Guy De Maupassant (1850-1893) was a 19th-century French author, remembered as a master of the short story form, as well as a representative of the Naturalist school, who depicted human lives, destinies and social forces in disillusioned and often pessimistic terms.
Maupassant’s short story
The Legend of Mont Saint Michel was published fo the fist time in 1888 and is one of the most famous supernatural stories of the great French writer. Is an account of a battle between St. Michael and Satan, set in one of the most evocative sacred places in Europe. St. Michael built himself a home on an islet in the ocean (Mont Saint Michel), a residence of great splendor. The devil, who lived on the hill across the bay, owned all the rich lands which produced fine crops. One day, St. Michael offered the devil a deal: he would work the land, and they would both share the crops equally. The devil agreed, and Satan declared that he would get everything that grew above the ground, while St. Michael would get the crops that grew underground.