The tale of Tod Lapraik

The Tale of Tod Lapraik is a short story, based in North Berwick, a town with a long history of witchcraft trials and tradition. The Bass Rock, offshore but visible, is the scene for a devilish dancing where Tod Lapraik, a local weaver, is seen dancing - can it be he? In real life he weaves in his cottage, but falls into fits, during which his mind seems elsewhere. Convinced that this is what he does, taking a devil-s form and dancing ecstatically, local figures row out to Bass Rock and shoot the devil-figure with a silver bullet (which, tradition tells us, is the only way to kill the devil). The story is told in the voice of a strongly religious local. Also published in Stevenson's Catriona.