ster
standing beside him.

"Quick!" the Devil whispered. "Get up and hurry out to the shed! The
landlord is about to murder the orphan for his money."

Peter jumped out of bed and ran outside to the shed where Yirik slept.
He burst open the door just as the landlord was ready to stab the
sleeping boy with a dagger.

"You sinner!" Peter cried. "I've caught you at last! Off to hell you go
with me this instant to stew forever in boiling oil!"

The landlord fainted with terror. Peter dragged him senseless into the
house. When he came to himself he fell on his knees before Peter and
begged for mercy. He offered Peter everything he possessed if only Peter
would grant him another chance and he solemnly vowed that he would
repent and give up his evil ways.

At last Peter said:

"Very well. I'll give you another chance provided that, from this time
on, you treat Yirik as your son. Be kind to him and send him to school.
The moment you forget your promise and treat him cruelly, I'll come and
carry you off to hell! Remember!"

There was no need to urge the landlord to remember. From that night he
was a changed man. He became honest in all his dealings and he really
did treat Yirik as though he were his own son.

Peter stayed on at the tavern and stories about him and his golden
ducats began to spread through the country-side. The prince of the land
heard of him and sent word that he would like to see him at the castle.
Peter answered the prince's messenger that if the prince wished to see
him he could come to the tavern.

"Who is this prince of yours," Peter asked the landlord, "and why does
he want to see me?"

"He'd probably like to borrow some money from you," the landlord
said. "He's deep in debt for he has two of the wickedest, most
extravagant daughters in the world. They're the children of his
first marriage. They are proud and haughty and they waste the money
of the realm as though it were so much sand. The people are crying
out against them and their wasteful ways but the prince seems unable
to curb them. The prince has a third daughter, the child of his
second wife. Her name is Angelina and she certainly is as good and
beautiful as an angel. We call her the Princess Linka. There isn't a
man in the country that wouldn't go through fire and water for
her--God bless her! As for the other two--may the Devil take them!"

Suddenly remembering himself, the landlord clapped his hand to his mouth
in alarm.

Peter