Once upon a time, there was a man who was always playing cards and, because he was clever, lucky and cheated just a little, he always won. The men, who had been reduced to poverty by him, denounced him when they got to heaven, and St Peter sent Death to take him. But St Peter waited and waited, and neither the card player nor any other soul arrived.
So St Peter sent down and Angel, who discovered that Death had been tempted into playing cards. Death kept losing but, in the hope or recouping his losses, remained at the card table, and thus not another soul had passed away. The card player tried to persuade the Angel to play, but being an Angel, he could not be tempted. So the trickster had to resign himself at last to dying.
As soon as he had died, however, he began to play cards with Lucifer and won all his devils from him. The card player be; then, finally, when he won the haloes from a couple of saints, he threw him down. On landing, his soul flew into pieces and each tiny bit landed in the soul of another card player, taking him over for ever.
So St Peter sent down and Angel, who discovered that Death had been tempted into playing cards. Death kept losing but, in the hope or recouping his losses, remained at the card table, and thus not another soul had passed away. The card player tried to persuade the Angel to play, but being an Angel, he could not be tempted. So the trickster had to resign himself at last to dying.
As soon as he had died, however, he began to play cards with Lucifer and won all his devils from him. The card player be; then, finally, when he won the haloes from a couple of saints, he threw him down. On landing, his soul flew into pieces and each tiny bit landed in the soul of another card player, taking him over for ever.
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