Imagine you're camping in the Pine Barrens. You hear a noise and then see a strange creature lurking in the shadows. Could it be the Jersey Devil? The legend of the Jersey Devil began in 1735, supposedly the thirteenth child of Mrs. Leeds. When she found out she was pregnant with her thirteenth child, she cursed him and said he had better be a devil. When he was born, the midwife died of shock and the Devil ate the twelve sibilants, sparing the mother and flew out of the chimney (Julian 1). Another version of the story is that Mrs. Leeds cursed the child after giving birth to him, then locked him in the attic for years. He then transformed into the beast he is today and fled into the woods (Russell 1). The Jersey Devil is just a myth to some and a horrible reality to others. Thousands of people have seen the Devil and been harassed by him over the years. There are many similarities in these sightings. Many witnesses say it has a long neck, a tail, wings and hooves. There have also been vicious attacks on animals. Several reports reported mutilated pets and livestock. The legend of the Jersey Devil may be true due to sightings, descriptions and attacks. Thousands of people have seen the Jersey Devil, many of whom are respectable and upstanding citizens. Even famous and powerful people have seen it. Commodore Stephen Decatur, an early 19th century American naval hero, was trying to fire cannonballs. He shot the devil in the chest. He appeared unharmed due to the hole in his chest and flew away (McCloy, Miller 31). Even royalty saw the Devil. It is said that Joseph Bonaparte, former king of Spain and brother of Napoleon, saw the Devil while hunting on his estate. A taxi driver was reportedly repairing a flat tire on a road near a pine forest at night. When he was done, a bipedal creature with wings grabbed the flat tire and flew away. The taxi driver walked away scared. The next day, when he returned to investigate, the tire was found 100 meters away in the woods (Perticaro 3). January 1909 was the most widespread period of sightings on record. Thousands of people claimed to have seen the Devil during the week in January 16 – 23.