The Blacksmith and The Devils
by: Brusca, Maria Cristina and Tona Wilson

NY, Henry Holt, 1st, 1992, Book: Good, Dust Jacket: Very Good, Hardcover. Dust jacket pristine. Color illustrations by Brusca. A familiar folktale motif is that of the clever man who outwits the devil. In this zesty retelling, based on an Argentinian source, that man is Juan Pobreza, a poor blacksmith who reshoes a mule belonging to St. Peter and charges nothing for the job. Touched, St. Peter asks the man to name three wishes. Juan, sure that Peter is not who he claims to be, makes three seemingly senseless wishes that help him out later when he must deal with the agents of the devil. In the twist at the end, Pobreza finds himself barred from both heaven and hell.