The Complete Grimm's Fairy Tales (Pantheon Books) - Jacob Grimm [68]
The grandmother loused him again until he went to sleep and snored so that the windows shook. Then she pulled the second hair out. “Ha! what are you doing?” cried the Devil angrily. “Do not take it ill,” said she, “I did it in a dream.” “What have you dreamt this time?” asked he. “I dreamt that in a certain kingdom there stood an apple-tree which had once borne golden apples, but now would not even bear leaves. What, think you, was the reason?”
“Oh! if they did but know,” answered the Devil. “A mouse is gnawing at the root; if they killed it they would have golden apples again, but if it gnaws much longer the tree will wither altogether. But I have had enough of your dreams; if you disturb me in my sleep again you will get a box on the ear.”
The grandmother spoke gently to him and picked his lice once more until he fell asleep and snored. Then she took hold of the third golden hair and pulled it out. The Devil jumped up, roared out, and would have treated her ill if she had not quieted him again and said: “Who can help bad dreams?” “What was the dream, then?” asked he, and was quite curious. “I dreamt of a ferryman who complained that he must always ferry from one side to the other, and was never released. What is the cause of it?” “Ah! the fool,” answered the Devil; “when anyone comes and wants to go across he must put the oar in his hand, and the other man will have to ferry and he will be free.” As the grandmother had plucked out the three golden hairs, and the three questions were answered, she let the old Devil alone, and he slept until daybreak.
When the Devil had gone out again the old woman took the ant out of the folds of her dress, and gave the child of good fortune his human shape again. “There are the three golden hairs for you,” said she. “What the Devil said to your three questions, I suppose you heard?” “Yes,” answered he, “I heard, and will take care to remember.” “You have what you want,” said she, “and now you can go your way.” He thanked the old woman for helping him in his need, and left Hell well content that everything had turned out so fortunately.
When he came to the ferryman he was expected to give the promised answer. “Ferry me across first,” said the child of good fortune, “and then I will tell you how you can be set free,” and when he had reached the opposite shore he gave him the Devil’s advice: “Next time anyone comes, who wants to be ferried over, just put the oar in his hand.”
He went on and came to the town wherein stood the unfruitful tree, and there too the watchman wanted an answer. So he told him what he had heard from the Devil: “Kill the mouse which is gnawing at its root, and it will again bear golden apples.” Then the watchman thanked him, and gave him as a reward two asses laden with gold, which followed him.
Finally, he came to the town whose well was dry. He told the watchman what the Devil had said: “A toad is in the well beneath a stone; you must find it and kill it, and the well will again give wine in plenty.” The watchman thanked him, and also gave him two asses laden with gold.
At last the child of good fortune got home to his wife, who was heartily glad to see him again, and to hear how well he had prospered in everything. To the King he took what he had asked for, the Devil’s three golden hairs, and when the King saw the four asses laden with gold he was quite content, and said: “Now all the conditions are fulfilled, and you can keep my daughter. But tell me, dear son-in-law, where did all that gold come from? this is tremendous wealth!” “I was rowed across a river,