Bearskin
and other folktales of type 361
in which a man gains a fortuneand a beautiful bride
by entering into a pact
with the devil
translated and/or edited by
D. L. Ashliman
© 1999-2023
translated and/or edited by
D. L. Ashliman
© 1999-2023
The foes of war were soon replaced by the enemies cold, thirst, and hunger. With nowhere to turn for help, he was about to surrender to the powers of despair, when without warning an awful spirit appeared before him. He offered the poor soldier great wealth, if he would but serve this uncanny master for seven years. Seeing no other escape from his misery, the soldier agreed.
The terms of the pact were quickly stated: For seven years the soldier was to wear only a bearskin robe, both day and night. He was to say no prayers. Neither comb nor shears were to touch his hair and beard. He was not to wash, nor cut his nails, nor blow his nose, nor even wipe his behind. In return, the spirit would provide him with tobacco, food, drink, and an endless supply of money.
The soldier, who by his very nature was not especially fond of either prayers or of cleanliness, entered into the agreement. He took lodgings in a village inn, and discovered soon enough that his great wealth was ample compensation for his strange looks and ill smell.
A nobleman frequented this inn. Impressed by Bearskin's lavish and generous expenditures, he presented him with a proposal. "I have three beautiful daughters," he said. "If the terms are right, you may choose any one of them for a bride."
Bearskin named a sum that was acceptable to the nobleman, and the two set forth to the palace to make the selection. The two older daughters made no attempt to hide their repugnance of the strange suitor, but the youngest unhesitatingly accepted her father's will. Bearskin formalized the betrothal by removing a ring from his own finger and twisting it into two pieces. One piece he gave to his future bride; the other he kept. Saying that soon he would return, he departed.
The seven years were nearly finished, so a short time later Bearskin did indeed come back for his bride. Now freshly bathed, neatly shorn, elegantly dressed, and riding in a luxurious carriage, he was a suitor worthy of a princess. Identifying himself with his half of the twisted ring, he claimed his bride.
Beside themselves with envy, and furious that they had squandered their rights to this handsome nobleman, one of the bride's older sisters hanged herself from a tree and the other one drowned herself in a well. Thus the devil gained two souls for the one that he had lost.
Thus they left him, and he had to wander on by himself. He came to a large heath and was very hungry. He sat down under a ring of trees and cried. Suddenly he heard a roar, and looking up he saw the devil approaching him.
He was wearing a green coat and had horse-hooves for feet. He spoke to the boy: "What is wrong with you? Why are you crying?"
The boy complained to him of his distress and said: "My brothers have abandoned me."
Then the devil spoke: "I will help you. Put on this green coat. It has pockets that are always full of money. You can reach into them whenever you want; but in return I ask that you do not wash yourself, nor comb your hair, nor pray for seven years. If you die during these seven years, you are mine, but if you stay alive, you will be free and rich for the rest of your life."
The boy's plight made him agree to the devil's conditions. He put on the devil's green coat, put his hand in the pocket, and it was full of money.
He now went forth into the world wearing the green coat. The first year was good, for with his money he could pay for anything he wanted, and he was still considered quite a human being. It got worse the second year, when his hair had grown so long that no one could recognize him; and no one wanted to take him in because he looked so hideous. And the longer it got, the worse it got for him. However, he gave money everywhere to the poor so that they would pray for him that he would not die during the seven years and thus fall into the devil's hands.
In his fourth year Greenjacket came to an inn where the innkeeper did not want to take him. However, he pulled out a lot of money and paid in advance, so he finally got a room.
That evening he heard loud moaning in the next room, so he went in and found an old man sitting there who was crying because he had a great debt at the inn and had no money to pay for it. Hence they had detained him until he would be able to pay.
Hearing this Greenjacket said: "If that's all it's about, I've got enough money. I'll pay your debt."
And thus he set the old man free.
Now the old man had three beautiful daughters. He said to Greenjacket that he should go home with him and choose one of them as a wife for a reward.
So he went with him, but when they got home and the eldest daughter saw the man in the green coat, she cried out that she would never marry such a dreadful man, who was no longer human and looked like a bear. The second daughter ran away as well, saying the she would rather go out into the wide, wide world.
However, the youngest daughter said: "Father dear, because you promised it, and he helped you in your time of need, I will be obedient to you."
Then Greenjacket took a ring from his finger and broke it in two and gave her one half and kept the other for himself. Inside her half he wrote his name, and in his half he wrote hers He told her to keep her half of the ring.
He stayed with her for a while and then said: "Now I have to say good-bye. I'll be away for three years. Be faithful to me for that long, then I'll come back, and we'll have our wedding. If I haven't returned in three years then you'll be free, because I will have died; but pray for me that God might grant me life."
During the three years the two older sisters made fun of the youngest, saying that she would have to take a bear for a husband instead of a decent man.
But the youngest one remained silent, thinking: "You must obey your father, come what may."
Meanwhile Greenjacket went about in the world. He often reached into his pocket and bought for his bride the most beautiful thing he could see. Furthermore, he did nothing but good wherever he could, and he gave money to the poor to pray for him. God showed him grace, and he remained alive and healthy until the three years had elapsed.
When the time was up, he went out again to the heath and sat under the ring of trees. Once again he heared a poweful roar, and the devil approached growling evilly. He threw down the old coat down and demanded the green one. The youth happily stripped it off and handed it back to the devil. Now he was free and rich forever.
Then he went home, cleaned himself up and dressed up, and went off to his bride. When he came to the gate, the father met him. The youth greeted him and said he was the bridegroom, but the father did not recognize him, and would not believe him.
So he went up to the bride, who did not want to believe him either. Finally he asked her if she still had her half of the ring. She said yes and fetched it. He pulled out his own half, and they fit together. Thus it was certain that he must be her bridegroom. Seeing that he now was a handsome man, she rejoiced and loved him, and they were married.
The two sisters who had passed up their own good fortune were so angry that on the wedding day the one drowned herself and the other hanged herself.
That evening someone knocked and growled at the door. The bridegroom opened it, and it was the devil in the green coat, who said: "You see, I now have two souls for the one of yours!"
His parents were dead, and he had no longer a home, so he went to his brothers and asked them to support him until there was another war.
The brothers, however, were hardhearted and said, "What can we do with you? We have no work for you. See that you go and make a living for yourself."
