ed
on the roof for safety, taking with her a three-pronged fork. As soon as
the devils began to devour the supposed women,[24] the elder discovered
that he had been deceived; and his son advised him to devour the
children; but he could not get at them. Then his son advised him to look
for the mother; and he tried to climb on the roof, but the woman struck
him back with the fork, and he called to his son for help. The son
immediately rushed out of the cottage to get his share of the prey, when
a red cock crew, and the Devil cried out, "He's my half-brother," and
tried again to get on the roof. Then crowed a white cock, and the Devil
cried out, "He's my godfather," and scrambled on the corner of the
gable. Then crowed a black cock, when the Devil cried out, "He's my
murderer!" and both devils vanished, as if they had sunk into the
ground.

[Footnote 24: It must be said, to the credit of the Esthonian devils,
that they only appear occasionally in the light of ogres. In many tales
they are harmless, and sometimes amiable.]

SNOWWHITE, THE GLASS MOUNTAIN, AND THE DESPISED YOUNGEST SON.

We have these tales combined in the story of the "Princess who slept for
seven years" (Kreutzwald).

A princess falls into a deep sleep, and is placed by a magician in a
glass coffin. A glass mountain is prepared, on which the coffin is
fixed. Up the glass mountain the successful suitor must ride when seven
years and seven days have expired, when the princess will awake and give
him a ring.

Meanwhile an old peasant dies, leaving his house and property to his two
elder sons, and charging them to take care of the third, who is
considered rather lazy and stupid, but who has a good heart.[25] He
charges his three sons to watch, one each night, by his grave; but the
elder ones excuse themselves, leaving the duty to the youngest son. The
eldest brother proposes to turn the youngest out of the house, but is
dissuaded by the other, who thinks it would look too bad.

When the king promises his daughter to whoever can climb the glass
mountain,[26] the two elder brothers dress themselves in fine clothes,
and set off, leaving the youngest at home, lest he should disgrace them
by his shabby appearance. But he receives from his father a bronze horse
and bronze armour, and rides a third of the way up the mountain. On the
second day he receives a silver steed and silver armour, and rides more
than half-way up; and on the third day he receives