One.”

The man was so surprised, he seemed insulted. He stumbled on his words a bit, before disappearing in a cloud of black smoke.

The woman felt great relief and went back to her work tasks, appreciating her simple life a little bit more that day. She was only glad to be saved.

No one heard nor had sight of Simon The Round One in the village of Rox ever again.

The serie Obscure Fairy Tales encompasses an array of tales, myths and legends from around the world. To read more, visit this page dedicated to fiction writing.