The soldier had nothing left but his gun, so, putting it on his shoulder, he went forth into the world. He came to a large heath, on which nothing was to be seen but a circle of trees. Filled with sorrow, he sat down beneath them and thought about his fate.
"I have no money," he thought, "and the only trade I have learned is that of making war, and now that they have made peace they can no longer use me, so I see that I shall starve."
Suddenly he heard a rustling sound, and when he looked around, a strange man was standing before him. He wore a green jacket and looked quite stately, but he had a hideous horse's foot.
"I know what you are in need of," said the man. "You shall have money and property, as much as you, with all your might, can squander away, but first I must know if you are fearless, so that I won't be giving away my money for nothing."
"A soldier and fear -- how can those go together?" he answered, "You can put me to the test."
"Very well," answered the man, "look behind you."
The soldier turned around and saw a large growling bear running towards him.
"Aha," shouted the soldier, "I'll tickle your nose until you lose your desire for growling." Then taking aim at the bear, he shot it in the snout, and it fell down motionless.
"I see quite well," said the stranger, "that you do not lack for courage, but there is one more condition that you will have to fulfill."
"If it does not endanger my salvation," answered the soldier, who knew quite well who was standing before him. "Otherwise I'll have nothing to do with it."
"You'll see about that for yourself," answered Greenjacket. "For the next seven years you are neither to wash yourself, nor comb your beard and hair, nor cut your nails, nor say the Lord's prayer. I will give you a jacket and a cloak, which you must wear during this time. If you die during these seven years, you are mine. If you stay alive, you are free, and rich as well, for all the rest of your life."
The soldier thought about his desperate situation, and having faced death so often before, he decided to risk it now as well, and he entered into the agreement.
The devil took off his green jacket and gave it to the soldier, saying, "Whenever you wear this jacket and reach into its pocket, you will find a handful of money."
Then he pulled the skin off the bear and said, "This shall be your cloak, and your bed as well, for you are to sleep on it, and you are not allowed to lie in any other bed. Because of your clothing you shall you be called Bearskin." With that the devil disappeared.
The soldier put on the jacket, immediately reached into the pocket, and found that the promise was really true. Then he put on the bearskin and went forth into the world. He did whatever he pleased, refraining from nothing that did him good and his money harm.
During the first year his appearance was still acceptable, but during the second he looked like a monster. His hair covered nearly his entire face. His beard looked like a piece of coarse felt cloth. His fingers had claws, and his face was so covered with dirt that if someone had planted cress on it, it would have grown. Everyone who saw him ran away. However, because everywhere he went he gave money to the poor to pray that he might not die during the seven years, and because he paid well for everything, he always found shelter.
In the fourth year he arrived an inn. The innkeeper would not let him enter, refusing even to let him have a place in the stable because he was afraid he would frighten the horses. However, when Bearskin reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of ducats, the innkeeper softened and gave him a room in an outbuilding. Bearskin, however, had to promise not to let himself be seen, lest the inn should get a bad name.
One evening Bearskin was sitting alone, wishing with all his heart that the seven years were over, he heard a loud moaning in a neighboring room. He had a compassionate heart, so he opened the door and saw an old man weeping bitterly and striking his hands together above his head. Bearskin went nearer, but the man jumped to his feet and tried to run away. At last, hearing a human voice, the man let Bearskin talk to him, and with friendly words Bearskin succeeded in getting the old man to reveal the cause of his grief. Slowly but surely the old man had lost his wealth, and now he and his daughters would have to starve. He was so poor that he could not pay the innkeeper and was to be sent to prison.
"If that is your only problem," said Bearskin, "I have money enough." He called for the innkeeper and paid him, and then put a bag full of gold into the poor man's pocket.
When the old man saw that he was freed from all his troubles he did not know how to show his gratitude.
"Come with me," he said to Bearskin. "My daughters are all miracles of beauty. Choose one of them for your wife. When she hears what you have done for me she will not refuse you. You do look a little strange, to be sure, but she will put you in order again."
This pleased Bearskin well, and he went with the old man.
When the oldest daughter saw him she was so terrified at his face that she screamed and ran away.
The second one stood still and looked at him from head to foot, but then she said, "How can I accept a husband who no longer has a human form? The shaved bear that once was here and passed itself off for a man pleased me far better. At least it was wearing a hussar's fur and white gloves. If ugliness were his only flaw, I could get used to him."
The youngest one, however, said, "Father, dear, he must be a good man to have helped you out of your trouble. If you promised him a bride for doing so, your word must be kept."
It was a pity that Bearskin's face was covered with dirt and hair, for otherwise they would have seen how his heart laughed within his body when he heard these words. He took a ring from his finger, broke it in two, and gave her one half. He kept the other half himself. He then wrote his name inside her half, and her name inside his. He asked her to take good care of her piece.
Then he took leave saying, "I must wander about for three more years. If I do not return at that time you are free, for I shall be dead. But ask God to preserve my life."
The poor bride-to-be dressed herself entirely in black, and when she thought about her future bridegroom, tears came into her eyes. From her sisters she received nothing but contempt and scorn.
"Be careful," said the oldest. "If you give him your hand, he will hit you with his claws."
"Beware," said the second. "Bears like sweet things, and if he takes a liking to you, he will eat you up."
"You must always do what he wants you to," continued the oldest, "or he will begin to growl."
And the second added, "But the wedding will be merry, for bears dance well."
The bride-to-be said nothing and did not let them irritate her. Bearskin, however, traveled about the world from one place to another, did good wherever he could, and gave generously to the poor that they might pray for him.
Finally, at dawn on the last day of the seven years, he went once more out to the heath, and seated himself beneath the circle of trees. Before long the wind began to howl, and the devil stood before him, looking at him angrily. He threw Bearskin's old jacket to him and demanded the return of his own green one.
"We haven't gotten that far yet," answered Bearskin. "First of all you have to clean me up."
Whether the devil wanted to or not, he had to fetch water and wash off Bearskin, comb his hair, and cut his nails. After this he looked like a brave soldier and was much better looking than he had ever been before.
When the devil was safely gone Bearskin was quite lighthearted. He went into the town, purchased a splendid velvet jacket, seated himself in a carriage drawn by four white horses, and drove to his bride's house. No one recognized him. The father took him for a distinguished colonel and led him into the room where his daughters were sitting. He was given a seat between the two oldest ones. They poured wine for him, served him the finest things to eat, and thought that they had never seen a more handsome man in all the world.
