第14章TheDevilofSootyBrother

第14章thedevilofsootybrother

adischargedsoldierhadnothingtoliveon,anddidnotknowhowtomakehisway.sohewentoutintotheforest,andwhenhehadwalkedforashorttime,hemetalittlemanwhoturnedouttobethedevil.thelittlemansaidtohim:“whatailsyou,youseemsoverysorrowful?”thenthesoldiersaid:“iamhungry,buthavenomoney.”thedevilsaid:“ifyouwillhireyourselftome,andbemyservingman,youshallhaveenoughforallyourlife.youshallservemeforsevenyears,andafterthatyoushallagainbefree.butonethingimusttellyou,andthatis,youmustnotwash,comb,ortrimyourself,orcutyourhairornails,orwipethewaterfromyoureyes.”thesoldiersaid:“allright,ifthereisnohelpforit,”andwentoffwiththelittleman,whostraightwayledhimdownintohell.thenhetoldhimwhathehadtodo:hewastopokethefireunderthekettleswhereinthehellbrothwasstewing,keepthehouseclean,driveallthesweepingsbehindthedoors,andseethateverythingwasinorder,butifheoncepeepedintothekettles,itwouldgoillwithhim.thesoldiersaid:“good,iwilltakecare.”andthentheolddevilwentoutagainonhiswanderings,andthesoldierentereduponhisnewduties,madethefire,andsweptthedirtwellbehindthedoors,justashehadbeenbidden.whentheolddevilcamebackagain,helookedtoseeifallhadbeendone,appearedsatisfied,andwentforthasecondtime.thesoldiernowtookagoodlookoneveryside;thekettleswerestandingallroundhellwithamightyfirebelowthem,andinsidetheywereboilingandsputtering.hewouldhavegivenanythingtolookinsidethem,ifthedevilhadnotsoparticularlyforbiddenhim:atlast,hecouldnolongerrestrainhimself,slightlyraisedthelidofthefirstkettle,andpeepedin,andtherehesawhisformercorporalsitting.“aha,oldbird!”saidhe.“doimeetyouhere?youoncehadmeinyourpower,nowihaveyou,”andhequicklyletthelidfall,pokedthefire,andaddedafreshlog.afterthat,hewenttothesecondkettle,raiseditslidalsoalittle,andpeepedinandtheresathisformerensign.“aha,oldbird,soifindyouhere!youoncehadmeinyourpower,nowihaveyou.”heclosedthelidagain,andfetchedyetanotherlogtomakeitreallyhot.thenhewantedtoseewhomightbesittingupinthethirdkettle—andwhoshoulditbebuthisgeneral.“aha,oldbird,doimeetyouhere?onceyouhadmeinyourpower,nowihaveyou,”andhefetchedthebellowsandmadehellfireblazerightunderhim.sohedidhisworksevenyearsinhell,didnotwash,comb,ortrimhimself,orcuthishairornails,orwashthewateroutofhiseyes,andthesevenyearsseemedsoshorttohimthathethoughthehadonlybeenhalfayear.nowwhenthetimehadfullygoneby,thedevilcameandsaid:“wellhans,whathaveyoudone?”“ipokedthefireunderthekettles,andihavesweptallthedirtwellbehindthedoors.”  “butyouhavepeepedintothekettlesaswell;itisluckyforyouthatyouaddedfreshlogstothem,orelseyourlifewouldhavebeenforfeited;nowthatyourtimeisup,willyougohomeagain?”“yes,”saidthesoldier,“ishouldverymuchliketoseewhatmyfatherisdoingathome.”thedevilsaid:“inorderthatyoumayreceivethewagesyouhaveearned,goandfillyourknapsackfullofthesweepings,andtakeithomewithyou.youmustalsogounwashedanduncombed,withlonghaironyourheadandbeard,andwithuncutnailsanddimeyes,andwhenyouareaskedwhenceyoucome,youmustsay:‘fromhell,'andwhenyouareaskedwhoyouare,youaretosay:‘thedevil'ssootybrother,andmykingaswell.'”thesoldierheldhispeace,anddidasthedevilbadehim,buthewasnotatallsatisfiedwithhiswages.

thenassoonashewasupintheforestagain,hetookhisknapsackfromhisback,toemptyit,butonopeningit,thesweepingshadbecomepuregold.“ishouldneverhaveexpectedthat,”saidhe,andwaswellpleased,andenteredthetown.thelandlordwasstandinginfrontoftheinn,andwhenhesawthesoldierapproachinghewasterrified,becausehanslookedsuchahorriblesight,worsethanascare-crow.hecalledtohimandasked:“whencedoyoucome?”“fromhell.”“whoareyou?”“thedevil'ssootybrother,andmykingaswell.”thenthehostwouldnotlethimenter,butwhenhansshowedhimthegold,hecameandunlatchedthedoorhimself.hansthenorderedthebestroomandattendance,ate,anddrankhisfill,butneitherwashednorcombedhimselfasthedevilhadbiddenhim,andatlastlaydowntosleep.buttheknapsackfullofgoldremainedbeforetheeyesofthelandlord,andlefthimnopeace,andduringthenighthecreptinandstoleitaway.nextmorning,however,whenhansgoupandwantedtopaythelandlordandtravelfurther,behold,hisknapsackwasgone!buthesooncomposedhimselfandthought:“youhavebeenunfortunatefromnofaultofyourown,”andstraightwaywentbackagaintohell,complainedofhismisfortunetotheolddevil,andedforhishelp.thedevilsaid:“seatyourself,iwillwash,comb,andtrimyou,cutyourhairandnails,andwashyoureyesforyou,”andwhenhehaddonewithhim,hegavehimtheknapsackbackagainfullofsweepings,andsaid:“goandtellthelandlordthathemustreturnyouyourmoney,orelseiwillcomeandfetchhim,andheshallpokethefireinyourplace,”hanswentupandsaidtothelandlord:“youhavestolenmymoney;ifyoudonotreturnit,youshallgodowntohellinmyplace,andwilllookashorribleasi.”thenthelandlordgavehimthemoney,andmorebesides,onlyinghimtokeepitsecret.andhanswasnowarichman.

hesetoutonhiswayhometohisfather,boughthimselfashabbysmocktowear,andstrolledaboutmakingmusic,forhehadlearnedtodothatwhilehewaswiththedevilinhell.therewas,however,anoldkinginthatcountry,beforewhomhehadtoplay,andthekingwassodelightedwithhisplaying,thathepromisedhimhiseldestdaughterinmarriage.butwhensheheardthatshewastobemarriedtoacommonfellowinasmock,shesaid:“ratherthandothat,iwouldgointothedeepestwater.”thenthekinggavehimtheyoungest,whowasquitewillingtodoittopleaseherfather;andthusthedevil'ssootybrothergottheking'sdaughter,andwhentheagedkingdied,thewholekingdomlikewise.