andfather!"

"Well, think away!" said the old man, and led his guest to
a private chamber. The youth lay down to sleep and thought:

"Which one shall I choose?"

Suddenly the door opened; a beautiful maiden entered.

"Are you asleep, or not, good youth?" says she.

"No, fair maiden! I can't get to sleep, for I'm always thinking
which bride to choose."

"That's the very reason I have come to give you counsel.
You see, good youth, you've managed to become the devil's
guest. Now listen. If you want to go on living in the white
world, then do what I tell you. But if you don't follow my
instructions, you'll never get out of here alive!"

"Tell me what to do, fair maiden. I won't forget it all
my life."

"To-morrow the fiend will bring you twelve maidens, each one
exactly like the others. But you take a good look and choose
me. A fly will be sitting above my right eye--that will be a
certain guide for you." And then the fair maiden proceeded to
tell him about herself, who she was.

"Do you know the priest of such and such a village?" she
says. "I'm his daughter, the one who disappeared from home
when nine years old. One day my father was angry with me,
and in his wrath he said, 'May devils fly away with you!' I
went out on the steps and began to cry. All of a sudden the
fiends seized me and brought me here; and here I am living
with them!"

Next morning the old man brought in the twelve fair
maidens--one just like another--and ordered the youth to
choose his bride. He looked at them and took her above whose
right eye sat a fly. The old man was loth to give her up, so he
shifted the maidens about, and told him to make a fresh choice.
The youth pointed out the same one as before. The fiend
obliged him to choose yet a third time. He again guessed
his bride aright.

"Well, you're in luck! take her home with you," said the
fiend.

Immediately the youth and the fair maiden found themselves
on the shore of the lake, and until they reached the high road
they kept on walking backwards. Presently the devils came
rushing after them in hot pursuit:

"Let us recover our maiden!" they cry.

They look: there are no footsteps going away from the
lake; all the footsteps lead into the water! They ran to and
fro, they searched everywhere, but they had to go back empty
handed.

Well, the good youth brought his bride to her village,