The bride-to-be, however, sat across from him in her black dress without raising her eyes or speaking a word. Finally he asked the father if he would give him one of his daughters for a wife, whereupon the two oldest ones jumped up and ran into their bedrooms to put on splendid dresses, for each of them thought that she was the chosen one.
As soon as he was alone with his bride-to-be, the stranger brought out his half of the ring and dropped it into a glass of wine, which he handed across the table to her. She took the wine, but when she had drunk it and found the half ring lying at the bottom, her heart began to beat. She took the other half, which she wore on a ribbon around her neck, put them together, and saw that the two pieces matched perfectly.
Then he said, "I am your betrothed bridegroom, whom you saw as Bearskin. Through God's grace I have regained my human form and have become clean again."
He went to her, embraced her, and gave her a kiss. In the meantime the two sisters came back in full dress. When they saw that the youngest sister had received the handsome man, and heard that he was Bearskin, they ran out filled with anger and rage. One of them drowned herself in the well. The other hanged herself on a tree.
That evening, someone knocked at the door, and when the bridegroom opened it, it was the devil in his green jacket, who said, "You see, I now have two souls for the one of yours."
His father must have been very angry with him, for one day he sent him away, saying: "Go to the devil."
Hans went on his way and came into a large forest. He hadn't gone much further when suddenly a man dressed in a hunter's jacket came up to him and asked where he was going.
Hans said: "Well, I don't know myself. My father sent me to the devil."
Then the man said: "I am the devil. If you will serve me for three years, I will bring you good fortune, but you must not wash yourself for three years, nor cut your beard, hair, or nails for three years."
Hans was thinking about this when the devil said: "Don' be afraid. You will do well in my service."
So Hans agreed. The devil then gave Hans money and sent him on his was.
One day Hans came to an inn. The innkeeper said: "I cannot allow such a fellow as you to stay here."
Hans begged fervently to be allowed to spend the the night there, but the innkeeper said: "No, that's not possible. Today a large card party is coming here, and they are all fine gentlemen."
Hans said: "I will sit quietly behind the chimney. Nobody will see me there."
Then the innkeeper said: "Well, for all I care you can stay here. "
Hans crawled behind the chimney. Soon afterward, several gentlemen came and sat down to play cards. After an hour one of them had lost nearly all of his money, and he said to himself: "If the devil took that, then he will probably take the rest as well."
He went out the door. Hans came out quietly from behind the chimney, ran after the stranger, and said: "Don't be so discouraged. I'll help you."
When the man looked at him, he wanted to run away, because Hans looked so very wild, but Hans said: "Don't be so stupid. Here's some money; you'll win with it."
The man took the money and went back into the room. Not only did he win back his lost money, but everyone else's as well.
When everyone had finally gone, Hans ran after the man and said: "I have helped you, now you should give me a small reward for it. I would like to marry your youngest daughter."
This request made the man's hair stand on end, but after a while he said: "Yes, you may do so. Just come with me."
When both had gone a distance from the village, they came to a stately castle which belonged to the man. He lived there with his three daughters. When they saw the father with his guest, they wanted to run away.
Hans said: "I am going to marry one of you. Just don't run away."
With that the father persuaded the youngest to come over to Hans and shake his hand. She approached fearfully and shook hands with the stranger.
Hans said: "I'll be back in three weeks, and then we'll have our wedding."
In three weeks the three years during which Hans had served the devil would be over, and then, as the devil had said, he should be happy.
The older sisters now ridiculed the youngest, calling her the devil's bride.
The day before the three years were up, the devil came to the slovenly Hans and gave him an enormous amount of money, a carriage with two beautiful horses, and a little bottle of magic ointment.
Then the devil said: "I'll visit you one more time, on your wedding day, but after that I won't come back."
Then he disappeared.
The next day Hans went to a large lake to bathe in it, because he wanted to get married soon. On the way he met a poor shepherd. He asked him to cut off his nails and shave his beard, but the shepherd ran away as fast as he could. Then Hans met a blacksmith and he asked him to do the same thing.
The blacksmith thought: "He looks like the devil's cousin, but I can deal with him."
He took Hans into the forge, picked up a large pair of tongs and used them to pinch off the long devil-claws. Then he took a large pair of sheep-shears and shaved Hans's beard with them, and then cut the hair on his head.
Afterward Hans smeared himself with his magic ointment. He immediately became a handsome young man. He then climbed into his carriage and drove to his bride at the castle.
The lord of the castle and his daughters were amazed when they saw the fine gentleman getting out of the carriage. The next day was the wedding, and the older sisters were now very angry because of their youngest sister's good fortune.
On the wedding night, when Hans was about to go to bed, the devil knocked on the window and said: "Hans, do you have yours?" I have the other two."
And so it was. At the end of the wedding the two older sisters had been so envious of their sister's good fortune that they had hanged themselves.
The innkeeper got wind of this, and one evening he said, "My good friend, you are now well rested. Be so good as to be on your way early in the morning. Here is the bill for what you owe me."
This brought both chills and fever to journeyman, who asked the innkeeper if he at least could not wait until tomorrow to be paid. "Tomorrow," he said, "is one more day."
"Good," said the innkeeper, "but be careful that you don't end up in the Black Tower Inn. Around here that's where folks stay who eat and drink more than their purses will cover."
As soon as the innkeeper had left, the journeyman threw himself onto his bed, but fear and worry kept him awake the entire night. Then suddenly a black figure approached his bed, and the journeyman recognized him as the devil for sure.
He said, "Fear not, my dear companion, if you'll provide the sausage, I'll bring the drinks. Lend me a hand, and I'll help you out of your predicament."
"Doing what?" asked the journeyman.
"Just stay here in this inn for seven years," said the devil. "I'll keep you out of debt and provide you with everything you need. Afterward you'll be even better off, and you'll have money like the leaves on trees. In return for this you must neither wash yourself, nor comb your hair, nor cut your hair or nails."
"That job is worth the pay," thought the journeyman, and he entered the agreement without further hesitation.
When the innkeeper appeared the next morning, the journeyman paid him every last penny that was due, and he still had a good surplus for future bills.
