Beyond the Giant Mountains

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BEYOND THE GIANT MOUNTAINS TALES FROM BOHEMIA By Adolf Wenig Translated by Lillian P. Mokrejs

In Bohemia it seems that the Devil is a rather delightful old fellow, a little slow to be sure, a little ill-natured, but far different from the arch fiend of the more western parts of Europe, and a far more agreeable companion for boys and girls. The simple peasants outwit him at every turn and the stories of the amazing pranks they play on him will delight young and old.

How the Devil contended with Man

BEYOND THE GIANT MOUNTAINS

HOW THE DEVIL CONTENDED WITH MAN

ONCE upon a time there was a poor man who had a hard time making a living. His little hut at the edge of the village, old and weather-beaten, and a tiny field on the side of a hill, were all he possessed. Five hungry children cried for food and the poor mother had nothing to give them. Most of the time, all they had to eat was bread and water, the bread so hard that it crunched between their teeth.

One day the mother, who had received some flour for work she had done, wanted to bake bread, and, as there was nothing with which to make a fire, the father said he would go into the woods and gather some dry sticks. So he went to the forest and was searching for dry branches, when who should stand before him but the devil! Now this poor man was very brave and he wasn’t frightened the least bit.

“What are you searching all the trees for?” asked the devil.

“For a young linden, my black friend. Of its fiber I

shall make a rope with a noose on the end with which to catch devils. Such a rope will be a fine thing, for they cannot escape from that.”

At this the devil, because he was foolish, became much frightened.

“Oh, don’t do that! Truly that would be bad for us. What can I give you to leave us in peace?”

" Bring me a bag of gold!” answered the man.

The devil disappeared, but in a few minutes returned with the bag of gold, gave it to the man, and hurried off to hell rejoicing.

There he said to the other devils, “My dear brothers, I have saved you from a terrible danger.”

But, when he told them all, they only laughed at him. “How foolish you are to give a bag of gold for nothing! Now you shall go back to that man and wrestle with him for it.”

So the devil came up to earth, sought out the poor man, and said that he had given him too much for his favor; that they should wrestle together, the stronger one to have the gold.

The man, cunning as a fox, agreed at once.

“I have a grandfather,” he said, “an old man ninety and nine years old. If you overcome him, it will be the same as though you overcame me.”

And he led the devil into the woods, among the rocks, where a bear had his den.

“There lies my grandfather; do you see him?”

The devil went bravely up to the bear, wakened him, and said, “Come, grandfather, let us wrestle.”

But the bear quickly snatched the devil with his great paws and hugged him till his bones began to crack. The devil had all he could do to get away, and straight as an arrow, he flew back to hell.

“I want nothing to do with that man. He has a grandfather, an old man ninety and nine years old, who has so much strength that it is terrible. What must the grandson’s be?”

But the devils were not satisfied, and all insisted that he must return to the earth and again contend with the man.

So the devil again sought out the man and asked him to race, the money to go to the swifter.

The man, a thorough rogue, consented at once.

“I have a little son, a tiny fellow, who is not yet a year old. If you outrun him, it will be the same as though you had outrun me.”

And he led the devil to the edge of the woods where a rabbit lived among the bushes.

“There lies my little son; do you see him?”

The devil went to waken the rabbit.

“Get up, little fellow, let us race.”

But the rabbit did not wait for the devil to get ready. He sprang from his hiding-place and ran. The devil started after him and ran as hard as he could, but was not able to catch up. Directly in their path was a gorge, deep and rocky, with a stream at the bottom. The rabbit leaped; the devil leaped after him, only to fall splashing into the water. Crawling out all bruised and dripping, he looked about for the rabbit, which was just then scampering over the other side. So the devil went limping back to hell.

“I want nothing more to do with that man. He has a son, a little fellow not yet a year old, who runs like the wind. How must the father run?”

But because the devils all insisted, this foolish one had to return to the earth a third time to contend with the man. This time to whistle.

The man was willing at once.

“Whistle!” ordered the devil.

“Just you begin and do your best,” answered the man.

The devil whistled once; leaves fell from the trees. He whistled the second time, more loudly; twigs dropped off. He whistled the third time, and great branches broke.

“Oh, your whistling is weak,” said the man. “When I whistle, the trees will fall, the noise will deafen you!”

