of seven years is poorer than before. The Lord, St. Peter, and St. John
come to the tavern and tell the landlord to ask three favors. He asks
that whoever climbs his fig-tree may remain there; whoever sits on his
sofa must stay there; and finally, whoever puts his hands in a certain
chest must keep them there. The Devil first sends his eldest son after
the money. The host sends him up the fig-tree, and then gives him a
sound beating. Then the Devil sends his second son, whom the landlord
invites to sit on his sofa, and gives him a sound thrashing too. Finally
the Devil himself comes, and the host tells him to get his money himself
out of the chest. The Devil sticks fast, and is set free only on
condition of renouncing all claims to the landlord's soul.

The conclusion of the story is like that of "Beppo Pipetta."

There is another story about a bargain with the Devil in the _Novelline
di Sto. Stefano_, No. 35, "_Le Donne ne sanno un punto piu del diavolo_"
("Women know a point more than the Devil"). A fowler sells his soul to
the Devil for twelve years of life and plenty of birds. When the time is
nearly up the fowler's wife persuades him to alter his bargain with the
Devil a little. The latter is to give up his claim if the former can
find a bird unknown to the Devil. The Devil consents, and comes the last
day and recognizes easily every bird, until finally the fowler's wife,
disguised with tar and feathers, comes out of a case and frightens the
fowler and the Devil so that he runs away.

The mysterious bird recalls the one in Grimm, No. 46, "Fitcher's Bird."

[25] _Jahrbuch_, VII. 121. The wonderful sack occurs in another Venetian
story, Widter-Wolf, No. 14, "_Der Hoellenpfoertner_" ("The Porter of
Hell"). The gifts are: a gun that never misses, a violin that makes
every one dance, and a sack into which every one must spring when
commanded by the owner. See Koehler's notes to this story, _Jahrb_. VII.
268. A Corsican version is in Ortoli, p. 155. The episode of the Devil
beaten in the sack is also found in Comparetti, No. 49, "_Il Ramaio_." A
wandering smith gives alms to St. Peter and the Lord, and receives in
return a pouch like the above. When the Devil comes to fetch him he
wishes him in his sack, and gives him a good pounding. When the smith
dies he gets into paradise by throwing his bag inside and wishing
himself in it.

There are two other stories in which the Devil gets worsted: they are
Gianandrea, No. V