The journeyman stayed at the inn for years and days, spending money as though it were sand on the beach. But he became as wild as the night, and no one wanted to look at him. One fine morning a merchant who lived nearby came to the inn. He had three strikingly beautiful daughters. He had come to tell his sorrows to the innkeeper, for he had badly miscalculated in a business deal and did not know how he was going to get out of the difficulty.
"Listen," said the innkeeper. "There's help for you here. A strange fellow has been living upstairs in my rented room for more than six years now. He lets himself go completely, and looks as bad as sin, but he has money like hay, and is a free-spender. Give him a try. Anyway, I've long noticed that he often stares at your house. Who knows, perhaps he's got his eye on one of your daughters.
This advice made good sense to the merchant. He went upstairs to the journeyman, and the two of them soon struck a deal. The journeyman would pay the merchant's debts, and the merchant would give one of his daughters to the journeyman in marriage.
However, when they went to the three daughters, and the father explained the situation to them, the oldest one ran away, crying out, "Phooey, father! What sort of a monster is this that you've brought home? I'd sooner jump into water than to marry him."
The second daughter did no better. She cried out, "Phooey, father! What sort of a creature is this that you've brought home? I'd sooner hang myself than to marry him."
But the third and youngest daughter said, "He must be a good man, father, if he wants to rescue you. I'll take him."
She turned her eyes to the floor and did not look at him, but he took a great liking to her, and the wedding was set.
The seven years that the devil had demanded were now past. On the morning of the wedding day a splendid coach, sparkling with gold and precious stones, drove up to the merchant's house. Out jumped the journeyman, who had now become a fine young nobleman.
The bride breathed a sigh of relief, and there was endless rejoicing. The wedding party went to the church in a long procession, for the merchant and the innkeeper had invited all their relatives.
Only the happy bride's two older sisters did not participate. They angrily took their own lives, the one at the end of a rope, the other in water. And as the bridegroom was leaving the church, he saw the devil again, the first time in seven years. He was sitting on a roof, laughing with satisfaction, and saying:
Partner, I did better than you,
You got one, and I got two.
Now when people are very dirty and go about unwashed the evil one gains power over them. Many have painfully and bitterly experienced this, repenting too late. That is what happened to this boy. He suddenly disappeared. They saw neither hide nor hair of him, and no one knew what had become of him.
Seven years passed since his disappearance, and he had nearly been forgotten when he suddenly showed up again. He had changed and aged so much that his closest acquaintances could scarcely recognize him. His skin color was now entirely black and his hair was very shaggy. Furthermore he was very quiet, saying almost nothing. But he did talk about one thing, especially to children.
He told them that he had come under the power of the devil because of his refusal to wash, and that he had been forced to serve as a gatekeeper to Hell. Thus he had seen everyone who had gone through this fiery gate during this time, and there had been so many that he couldn't account for them all. Rich and noble, poor and lowly, men and women had to go past this gatekeeper, and he thanked God that he himself did not have to enter there and that his time of service was only seven years.
He now resolved to wash himself thoroughly and never let himself become dirty.
He faithfully kept this resolution, for he did not want to become Hell's gatekeeper once again and see the damned ones pass by him.
"How would I know?" replied the lad. "I am as poor as a stone. I am trying my luck in the world. There are great gentlemen, as surely you are one, and with one of them I hope to find mercy or a position.
"You are quite right," said the gentleman. "I can and will help you, but only under one condition: All your life you shall have money and gold as much as you wish; but you must neither shave nor wash for three years and three days. Furthermore, you must know right now that I am the devil. If you wash or shave just one hour before the three years and three days are up, you are mine. Do you agree to this?"
The boy didn't think twice before he said yes.
Now he always had money in his pocket, and he lived merrily on the fat of the land, throwing gold and coins about as though they were sand. He moved from town to town. In the meantime his beard grew and his face looked like you-know-what. However, he had money and whoever has money finds merry friends and a good reception everywhere. A little bit of cleanliness inside and out is not important for such easy-going comrades.
After two years had passed he thought about looking for a wife. He got to know three beautiful but poor sisters, went there, and brought them valuable presents.
Finally he proposed to the eldest, but she was very indignant and said: "How can you come to me with such a request, you dirty swine? You make me sick even when I look at you from afar!"
When he said he was rich and had all the money that she could ever want, she cursed him even more and then left him. He did not fare any better with the second sister either.
On the other hand, the youngest sister thought to herself: "He may be unclean, but he has plenty of money," and she did not reject him out-of-hand. Finally she even promised to marry him.
The two older sisters were very angry with her and scolded her every day; but she consoled herself with the gifts he brought her and let her sisters and the people say whatever they wanted to. Once he brought her a jewelry box but forbade her to open it. She overcame her curiosity and locked the box in the drawer of her cabinet.
Finally the three years and three days were up. He washed. himself with soap and had his beard shaved off. How good he felt when he was rid of the constant tingling and itching, and even better: he now had enough money for the rest of his life!
He now went back to the three sisters, who did not recognize him.
When he talked intimately with the youngest and spoke about their upcoming marriage, she got angry and said: "Who are you that you can talk to me like that? I already have a groom!"
"That's me!" he replied, laughing. When she did not want to believe him, he reminded her of the jewelry box and told her exactly what was in it. So she fetched it and found everything as he had said. Now she was very happy, and a few days later the wedding took place.
Now the reader may think that the devil has thus been cheated out of a soul, and be happy about this. However, the old arch rascal is not always as stupid as one might think. Actually he calculates more cleverly and slyly we give him credit for. This time he doubled down on his wager. You see, the two older sisters of the happy bride wailed bitterly that they themselves had so crudely pushed away their own good fortune. Unable to deal with their anger and gall, on the wedding night they went up into the attic of the house and hanged themselves.
At that same hour the devil appeared in front of the window of the bridal chamber and called out to the bridegroom: "You thought I had been cheated out of your poor soul, but now I got two for one!"
With that shout he carried the two souls in his firey claws away through the air.
He came first to some brush and then into some woods. Looking at the trees he thought that it might be best if he simply were to hang himself. He looked at the trees to see if one would serve for hanging.
Then a man came up to him and he asked him why he looked so concerned. The soldier told him who he was, what was troubling him, and what he was planning to do.
"It would be best if I just hanged myself," he said.
