The folk traditions of Israel contain many tales of encounters between ordinary Jews and the demons that inhabit the hidden corners of the world. The story known as "The Demon and the Jew" is among the most unsettling.
A Jewish traveler was walking alone on a road at night — something the sages repeatedly warned against, for the hours between sunset and sunrise belong to the shedim (שדים), the demons. He heard footsteps behind him but saw no one. He walked faster. The footsteps quickened. He broke into a run, and the footsteps matched him stride for stride.
Finally, the traveler stopped and turned around. Standing in the road was a figure that looked almost human — but not quite. Its feet were like the feet of a rooster, and its shadow fell in the wrong direction. "What do you want from me?" the traveler demanded.
The demon grinned. "I want to make a deal," it said. "Give me your portion in the World to Come, and I will give you all the gold you can carry." The traveler, a simple but pious man, laughed out loud. "You think I would trade eternity for gold? My portion in the World to Come was given to me by God. It is not mine to sell — and even if it were, what fool trades a palace for a handful of coins?"
The demon vanished. The Maase Buch (No. 191) records that the traveler arrived home safely and told his rabbi what had happened. The rabbi nodded gravely. "The demons always offer the same bargain," he said. "And the answer must always be the same."