mud/content/library/grimm/125_the_devil_and_his_grandmother.txt

The Devil and his Grandmother

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.