ything happens where must I hide?"

"I'll tell you, grandson. Buy yourself a frying-pan, and hide
it so that the merchant sha'n't see it. When you go to his house
he'll try to force a lot of brandy on you. You look out, don't
drink much, drink just what you can stand. At midnight, as
soon as the wind begins to roar, and the coffin to rock, do you
that very moment climb on to the stove-pipe, and cover yourself
over with the frying-pan. There no one will find you out."

The Soldier had a good sleep, bought himself a frying-pan,[367]
hid it under his cloak, and towards evening went to the merchant's
house. The merchant seated him at table and took to plying
him with liquor--tried every possible kind of invitation and
cajolery on him.

"No," says the Soldier, "that will do. I've had my whack.
I won't have any more."

"Well, then, if you won't drink, come along and read your
psalter."

The merchant took him to his dead daughter, left him alone
with her, and locked the door.

The Soldier read and read. Midnight came, the wind blew,
the coffin began to rock, the cover flew afar off. The Soldier
jumped up on the stove-pipe, covered himself with the frying-pan,
protected himself with a sign of the cross, and awaited what was
going to happen. Out jumped the witch and began rushing
about. Round her came swarming countless devils, the izba
was full of them! They rushed about in search of the Soldier;
they looked into the stove--

"Here's the place," they cried, "where he was last night."

"There's the place, but he's not there."

This way and that they rush,--cannot see him anywhere.
Presently there stepped across the threshold a very old devil.

"What are you looking for?"

"The Soldier. He was reading here a moment ago, and now
he's disappeared."

"Ah! no eyes! And who's that sitting on the stove-pipe
there?"

The Soldier's heart thumped like anything; he all but tumbled
down on the ground!

"There he is, sure enough!" cried the devils, "but how are
we to settle him. Surely it's impossible to reach him there?"

"Impossible, forsooth! Run and lay your hands on a candle-end
which has been lighted without a blessing having been
uttered over it."

In an instant the devils brought the candle-end, piled up a
lot of wood right under the stove-pipe, and set it alight. The
flame leapt high into the air, the Soldier began to ro