"You shouldn't do that," said the stranger. "Hanging oneself is not a pleasant thing. Instead, you can come into sevice with me."
He did not know how to respond, so he asked, "Just who are you?"
"Have you not heard of the devil?" For that is who he was.
"Of course, but I have no desire to serve him."
The devil said: "Well, I won't demand any real work from you. For seven years you just have to do what I tell you to do, and during that time I will pay you with money. Turn around."
The soldier turned around, and a few steps from him there was a huge bear. He brought his gun to his cheek. It was loaded with a bullet, and he shot the bear dead.
"You are a brave one," said the devil. "You have no fear, and I like that."
The devil immediately skinned the bear. He kneaded the skin and rubbed it between his hands until would have been ready to send to a tanner.
He folded the skin, set it down, and then said: "Well, what do you say? Can we make a deal?"
"Let me hear the conditions," said the soldier. "There must be conditions for such an agreement."
"Yes," said the devil, "there are conditions. If you want to enter into my service you first must take off all your clothes and then sew yourself into this bearskin. You must wear it for seven years, and during that time you may neither wash, nor comb your hair, nor cut your hair or beard or your nails, and you must not pray the Lord's Prayer. If you succeed at this, then I shall give you a purse that you can never empty. You may use the money however you want. You may drink and play cards. In short, use the money for anything and everything. But if you violate the prohibitions that I have mentioned to you, just once, then you must belong to me. If, on the other hand, you stick to it, then when the seven years have passed you shall be free."
"I agree to this," said the soldier.
"Then you take off your clothes."
The devil then sewed the soldier into the bearskin, saying: "We shall meet here again in exactly seven years, and not one minute later."
The devil went away, and the soldier stood there in his new suit of clothes. He looked at himself and thought, what a terrible person he had become.
It was difficult for him, especially at first, to be with people or to approach them to get any food, because everyone who saw him was afraid of him. He went to the very poorest people, because they were the ones he could best talk to. Having a purse that could not be emptied, he always gave money to these poor people, and then they understood that he was not as bad as he appeared. When they got to know him, they gave him food, and he gave them money -- much more than the food was actually worth.
"I ask for nothing else from you," he said, "but do please pray the Lord's Prayer for me."
Rumors of this man spread far and wide, and the only name that he was given was the bear man. He continued to travel around and traveled through the country and came to all the poor people. Many also came to see him. He traveled like this for four years, and now over half the time had passed. He spent money only for his daily bread and a few times for an overnight bed. He gladly slept in a cowshed or a workers' shelter. He also gave away some money.
It happened that one day he came to an inn in a remote area. Not wanting to go any further that day, he entered and wanted to stay. He asked the innkeeper if he could stay there.
"Yes," he replied, "if you can be happy in the workers' shelter or in an outdoor shed."
He bought himself a simple meal, and then the innkeeper showed him where he was to sleep. His space was next to a stable where there were horses. Between the boards he could clearly hear what was being said in the stable. An old man was complaing bitterly to a stable-boy about his plight. He was terrible poor because the innkeeper had lent him seven hundred thalers, and he now had to pay it back. No one else would lend him any money, so he would have to sell the house where he lived. He did not know where he would go from there.
The stable-boy asked: "Can't you talk the innkeeper into giving you more time? He has plenty of money."
"I have talked with him, but it did no good. I will have to move out."
With that the bear man got up, opened the stable door and stepped inside. The others were frightened, for they did not know that he was sleeping next door.
"Please excuse me for disturbing you, but I heard that you are in need of money. I would like to help you."
They looked at him. The poor man looked into his eyes. His eyes looked good, although the rest of him looked terrible.
"Where do you live?" asked the bear man.
The poor man told him that he lived not far from the inn.
"I shall come tomorrow and give you the money."
The poor man was in such great need that he agreed to this offer.
The bear man went back to his room and lay down. The next morning he got something to eat, paid what he owed, and then went out to find the man. He was standing outside the house chopping sticks into pieces for firewood.
The bear man greeted him: "Here I am, just as I promised last night."
The poor man invited him in. This man had three daughters: The two oldest were weaving and the third was spinning.
The father said to them: "Here is the man who promised me money last night. Can you serve him something to eat?"
"Oh no," said the bear man. "I ate and drank at the inn."
He then opened his purse and gave him all that was owed to the innkeeper, all to the last shilling.
We should probably have some papers drawn up," said the poor man.
"No, no! I am giving you the money."
"The man could not believe that he would not have to repay the money.
"Are those your daughters, the three girls?"
"Yes, they are."
"Then you have enough to serve you well. You could easily let me have one of them. I have no wife and am thinking of getting married sometime."
"Yes, I could do that, but it must be a matter of choice whether one of them wants you."
"Yes, of course it must be voluntary," said the bear man.
He then turned to the girls. No, the two oldest girls did not want to have anything to do with him. They were quite sure of that.
But the youngest over there by the spinning wheel shyly and bashfully said to her father: "Yes, I will take him because of how he has helped you. He must be a good man, otherwise he wouldn not have given you so much money."
The bear man did not quite hear what she had said, but the father told him.
"Yes, but I do not want to have you today, my girl. I shall come back three years from today. During that time I can change, and you can too. It could be that we would not recognize each other. I have a ring here. I will break it in two. You get one piece, and I the other. Then when we meet, we can recognize each other by the two pieces, because they must fit together."
She took her piece of the ring.
"Because you are now my little sweetheart," he said further, "will you say the Lord's Prayer for me every morning when you get up and every evening when you go to bed?"
Yes, she would do this, from the bottom of her heart.
He then said farewell, and the poor man thanked him for helping him. The bear man also asked him to pray the Lord's Prayer for him.
Then the bear man left. The two girls teased the youngest one about the sweetheart that she had for herself. She consoled herself that it could not be a bad person who wanted to have someone pray for him.
The three years passed. The bear man showed up on time, and the devil came to him.
The bear man said: "I have done what we agreed to."
"Yes," the devil had to say. "However, you wasted my money by doing good and giving it to the poor. I did not tell you to do that."
"But you did not forbid me from doing so," said the bear man.
"I forgot to do so," replied the devil. "But you have done something much worse. You have endlessly stormed the Kingdom of Heaven with the Lord's Prayer by having others pray for you. I would not have allowed that."
