Lo llamaban el viejo avaro, con nadie se podía comparar aquel viejo y extraño minero cada día cavaba un metro más, en aquella oscura y arruinada mina de oro.
Con solo ver su apariencia causaba mucho temor, aquella piel arrugada, aquellos dientes negros que sobresalían entre esa gran y grotesca sonrisa, aquellas uñas largas y mugrientas y aquella pestilencia que no se sabía de dónde le salía.
El viejo no le gustaba trabajar con nadie, quería la mina solo para él, los años pasaban y él seguia cavando y cavando, cada día su avaricia crecia con mayor fuerza.
Todos recuerdan aquel verano, que el viejo avaro llegó una tarde a la mina y por varios días no se le vió más, todos pensaban que había muerto tapiado o alguna fuga de gas lo había envenenado.
Los días pasaron y sin más el viejo regreso, algo había cambiado en él, en su frente se asomaban dos cuernos que poco a poco se veían más, era extraño pero aquel viejo no era el mismo.
Por días el minero estuvo trabajando, ya no se le veía comer ni descansar, solo era cavar y cavar, su propósito era encontrar aquel tesoro en oro.
Por las noches mientas cavaba se veía a su lado una sombra, aunque aparentemente el viejo estaba solo, muchos lo llegaron a ver hablando con aquella silueta oscura.
El viejo minero paso años cavando, buscando y trabajando en aquella vieja mina, sus cuernos habían crecido mucho más y su apariencia había empeorado.
Loco se había vuelto aquel avaro, pero nada había encontrado, no había oro, ni ninguna piedra preciosa, solo había arena, polvo y oscuridad.
Al final de uno de esos tantos veranos, el viejo entro pero jamás salió, solo quedo una pequeña lámpara de gas, guindada sobre aquella rama seca y sin luz.
Nadie supo más del minero, pero muchos cuentan por hay, que gracias a su avaricia al llegar a aquella mina, este viejo vendió su alma al diablo a cambio de mucho oro, pero a la final se arrepintió.
Pero este ser maligno lo engaño, le prometio devolver su alma, si lograba sacar un pedacito de oro, el cual nunca consiguió, la vida se le apagó y el maligno se lo llevó.
! [English]
They called him the old miser, that old and strange miner could not be compared to anyone, every day he dug a meter more, in that dark and ruined gold mine.
Just looking at his appearance caused fear, that wrinkled skin, those black teeth that stood out between that big and grotesque smile, those long and filthy nails and that stench that we did not know where it came from.
The old man did not like to work with anyone, he wanted the mine only for himself, the years passed and he kept digging and digging, every day his greed grew stronger and stronger.
Everyone remembers that summer, when the old miser arrived one afternoon at the mine and for several days he was not seen again, everyone thought that he had died walled up or some gas leak had poisoned him.
The days passed and the old man returned, something had changed in him, on his forehead there were two horns that little by little were seen more, it was strange but that old man was not the same.
For days the miner was working, he was no longer seen eating or resting, he was only digging and digging, his purpose was to find that treasure in gold.
At night, while he was digging, a shadow could be seen beside him, although apparently the old man was alone, many saw him talking to that dark silhouette.
The old miner spent years digging, searching and working in that old mine, his horns had grown much longer and his appearance had worsened.
Crazy had become that miser, but he had found nothing, there was no gold, no precious stone, there was only sand, dust and darkness.
At the end of one of those many summers, the old man went in but never came out, only a small gas lamp remained, hanging on that dry branch without light.
Nobody knew more about the miner, but many people say that thanks to his greed when he arrived at that mine, this old man sold his soul to the devil in exchange for a lot of gold, but in the end he repented.
But this evil being deceived him, he promised him to return his soul, if he managed to get a little piece of gold, which he never got, his life was extinguished and the evil one took him.
Photographs of my authorship edition with the Griart.