At that the devil begged the man to tie up his ears. The man gladly tied a kerchief not only over his ears, but over his eyes too. Then, picking up one of the strongest of the broken branches, he whistled and struck the devil over the head with it.

“See, I told you the trees would fall!”

He whistled the second time and brought the branch down on to the devil’s head still harder. At this the devil begged the man not to whistle again.

“As you whistled three times, I will too,” said the man.

He whistled the third time and struck with all his might. At this the devil tore the bandage from his eyes and, without even looking for the uprooted trees, ran straight off to hell.

The bag of gold was left with the man.

How a Soldier punished the Devils

HOW A SOLDIER PUNISHED THE DEVILS

ONCE upon a time there was an old soldier, who had served in the army many years. He had gone through many battles and had suffered much, yet he had no wish to leave the army, until one day, after serving as sentinel, he returned tired and hungry and received nothing to eat. He went to bed hungry and cross, and that night he dreamed that a little gray-haired man came to him and said: “Leave the army and go into the world. It will go well with you.” When the soldier awoke in the morning, he thought of his dream and wondered what he should do. The next night he had the same dream. The soldier debated: “Shall I, shall I not?” The third night the little old man said to him again: “Leave the army and go into the world. It will go well with you.”

The soldier decided and, as soon as it was morning, announced his intention of leaving the army. He was allowed to go and was given a few pieces of gold as wages for the time he had served. Putting his pipe and bottle into his knapsack, he parted with his comrades and set out cheerfully. He was happy to be at liberty and walked briskly along the road all that day. As the sun was sinking to sleep in the west, the soldier came to an inn by the roadside, where he decided to stay that night.

There was a gay company within and they invited the soldier to join them. He told them stories of war and of the brave deeds he had done and, when the truth did not sound big enough, he stretched it a bit. The guests, however, were all glad to listen.

The soldier enjoyed being at the inn so much that he stayed there three days and three nights, eating and drinking until his money was nearly spent. There remained but three small pieces.

“These I will put away,” he said, “for I shall need them on my journey. One will be for tobacco, one for brandy and one for bread.”

So with a light heart and a lighter pocket, the soldier went on his way.

The road from the inn led through a long, deep wood. When he reached the middle of it, he saw a beggar sitting by the road, holding out his hat, begging alms. The soldier drew one of the coins from his pocket, saying to himself: “Oh well, I can live without tobacco,” and, tossing the piece to the beggar, he went on.

It was not long before he saw another beggar by the road, a cripple. The soldier felt sorry for the cripple and, taking the second coin, he said, “Oh well, I shall get along even without the brandy,” and gave the piece to the beggar.

He walked on and, as he was nearing the edge of the wood, he saw a beggar there, old and bent. His hair was white as snow, his hands shook with age and he stretched them out to the soldier, begging, in God’s mercy, for help. The soldier pitied the poor man and drew the last piece from his pocket, saying: “One piece, or nothing? I can do without the bread too.” He handed the beggar his last bit of money and started to go on, but the old man called out: “I do not want you to regret giving your last penny to the poor. Charity brings its reward. Make three wishes and they shall come true, but consider well what is most to be desired.”

The soldier smiled, thought awhile, and then said: “I wish that the supply of brandy in my bottle would never grow less!”

“So be it. Two more wishes you may make, but be careful.”

The soldier knew at once. “If only I could always smoke, yet never have to fill my pipe!”

The old man consented to that and added: “Now consider well your last wish.”

But, without much thinking, the soldier struck his knapsack and said: “I wish that when I say ‘Into my knapsack,’ there would instantly be there whatever I want.”

The old man gravely shook his head. “So be it even this time, but, soldier, you have forgotten about heaven; some day you may be sorry for it!” And then he vanished.

The soldier thought there was plenty of time to think about heaven. He was eager to see if his wishes had come true, so he pulled out his bottle, took a deep draught, and behold! the bottle was as full as before. Then he put his pipe to his lips, puffed, and the smoke rolled out as from a chimney.

“That is good,” thought the soldier. “Now, how about the knapsack?”

Just then a rabbit ran by. Catching sight of it, he called out: “Into my knapsack!” and the rabbit instantly leaped into the sack.

In high spirits, the soldier walked out of the wood and saw before him the red roofs of a city in the valley below. It was a large city and, on a height above it, stood a beautiful castle. The soldier followed the road and toward evening entered the gate, thinking: “It’s poor supping and poor lodging without a penny in your pocket.”

