greatly cherished by his
parents, for he was their only child; but he did not care much to stay
at home. He early began to show a fondness for travelling abroad, and
was always to be found in the dense woods on the outskirts of the town.

One afternoon, when the family was gathered together around a small
table, talking, a knock was heard at the door. "Come in!" said Philip.

"No, I just want to talk with your wife," answered a hoarse voice
from without.

Clara, trembling, opened the door, and, to her great surprise,
she saw standing there a man who looked like a bear. "A devil, a
devil!" she exclaimed, but the Devil pacified her, and said, "Clara,
I have come here to get your son you promised me a long time ago. Now
that the day has come when your son can be of some service to me,
will you deny your promise?"

Clara could make no reply at first. She merely called her son; and
when he came, she said to the Devil, "Here is my son. Take him, since
he is yours." Ido, who was at this time about seventeen years old,
was not frightened by the Devil.

"Come," said the Devil, "and be my follower!" At first Ido refused;
but he finally consented to go, because of his mother's promise.

The Devil now took Ido to his cave, far away outside the town. He
tried in many ways to tempt Ido, but was unable to do so, because
Ido was a youth of strong character. Finally the Devil decided to
exchange clothes with him. Ido was obliged to put on the bear-like
clothes of the Devil and to give him his own soldier-suit. Then the
Devil produced a large bag full of money, and said to Ido, "Take this
money and go travelling about the world for seven years. If you live
to the end of that time, and spend this money only in doing good,
I will set you free. If, however, you spend the money extravagantly,
you will have to go to hell with me." When he had said these words,
he disappeared.

Ido now began his wanderings from town to town. Whenever people saw
him, they were afraid of him, and would refuse to give him shelter;
but Ido would give them money from his bag, and then they would gather
about him and be kind to him.

After many years he happened to come to a town where he saw an old
woman summoned before a court of justice. She was accused of owing
a sum of money, but was unable to pay her debt and the fine imposed
on her. When Ido paid her fine for her and thus released her from
prison, the woman could hardly express her gratitude. As mos