-faggot which was burning in the stove, as
if pondering and then ran out, and locked all the doors on the outside.

It was a cold autumn night. The wind whistled through the neighbouring
pine forest with a strange sighing sound.

"Now you may burn and roast, you spirit of hell!" cried the farmer, and
cast the fire on the thatch. Presently the whole house was wrapped in
bright flames.

Then the farmer laughed madly, and kept on calling out, "Burn and
roast!"

The light of the fire roused the people of the village, and they crowded
round the ill-starred spot. They wished to put out the fire and save the
house, but the farmer pushed them back, saying, "Let it be. What does
the house matter, if he only perishes? He has tormented me long enough,
and I will plague him now, and all may yet be well with me."

The people stared at him in amazement as he spoke. But now the house
fell in crashing, and the farmer shouted, "Now he's burnt!"

At this moment the creature, visible only to the farmer, rose unhurt
from the smoking ruins with a threatening gesture. As soon as the farmer
saw him, he fell on the ground with a loud shriek.

"What do you see?" asked old Michel, who had just arrived on the scene,
and stood by smiling.

But the farmer returned no answer. He had died of terror.

[Footnote 56: One of Michael Scot's familiars was a devil of this kind,
whom he got rid of ultimately by setting him to spin ropes of sea-sand.]

THE WOODEN MAN AND THE BIRCH-BARK MAID.

(KREUTZWALD.)

This is another story which relates how a stingy farmer starved all his
servants, till no one would live with him. He applied to a sorcerer, who
directed him to take a black hare in a bag to a cross-road for three
Thursdays running, just before midnight, and whistle for the Devil. The
farmer took a black cat instead, and on the third Thursday agreed with
the Devil to receive a man-servant and a maid, who should work for him
for twice seven years, and who would require no food, nothing but a
little water. To ratify the bargain, the farmer gave the Devil three
drops of blood from his index-finger. At the end of the time the
servants disappeared, and the farmer could only find a rotten stump and
a heap of birch-bark, as their names signified (Puulaene and Tohtlaene).
Then the Devil seized the farmer by the throat and strangled him, and
his wife could find no trace of him but three drops of blood, while all
the corn-bins were empty, and t