"But you did not forbid me from doing so," said the bear man.
"I forgot to do so," replied the devil.
"Now you have to take that bearskin off from me and clean me up," said the soldier. "And then we shall be finished with each other."
The devil had to do just that, but he was very angry.
Now that he was freed from the devil, he had to act differently. He already had taken a great deal of money from his purse and had given it to one person or another who had promised to keep it for him until he returned for it. Then he went where some of his money was. He bought decent clothes, and had himself groomed to look like an honorable person. He also bought himself a beautiful carriage and a team of good horses. Now he wanted to go to his sweetheart.
He drove up there, and the old man, her father, was standing outside. The father could not recognize him. The soldier bid him good day and asked if he could get a bucket of water for his horses, for he had driven a long way, and he also wanted some fodder for them, and something to eat for himself.
"The inn is not that far from here, but we can give you what you need."
Yes, he would like that, and he went inside. The girls were weaving and spinning as normal. Then the father asked them to prepare some food for the stranger.
"He is a handsome man," said the two older sisters to each other, and they went to get the food. The youngest girl remained seated. Then they set a table for him.
"Are these your daughters, all three?" asked the stranger.
Yes they were.
"You have all three still at home. It is strange you haven't married them off yet. Aren't they engaged?"
"Only the youngest," said the father.
"That is strange. How long has she been engaged?"
"Oh, it's been three years today."
"Has her sweetheart not been here since then?"
"No. We have neither heard from him, nor has he come himself."
"He must have changed a lot in that time," said the soldier. "You wouldn't recognize him if he came now, would you?"
"Oh yes, I believe that I would recognize him," said the girl. "He will come for sure."
"How will you recognize him then?"
"I have half a ring," she said, "and he has the other half. He broke it in two before he left.
"Then it can't be anyone but me," said the soldier, "because I have half of the ring."
She then came forward with the other half, and they fit together perfectly.
Now she was so happy that she almost fainted. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him, and he was also happy with her. The two other sisters sulked.
There was no need to wait any longer. They should have their wedding as soon as possible. They went to the pastor and made the arrangements.
There was no end to the anger of the older sisters. On the evening of the wedding they went out and did not return. When it was bedtime, the groom went just outside of the house.
The devil came and laughed in his face, saying: "You see, I was not cheated after all. I got two instead of one."
The soldier did indeed recognize his face, but wondered about what he had said. In the morning they missed the sisters. They looked for them, and it didn't take long before they found them. They had hanged themselves side by side in two trees close to the house.
The bear man then bought some more land for the place, and he lived there with his wife and her old father.
(Told by Housewife Ane Marie Nielsdatter, Egsgaard Mark, Ringive Parish, Vejle County.)
As soon as he had spoken these words a little devil rose up at once in front of him and said, "Hail, soldier, what do you wish? Did you just now not say that you wished to become one of our servants? Why, soldier, come up and be hired; we will pay you well."
"What is the work?"
"Oh, the work is easy enough: for fifteen years you must not shave, you must not have your hair cut, you must not blow your nose, and you must not change your garb. If you serve this service, then we will go to the king, who has three daughters. Two of them are mine, but the third shall be yours."
"Very well," said the soldier, "I will undertake the contract; but I require in return to get anything my soul hankers after."
"It shall be so; be at peace; we shall not be in default."
"Well, let it befall at once. Carry me at once into the capital and give me a pile of money; you know yourself how little of these goods a soldier ever gets."
So the little devil dashed into the lake, got out a pile of gold, and instantaneously carried the soldier into the great city, and all at once he was there!
"What a fool I have been!" said the soldier. "I have not done any service, no work, and I now have the money!" So he took a room, never cut his hair, never shaved, never wiped his nose, never changed his garb, and he lived on and grew wealthy, so wealthy he did not know what to do with his money. What was he to do with his silver and gold? "Oh, very well, I will start helping the poor; possibly they may pray for my soul." So the soldier began distributing alms to the needy, to the right and to the left, and he still had money over, however much he gave away! His fame spread over the whole kingdom, came to the ears of all.
So the soldier lived for fourteen years, and on the fifteenth year the tsar's exchequer gave out. So he summoned the soldier. So the soldier came to him unwashed, unshaved, uncombed, with his nose unwiped and his dress unchanged.
"Health, your majesty!"
"Listen, soldier. You, they say, are good to all folks; will you lend me some money? I have not enough to pay my troops. If you will I will make you a general at once."
"No, your Majesty, I do not wish to be a general; but if you will do me a favor, give me one of your daughters as my wife, and you shall have as much money as you wish for the Treasury."
So the king began to think. He was very fond of his daughters, but still he could not do anything whatsoever without money. "Well," he said, "I agree. Have a portrait taken of yourself; I will show it to my daughters and ask which of them will take you."
So the soldier returned, had the portrait painted, which was feature for feature, unshaved, unwashed, uncombed, his nose unwiped, and in his old garb, and sent it to the tsar.
Now, the tsar had three daughters, and the father summoned them and showed them the soldier's portrait. He said to the eldest, "Will you go and marry him? He will redeem me from very great embarrassment."
The tsarevna saw what a monstrous animal had been painted, with tangled hair, uncut nails and unwiped nose. "I certainly won't!" she said, " I would sooner go to the devil." And from somewhere or other the devil appeared, stood behind her with pen and paper, heard what she said, and entered her soul on his register.
Then the father asked the next daughter, "Will you go and marry the soldier? "
"What! I would rather remain a maiden; I would rather tie myself up with the devil than go with him." So the devil went and inscribed her soul as well.
Then the father asked his youngest daughter, and she answered, "Evidently this must be my lot. I will go and marry him and see what God shall give."
Then the tsar was very blithe at this, and he went and told the soldier to make ready for the betrothal, and he sent him twelve carts to carry the money away.
Then the soldier made use of his devil. "There are twelve carts; pile them all high at once with gold." So the devil ran into the lake and the unholy ones set to work. Some of them brought up one sack, some two, and they soon filled the carts and sent them to the tsar, into his palace.
Then the tsar looked, and now summoned the soldier to him every day, sat with him at one table, and ate and drank with him. When they got ready for the marriage the term of fifteen years was over.
So he called the little devil and said, "Now my service is over. Turn me into a youth."
