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By Root 2251 0

“but I have laid hold of three soldiers,—I have them safe.” “Indeed! three soldiers, they’re clever, they may escape you yet.” The Devil said mockingly: “They are mine! I will set them a riddle, which they will never be able to guess!” “What riddle is that?” she inquired. “I will tell you: in the great North Sea lies a dead dogfish, 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 wineglass.” When the Devil had gone to bed, the old grandmother raised up the stone, and let out the soldier. “Did you give heed to everything?” “Yes,” said he, “I know enough, and will 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 outwitted by the old grandmother, and how he had learned the answer to the riddle from him. Then they were all delighted, 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 dogfish, 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 wineglass 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.

Ferdinand the Faithful and Ferdinand the Unfaithful

ONCE UPON a time lived a man and a woman who so long as they were rich had no children, but when they were poor they got a little boy. They could find no godfather for him, so the man said he would just go to another village to see if he could get one there. On his way he met a poor man, who asked him where he was going. He said he was going to see if he could get a godfather, because he was so poor that no one would stand as godfather for him. “Oh,” said the poor man, “you are poor, and I am poor; I will be godfather for you, but I am so badly off I can give the child nothing. Go home and tell the midwife that she is to come to the church with the child.”

When they all got to the church together, the beggar was already there, and he gave the child the name of Ferdinand the Faithful.

When he was going out of the church, the beggar said: “Now go home, I can give you nothing, and you likewise ought to give me nothing.” But he gave a key to the midwife, and told her when she got home she was to give it to the father, who was to take care of it until the child was fourteen years old, and then he was to go on the heath where there was a castle which the key would fit, and that all which was therein should belong to him. Now when the child was seven years old and had grown very big, he once went to play with some other boys, and each of them boasted that he had got more from his godfather than the other; but the child could say nothing, and was vexed, and went home and said to his father: “Did I get nothing at all, then, from my godfather?” “Oh, yes,” said the father, “you have a key—if there is a castle standing on the heath, just go to it and open it.” Then the boy went thither, but no castle was to be seen, or heard of.

After seven years more, when he was fourteen years old, he again went thither, and there stood the castle. When he had opened it, there was nothing within but a horse,—a white one. Then the boy was so full of joy because he had a horse, that he mounted on it and galloped back to his father.