<h3><SPAN name="chap125"></SPAN>125 The Devil and his Grandmother</h3>
<p>There was a great war, and the King had many soldiers, but gave them small pay,
so small that they could not live upon it, so three of them agreed among
themselves to desert. One of them said to the others, “If we are caught
we shall be hanged on the gallows; how shall we manage it?” Another said,
“Look at that great cornfield, if we were to hide ourselves there, no one
could find us; the troops are not allowed to enter it, and to-morrow they are
to march away.” They crept into the corn, only the troops did not march
away, but remained lying all round about it. They stayed in the corn for two
days and two nights, and were so hungry that they all but died, but if they had
come out, their death would have been certain. Then said they, “What is
the use of our deserting if we have to perish miserably here?” But now a
fiery dragon came flying through the air, and it came down to them, and asked
why they had concealed themselves there? They answered, “We are three
soldiers who have deserted because the pay was so bad, and now we shall have to
die of hunger if we stay here, or to dangle on the gallows if we go out.”
“If you will serve me for seven years,” said the dragon, “I
will convey you through the army so that no one shall seize you.”
“We have no choice and are compelled to accept,” they replied. Then
the dragon caught hold of them with his claws, and carried them away through
the air over the army, and put them down again on the earth far from it; but
the dragon was no other than the Devil. He gave them a small whip and said,
“Whip with it and crack it, and then as much gold will spring up round
about as you can wish for; then you can live like great lords, keep horses, and
drive your carriages, but when the seven years have come to an end, you are my
property.” Then he put before them a book which they were all three
forced to sign. “I will, however, then set you a riddle,” said he,
“and if you can guess that, you shall be free, and released from my
power.” Then the dragon flew away from them, and they went away with
their whip, had gold in plenty, ordered themselves rich apparel, and travelled
about the world. Wherever they were they lived in pleasure and magnificence,
rode on horseback, drove in carriages, ate and drank, but did nothing wicked.
The time slipped quickly away, and when the seven years were coming to an end,
two of them were terribly anxious and alarmed; but the third took the affair
easily, and said, “Brothers, fear nothing, my head is sharp enough, I
shall guess the riddle.” They went out into the open country and sat
down, and the two pulled sorrowful faces. Then an aged woman came up to them
who inquired why they were so sad? “Alas!” said they, “how
can that concern you? After all, you cannot help us.” “Who
knows?” said she. “Confide your trouble to me.” So they told
her that they had been the Devil’s servants for nearly seven years, and
that he had provided them with gold as plentifully as if it had been
blackberries, but that they had sold themselves to him, and were forfeited to
him, if at the end of the seven years they could not guess a riddle. The old
woman said, “If you are to be saved, one of you must go into the forest,
there he will come to a fallen rock which looks like a little house, he must
enter that, and then he will obtain help.” The two melancholy ones
thought to themselves, “That will still not save us,” and stayed
where they were, but the third, the merry one, got up and walked on in the
forest until he found the rock-house. In the little house, however, a very aged
woman was sitting, who was the Devil’s grandmother, and asked the soldier
where he came from, and what he wanted there? He told her everything that had
happened, and as he pleased her well, she had pity on him, and said she would
help him. She lifted up a great stone which lay above a cellar, and said,
“Conceal thyself there, thou canst hear everything that is said here;
only sit still, and do not stir. When the dragon comes, I will question him
about the riddle, he tells everything to me, so listen carefully to his
answer.” At twelve o’clock at night, the dragon came flying
thither, and asked for his dinner. The grandmother laid the table, and served
up food and drink, so that he was pleased, and they ate and drank together. In
the course of conversation, she asked him what kind of a day he had had, and
how many souls he had got? “Nothing went very well to-day,” he
answered, “but I have laid hold of three soldiers, I have them
safe.” “Indeed! three soldiers, that’s something like, but
they may escape you yet.” The Devil said mockingly, “They are mine!
I will set them a riddle, which they will never in this world be able to
guess!” “What riddle is that?” she inquired. “I will
tell you. In the great North Sea lies a dead dog-fish, that shall be your roast
meat, and the rib of a whale shall be your silver spoon, and a hollow old
horse’s hoof shall be your wine-glass.” When the Devil had gone to
bed, the old grandmother raised up the stone, and let out the soldier.
“Hast thou paid particular attention to everything?”
“Yes,” said he, “I know enough, and will contrive to save
myself.” Then he had to go back another way, through the window, secretly
and with all speed to his companions. He told them how the Devil had been
overreached by the old grandmother, and how he had learned the answer to the
riddle from him. Then they were all joyous, and of good cheer, and took the
whip and whipped so much gold for themselves that it ran all over the ground.
When the seven years had fully gone by, the Devil came with the book, showed
the signatures, and said, “I will take you with me to hell. There you
shall have a meal! If you can guess what kind of roast meat you will have to
eat, you shall be free and released from your bargain, and may keep the whip as
well.” Then the first soldier began and said, “In the great North
Sea lies a dead dog-fish, that no doubt is the roast meat.” The Devil was
angry, and began to mutter, “Hm! hm! hm!” And asked the second,
“But what will your spoon be?” “The rib of a whale, that is
to be our silver spoon.” The Devil made a wry face, again growled,
“Hm! hm! hm!” and said to the third, “And do you also know
what your wine-glass is to be?” “An old horse’s hoof is to be
our wineglass.” Then the Devil flew away with a loud cry, and had no more
power over them, but the three kept the whip, whipped as much money for
themselves with it as they wanted, and lived happily to their end.</p>
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