So the devil cut him up into little bits, threw them into a cauldron, and began to brew him -- brewed him, washed him and collected all his bones, one by one, in the proper way, every bone with every bone, every joint with every joint, every nerve with every nerve. Then he sprinkled them with the water of life, and the soldier arose, such a fine young man as no tale can tell and no pen can write. He then married the youngest tsarevna, and they began to live a merry life of good.
I was at the wedding. I drank mead and beer. They also had wine, and I drank it to the very dregs.
But the little devil ran back into the lake, for his elder hauled him over the coals to answer for what he had done with the soldier. "He has served out his period faithfully and honorably: he has never once shaved himself, nor cut his hair, nor wiped his nose, nor changed his clothes."
Then the elder was very angry. He said, "In fifteen years you were not able to corrupt the soldier! Was all the money given in vain? What sort of a devil will you be after this?" And he had him thrown into the burning pitch.
"Oh no, please, grandfather," said the grandson, " I have lost the soldier's soul, but I have gained two others."
" What?"
"Look: the soldier thought of marrying a tsarevna; the two elder daughters both declined and said they would rather marry a devil than the soldier. So there they are, and they belong to us."
So the grandfather devil approved what the grandson imp had done, and set him free. "Yes," he said, "you know your business very well indeed."
One day he was walking down a broad road when he was stopped by a handsome man he had never seen before, who, little as Don Giovanni knew it, was the devil himself.
"Would you like to be rich," asked the devil, "and to lead a pleasant life?"
"Yes, of course I should," replied the Don.
"Well, here is a purse. Take it and say to it, 'Dear purse, give me some money,' and you will get as much as you can want. But the charm will only work if you promise to remain three years, three months, and three days without washing and without combing and without shaving your beard or changing your clothes. If you do all this faithfully, when the time is up you shall keep the purse for yourself, and I will let you off any other conditions."
Now Don Giovanni was a man who never troubled his head about the future. He did not once think how very uncomfortable he should be all those three years, but only that he should be able, by means of the purse, to have all sorts of things he had been obliged to do without. So he joyfully put the purse in his pocket and went on his way. He soon began to ask for money for the mere pleasure of it, and there was always as much as he needed. For a little while he even forgot to notice how dirty he was getting, but this did not last long, for his hair became matted with dirt and hung over his eyes, and his pilgrim's dress was a mass of horrible rags and tatters.
He was in this state when, one morning, he happened to be passing a fine palace; and, as the sun was shining bright and warm, he sat down on the steps and tried to shake off some of the dust which he had picked up on the road. But in a few minutes a maid saw him, and said to her master, "I pray you sir, to drive away that beggar who is sitting on the steps, or he will fill the whole house with his dirt."
So the master went out and called from some distance off, for he was really afraid to go near the man, "You filthy beggar, leave my house at once!"
"You need not be so rude," said Don Giovanni; "I am not a beggar, and if I chose, I could force you and your wife to leave your house."
"What is that you can do?" laughed the gentleman.
"Will you sell me your house?" asked Don Giovanni. "I will buy it from you on the spot."
"Oh, the dirty creature is quite mad!" thought the gentleman. "I shall just accept his offer for a joke." And aloud he said, "All right. Follow me, and we will go to a lawyer and get him to make a contract."
And Don Giovanni followed him, and an agreement was drawn up by which the house was to be sold at once, and a large sum of money paid down in eight days. Then the Don want to an inn, where he hired two rooms, and, standing in one of them, said to his purse, "Dear purse, fill this room with gold." And when the eight days were up it was so full you could not have put in another sovereign.
When the owner of the house came to take away his money Don Giovanni led him into the room and said, "There, just pocket what you want."
The gentleman stared with open mouth at the astonishing sight. But he had given his word to sell the house, so he took his money, as he was told, and went away with his wife to look for some place to live in. And Don Giovanni left the inn and dwelt in the beautiful rooms, where his rags and dirt looked sadly out of place. And every day these got worse and worse.
By and by the fame of his riches reached the ears of the king, and, as he himself was always in need of money, he sent for Don Giovanni, as he wished to borrow a large sum. Don Giovanni readily agreed to lend him what he wanted, and sent next day a huge wagon laden with sacks of gold.
"Who can he be?" thought the king to himself. "Why, he is much richer than I!"
The king took as much as he had need of, then ordered the rest to be returned to Don Giovanni, who refused to receive it, saying, "Tell his majesty I am much hurt at his proposal. I shall certainly not take back that handful of gold, and, if he declines to accept it, keep it yourself."
The servant departed and delivered the message, and the king wondered more than ever how anyone could be so rich. At last he spoke to the queen, "Dear wife, this man has done me a great service, and has, besides, behaved like a gentleman in not allowing me to send back the money. I wish to give him the hand of our eldest daughter."
The queen was quite pleased at this idea, and again a messenger was sent to Don Giovanni, offering him the hand of the eldest princess.
"His majesty is too good," he replied. "I can only humbly accept the honor."
The messenger took back this answer, but a second time returned with the request that Don Giovanni would present them with his picture, so that they might know what sort of a person to expect.
But when it came, and the princess saw the horrible figure, she screamed out, "What! Marry this dirty beggar? Never, never!"
"Ah, child," answered the king, "how could I ever guess that the rich Don Giovanni would ever look like that? But I have passed my royal word, and I cannot break it, so there is no help for you."
"No, father, you may cut off my head, if you choose, but marry that horrible beggar -- I never will!"
And the queen took her part, and reproached her husband bitterly for wishing his daughter to marry a creature like that.
Then the youngest daughter spoke, "Dear father, do not look so sad. As you have given your word, I will marry Don Giovanni."
The king fell on her neck, and thanked her and kissed her, but the queen and the elder girl had nothing for her but laughs and jeers.
So it was settled, and then the king bade one of his lords go to Don Giovanni and ask him when the wedding day was to be, so that the princess might make ready.
"Let it be in two months," answered Don Giovanni, for the time was nearly up that the devil had fixed, and he wanted a whole month to himself to wash off the dirt of the past three years.
The very minute that the compact with the devil had come to an end his beard was shaved, his hair was cut, and his rags were burned, and day and night he lay in a bath of clear warm water. At length he felt he was clean again, and he put on splendid clothes, and hired a beautiful ship, and arrived in state at the king's palace.
