For the different Cryptids in East Tennessee, thus far, the majority of them have their own history. People can describe the way in which they move, how they smell, and small details down to what their fingernails look like. There is one that many farmers are aware of, but it has very rarely been seen in the wild.
Today, we will talk about what locals call the Apple Devil. The Apple Devil is described as a small Bigfoot. This means that it is hairy and almost human-like in its bipedal nature, but that is all people can describe this creature as. This creature gets its name, the Apple Devil, because it is said by local farmers that their orchards are plagued by its existence. Not only how often it steals their apples in general, but also how much it steals within a season.
Due to the fact that this cryptid is so seldom spotted, people have only been able to make assumptions about it. One of which is that it moves fast to take an abundance of fruit from an orchard in just one night.
Another assumption made is that it might smell foul. The exact scent isn’t described, but many farmers, while making their rounds at night, smell something unfamiliar, and the next morning, a large amount of apples have just vanished.
It would be very easy to brush off the existence of the Apple Devil by saying it was any other creature that would enjoy an apple for a midnight snack, but with a simple observation, knowledgeable farmers can very easily wash away doubt. Deer most commonly eat apples that have fallen on the ground. They aren’t tall enough to reach apples directly from the tree.
Bears might be able to if they climb the tree or stand on their hind legs, but they would leave prints, and there are no reports of bear tracks in the area after all these apples have gone missing. As for smaller animals, such as raccoons or squirrels that could also climb, it is unlikely for this to be the case due to the amount of apples that vanish.
Ultimately, the Apple Devil may simply be a fun tale, but its existence and its target of farmers are very real when they are counting on their produce to serve their family and their community.
