r my children starve."

The devil agreed to this and the shoemaker put his mark on the contract.
After that trade improved and soon the little shoemaker was happy and
prosperous.

Now one night it happened that Christ and the blessed St. Peter, who
were walking about on earth, stopped at the little shoemaker's cottage
and asked for a night's lodging. The shoemaker received them most
hospitably. He had his wife cook them a fine supper and after supper he
gave them his own bed to sleep on while he and his wife went to the
garret and slept on straw.

In the morning he had his wife prepare them a good breakfast and after
breakfast he took them on their way for a mile or two.

As he was leaving them, St. Peter whispered to Christ:

"Master, this poor man has given us of his best. Don't you think you
ought to reward him?"

Christ nodded and, turning to the little shoemaker, he said:

"For your kindness to us this day I will reward you. Make three wishes
and they will be granted."

The shoemaker thanked Christ and said:

"Well then, these are my wishes: first, may whoever sits down on my
cobbler's stool be unable to get up until I permit him; second, may
whoever looks into the window of my cottage have to stand there until I
let him go; and third, may whoever shakes the pear-tree in my garden
stick to the tree until I set him free."

"Your wishes will be granted," Christ promised. Then he and St. Peter
went on their way and the shoemaker returned to his cottage.

The years went by and at last one afternoon the devil stood before the
shoemaker and said:

"Ho, shoemaker, your time has come! Are you ready?"

"Just let me have a bite of supper first," the shoemaker said. "In the
meantime you sit down here on my stool and rest yourself."

The devil who had been walking up and down the earth since sunrise was
tired and so was glad enough to sit down.

After supper the little shoemaker said:

"Now then, I'm ready. Come on."

The devil tried to stand up but of course he couldn't. He pulled this
way and that. He stretched, he rolled from side to side until his bones
ached, but all to no avail. He could not get up from the stool.

"Brother!" he cried in terror, "help me off this cursed stool and I'll
give you seven more years--I swear I will!"

At that promise the shoemaker allowed the devil to stand up, and the
devil scurried off as fast as he could.

He was true to his word. He didn't come back for seven years