er budge.

The devil finally had to appear before the Prince of Darkness himself
with Katcha still glued to his neck.

"What's that thing you've got around your neck?" the Prince asked.

So the devil told how as he was walking about on earth he had heard
Katcha say she would dance with the devil himself if he asked her. "So
I asked her to dance with me," the devil said. "Afterwards just to
frighten her a little I brought her down to hell. And now she won't
let go of me!"

"Serve you right, you dunce!" the Prince said. "How often have I told
you to use common sense when you go wandering around on earth! You
might have known Katcha would never let go of a man once she had him!"

"I beg your Majesty to make her let go!" the poor devil implored.

"I will not!" said the Prince. "You'll have to carry her back to earth
yourself and get rid of her as best you can. Perhaps this will be a
lesson to you."

So the devil, very tired and very cross, shambled back to earth with
Katcha still clinging to his neck. He tried every way to get her off.
He promised her wooded hills and rich meadows if she but let him go.
He cajoled her, he cursed her, but all to no avail. Katcha still held
on.

Breathless and discouraged he came at last to a meadow where a
shepherd, wrapped in a great shaggy sheepskin coat, was tending his
flocks. The devil transformed himself into an ordinary looking man so
that the shepherd didn't recognize him.

"Hi, there," the shepherd said, "what's that you're carrying?"

"Don't ask me," the devil said with a sigh. "I'm so worn out I'm
nearly dead. I was walking yonder not thinking of anything at all when
along comes a woman and jumps on my back and won't let go. I'm trying
to carry her to the nearest village to get rid of her there, but I
don't believe I'm able. My legs are giving out."

The shepherd, who was a good-natured chap, said: "I tell you what:
I'll help you. I can't leave my sheep long, but I'll carry her
halfway."

"Oh," said the devil, "I'd be very grateful if you did!"

So the shepherd yelled at Katcha: "Hi, there, you! Catch hold of me!"

When Katcha saw that the shepherd was a handsome youth, she let go of
the devil and leapt upon the shepherd's back, catching hold of the
collar of his sheepskin coat.

Now the young shepherd soon found that the long shaggy coat and Katcha
made a pretty heavy load for walking. In a few moments he was sick of
his bargain and began casting about for some