The whole of the royal family came down to the ship to receive him, and the whole way the queen and the elder princess teased the sister about the dirty husband she was going to have. But when they saw how handsome he really was their hearts were filled with envy and anger, so that their eyes were blinded, and they fell over into the sea and were drowned. And the youngest daughter rejoiced in the good luck that had come to her, and they had a splendid wedding when the days of mourning for her mother and sister were ended.
Soon after, the old king died, and Don Giovanni became king. And he was rich and happy to the end of his days, for he loved his wife, and his purse always gave him money.
In a certain town there once lived a couple who had never had a child. They had been married for nearly five years, and were very anxious for a son. The name of the wife was Clara; and of the man, Philip.
One cloudy night in December, while they were talking by the window of their house, Clara said to her husband that she was going to pray the novena [nine consecutive days of praying], so that heaven would give them a child. "I would even let my son serve the devil, if he would but give us a son!"
As her husband was willing that she should pray the novena, Clara began the next day her fervent devotions to the Virgin Mary. She went to church every afternoon for nine days. She carried a small prayer book with her, and prayed until six o'clock every evening. At last she finished her novenario, but no child was born to them, and the couple was disappointed.
A month had passed, when, to their great happiness, Clara gave birth to a son. The child they nicknamed Idó. Idó was greatly cherished by his parents, for he was their only child; but he did not care much to stay at home. He early began to show a fondness for travelling abroad, and was always to be found in the dense woods on the outskirts of the town.
One afternoon, when the family was gathered together around a small table, talking, a knock was heard at the door.
"Come in!" said Philip.
"No, I just want to talk with your wife," answered a hoarse voice from without.
Clara, trembling, opened the door, and, to her great surprise, she saw standing there a man who looked like a bear.
"A devil, a devil!" she exclaimed.
But the devil pacified her, and said, "Clara, I have come here to get your son you promised me a long time ago. Now that the day has come when your son can be of some service to me, will you deny your promise?"
Clara could make no reply at first. She merely called her son; and when he came, she said to the devil, "Here is my son. Take him, since he is yours."
Idó, who was at this time about seventeen years old, was not frightened by the devil.
"Come," said the devil, "and be my follower!"
At first Idó refused. But he finally consented to go, because of his mother's promise.
The devil now took Idó to his cave, far away outside the town. He tried in many ways to tempt Idó, but was unable to do so, because Idó was a youth of strong character. Finally the devil decided to exchange clothes with him. Idó was obliged to put on the bear-like clothes of the devil and to give him his own soldier suit.
Then the devil produced a large bag full of money, and said to Idó, "Take this money and go traveling about the world for seven years. If you live to the end of that time, and spend this money only in doing good, I will set you free. If, however, you spend the money extravagantly, you will have to go to hell with me." When had said these words, he disappeared.
Idó now began his wanderings from town to town. Whenever people saw him, they were afraid of him, and would refuse to give him shelter; but Idó would give them money from his bag, and then they would gather about him and be kind to him.
After many years he happened to come to a town where he saw an old woman summoned before a court of justice. She was accused of owing a sum of money, but was unable to pay her debt and the fine imposed on her.
When Idó paid her fine for her and thus released her from prison, the woman could hardly express her gratitude. As most of the other people about were afraid of Idó and he had no place to sleep, this woman decided to take him home with her.
Now, this old woman had three daughters. When she reached home with the bear-like man, she called her eldest daughter, and said, "Now, my daughter, here is a man who delivered me from prison. As I can do nothing to reward him for his great kindness, I want you to take him for your husband."
The daughter replied, "Mother, why have you brought this ugly man here? No, I cannot marry him. I can find a better husband."
On hearing this harsh reply, the mother could not say a word. She called her second daughter, and explained her wishes to her; but the younger daughter refused, just as her sister had refused, and she made fun of the man.
The mother was very much disappointed, but she was unable to persuade her daughters to marry her benefactor. Finally she determined to try her youngest daughter. When the daughter heard her mother's request, she said, "Mother, if to have me marry this man is the only way by which you can repay him for his kindness, I'll gladly marry him."
The mother was very much pleased, but the two older daughters were very angry with their sister. The mother told the man of the decision of her youngest daughter, and a contract was signed between them. But before they were married, the bear-like man asked permission from the girl to be absent for one more year to finish his duty. She consented to his going, and gave him half her ring as a memento.
At the end of the year, which was the last of his seven years' wandering, the bear-like man went to the devil, and told him that he had finished his duty.
The devil said, "You have beaten me. Now that you have performed your seven years' wandering, and have spent the money honestly, let us exchange clothes again!"
So the man received back his soldier-like suit, which made him look like a knight, and the devil took back his bearskin.
Then the man returned to Clara's house. When his arrival was announced to the family, the two older daughters dressed themselves in their best, for they thought that he was a suitor come to see them. But when the man showed the ring and asked for the hand of Clara's youngest daughter, the two nearly died with vexation, while the youngest daughter was very happy.
K___ Park, August 4th, 1828.
Yesterday I took a very agreeable ride of some twenty miles on an untireable horse of iny host's; for distances disappear before the excellence of the horses and of the roads. I must tell you all I saw.I rode first to the small town of St. Asaph to look at the cathedral, which is adorned with a beautiful window of modern painted glass. Many coats of arms were extremely well executed, and the artist had the good sense to avoid the cominon error of endeavouring to represent objects not suited to his art, which requires masses of colour and no delicate and floating shades.
To obtain a more perfect knowledge of the country, I ascended the tower. At a distance of about twelve miles I espied a church-like building on the summit of a high mountain, and asked the clerk what it was.
He replied, in broken English, that it was "the king's tabernacle," and that whoever would pass seven years without washing himself, cutting his nails, or shaving his beard, would be allowed to live there; and at the expiration of the seventh year he would have a right to go to London, where the king must give him a pension and make him a "gentleman."
The man believed this wild story implicitly, aud swore to its truth: "Voila ce que c'est que la foi [That is what faith is]."
I inquired afterwards the true state of the affair, and heard the origin of this history; namely, that the building was erected by the province, or "county," to commemorate the jubilee of the last king's reign, and had stood empty ever since; but that a wag had advertised a considerable reward in the newspapers, to any man who would fulfil the above-named conditions.
The common people had mixed up this strange ordeal with the "tabernacle" of King George III.
Revised August 20, 2023.