The grave-mound

A rich farmer was one day standing in his yard "When I am dead, thou shalt watch for three nights by
inspecting his fields and gardens. The corn was my grave." The peasant was disturbed in his mind at
growing up vigorously and the fruit-trees were heavily this request, but in the need in which he was, he would
laden with fruit. The grain of the year before still lay in have consented to anything; he accepted, therefore,
such immense heaps on the floors that the rafters could and carried the corn home with him.
hardly bear it. Then he went into the stable, where It seemed as if the rich man had foreseen what was
were well-fed oxen, fat cows, and horses bright as about to happen, for when three days were gone by, he
looking-glass. At length he went back into his suddenly dropped down dead. No one knew exactly
sitting-room, and cast a glance at the iron chest in how it came to pass, but no one grieved for him. When
which his money lay. he was buried, the poor man remembered his promise;
Whilst he was thus standing surveying his riches, all at he would willingly have been released from it, but he
once there was a loud knock close by him. The knock thought, "After all, he acted kindly by me. I have fed
was not at the door of his room, but at the door of his my hungry children with his corn, and even if that
heart. It opened, and he heard a voice which said to were not the case, where I have once given my
him, "Hast thou done good to thy family with it? Hast promise I must keep it." At nightfall he went into the
thou considered the necessities of the poor? Hast thou churchyard, and seated himself on the grave-mound.
shared thy bread with the hungry? Hast thou been Everything was quiet, only the moon appeared above
contented with what thou hast, or didst thou always the grave, and frequently an owl flew past and uttered
desire to have more?" The heart was not slow in her melancholy cry. When the sun rose, the poor man
answering, "I have been hard and pitiless, and have betook himself in safety to his home, and in the same
never shown any kindness to my own family. If a manner the second night passed quietly by. On the
beggar came, I turned away my eyes from him. I have evening of the third day he felt a strange uneasiness, it
not troubled myself about God, but have thought only seemed to him that something was about to happen.
of increasing my wealth. If everything which the sky When he went out he saw, by the churchyard-wall, a
covers had been mine own, I should still not have had man whom he had never seen before. He was no
enough." longer young, had scars on his face, and his eyes
When he was aware of this answer he was greatly looked sharply and eagerly around. He was entirely
alarmed, his knees began to tremble, and he was covered with an old cloak, and nothing was visible but
forced to sit down. his great riding-boots. "What are you looking for
Then there was another knock, but the knock was at here?" the peasant asked. "Are you not afraid of the
the door of his room. It was his neighbour, a poor man lonely churchyard?"
who had a number of children whom he could no "I am looking for nothing," he answered, "and I am
longer satisfy with food. "I know," thought the poor afraid of nothing! I am like the youngster who went
man, "that my neighbour is rich, but he is as hard as he forth to learn how to shiver, and had his labour for his
is rich. I don't believe he will help me, but my children pains, but got the King's daughter to wife and great
are crying for bread, so I will venture it." He said to wealth with her, only I have remained poor. I am
the rich man, "You do not readily give away anything nothing but a paid-off soldier, and I mean to pass the
that is yours, but I stand here like one who feels the night here, because I have no other shelter." - "If you
water rising above his head. My children are starving, are without fear," said the peasant, "stay with me, and
lend me four measures* of corn." The rich man looked help me to watch that grave there."
at him long, and then the first sunbeam of mercy began "To keep watch is a soldier's business," he replied,
to melt away a drop of the ice of greediness. "I will not "whatever we fall in with here, whether it be good or
lend thee four measures," he answered, "but I will bad, we will share it between us." The peasant agreed
make thee a present of eight, but thou must fulfil one to this, and they seated themselves on the grave
condition." - "What am I to do?" said the poor man. together.

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All was quiet until midnight, when suddenly a shrill under the weight of a sack which lay on his shoulders.
whistling was heard in the air, and the two watchers He emptied it into the boot, which was just as far from
perceived the Evil One standing bodily before them. being filled as before. He became furious, and was just
"Be off, you ragamuffins!" cried he to them, "the man going to tear the boot out of the soldier's hands, but at
who lies in that grave belongs to me; I want to take that moment the first ray of the rising sun broke forth
him, and if you don't go away I will wring your from the sky, and the Evil Spirit fled away with loud
necks!" - "Sir with the red feather,"* said the soldier, shrieks. The poor soul was saved.
"you are not my captain, I have no need to obey you, The peasant wished to divide the gold, but the soldier
and I have not yet learned how to fear. Go away, we said, "Give what falls to my lot to the poor, I will
shall stay sitting here." come with thee to thy cottage, and together we will
The Devil thought to himself, "Money is the best thing live in rest and peace on what remains, as long as God
with which to get hold of these two vagabonds." So he is pleased to permit."
began to play a softer tune, and asked quite kindly, if
they would not accept a bag of money, and go home ***
with it? "That is worth listening to," answered the
soldier, "but one bag of gold won't serve us, if you will
give as much as will go into one of my boots, we will
quit the field for you and go away."
"I have not so much as that about me," said the Devil,
"but I will fetch it. In the neighbouring town lives a
money-changer who is a good friend of mine, and will
readily advance it to me." When the Devil had
vanished the soldier took his left boot off, and said,
"We will soon pull the charcoal-burner's nose for him,
just give me your knife, comrade." He cut the sole off
the boot, and put it in the high grass near the grave on
the edge of a hole that was half over-grown. "That will
do," said he; "now the chimney-sweep may come.
They both sat down and waited, and it was not long
before the Devil returned with a small bag of gold in
his hand. "Just pour it in," said the soldier, raising up
the boot a little, "but that won't be enough."
The Black One shook out all that was in the bag; the
gold fell through, and the boot remained empty.
"Stupid Devil," cried the soldier, "it won't do! Didn't I
say so at once? Go back again, and bring more." The
Devil shook his head, went, and in an hour's time came
with a much larger bag under his arm. "Now pour it
in," cried the soldier, "but I doubt the boot won't be
full." The gold clinked as it fell, but the boot remained
empty. The Devil looked in himself with his burning
eyes, and convinced himself of the truth. "You have
shamefully big calves to your legs!" cried he, and
made a wry face. "Did you think," replied the soldier,
"that I had a cloven foot like you? Since when have
you been so stingy? See that you get more gold
together, or our bargain will come to nothing!" The
Wicked One went off again. This time he stayed away
longer, and when at length he appeared he was panting

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