Noah and the Devil

Book excerpt: A retelling of the story of Noah's ark, embellished with elements from Romanian folklore, including how the devil sneaked aboard, the reason Noah threw a cat overboard, and the role of a snake in saving the ark. In this Romanian folk version of the Noah story, getting the animals to march, two by two, onto the ark is the easy part. It's Noah's stubborn wife who insists that she's staying on dry land. Frustrated, Noah finally declares, "Oh, you devil, come in!" and not only persuades his wife but also gives the Devil himself the invitation he needed to come aboard.