As he walked along the market-place, he passed a house where a rich miser sat in the window counting out the money he had extorted from the people that day. It was a fine pile of silver coins.

“Into my knapsack!” exclaimed the soldier and, immediately, the silver coins were clinking in his sack. Then he went to the inn and ordered supper. The innkeeper looked with suspicion on the old soldier in his shabby clothes, but he reached into his knapsack and drew out a handful of coins.

“Have no fear; here’s the money!”

The innkeeper at once brought food and drink and sat down beside him for a chat. The soldier asked what news there was in the city.

“Nothing particular,” answered the innkeeper, “unless it is that the prince had to leave the castle. It is haunted.”

“What haunts the place?”

“No one knows. At midnight there is always such a furious commotion in the great hall, that all the windows shake. When they set men to watch, they find them dead in the morning.”

“I would venture to watch,” said the soldier, “if the prince would send two men with me, so that I should not be lonely, and add to that a good supper and a bottle of wine. I would go to the castle this very night.”

Hearing that, the innkeeper ran to the prince and told him what the soldier had said. The prince was pleased and ordered two men to go with the soldier, but they went very unwillingly.

When the three men reached the castle, they lighted the candles, made themselves comfortable in the great hall and sat down to the supper they had brought with them. After they had eaten, the soldier drew some old cards from his pocket and a handful of coins from his knapsack, divided them and they played. So the time passed quietly until twelve o’clock sounded from the tower, when the doors burst open and a devil flew into the hall. The two men dropped their cards from fear, but the soldier calmly ordered them to play on.

The devil became angry that no one noticed him, stepped up to the table and called out in a thundering voice: “How dare you come here, you worms of the earth?”

He was about to lay hold of one of the men, when the old soldier cried out: “Into my knapsack!” and that moment the devil was kicking about in the knapsack under the table.

Before one could count five, a second devil appeared. He leaped about the hall, neighing and stamping, but the men continued playing as though nothing had happened. The devil then rushed up to the table, but the old soldier pushed him aside, saying: “Go away, you smell too strongly of sulphur!”

At this the devil flew into a rage and was about to throw himself upon the soldier, who quickly called out: “Into my knapsack!” and there he was.

That instant a third devil burst into the hall. He flew madly about, puffing at such a rate that the lights on the table were almost blown out. The soldier turned from his cards and called: “What do you mean by behaving so? We can scarcely see the cards. Get out of here instantly!”

“How dare you, miserable worm!” roared the devil. The soldier only waved his hand and said: “Into my knapsack!” and this devil found himself with the other two.

After that, all was quiet in the castle. Nothing stirred. When one o’clock struck, the old soldier said: “It is time to sleep, so let us to bed, nothing will disturb us now.”

In the morning, the people were waiting outside the castle anxious to learn what had happened. As no one appeared, they all thought that these men, too, had perished. They went inside, into the great hall and there, stretched out comfortably upon their beds, lay the three men snoring.

On being wakened, the soldier immediately ordered men to go for the blacksmith and bring his anvil and largest hammers. When this was done, the blacksmith stood by the anvil, while the soldier cautiously opened his knapsack. One of the devils stuck out his head, but the soldier seized him by the neck and laid his horns upon the anvil.

“And now, off with his horns!”

The blacksmith was afraid to strike, but the soldier threatened to put him into the knapsack with the devils, if he did not obey. That was sufficient and the blacksmith pounded off the devil’s horns.

“Will you ever haunt the castle again?” asked the soldier.

“Never!” screamed the devil as he scrambled out of the knapsack and went flying out of the window.

The second devil and the third were treated in the same manner and then the soldier betook himself to the prince.

The prince was overjoyed, gave the soldier a chest of money and built him a fine house, in which he lived contentedly many years, smoking his pipe in comfort.

When the soldier began to feel that it was nearly time to part with this world, he asked that his knapsack, bottle and pipe be buried with him. It was done as he wished. Upon reaching the other world, he went straight to the gate of heaven and knocked. Saint Peter opened, but when he saw who it was, he said: “You do not belong here. You were once allowed to choose what you wished and you never thought of heaven.”

What was the soldier to do? He turned about and went down to hell. There he knocked upon the gate and, as it opened, a devil without horns stuck out his head. Seeing the soldier, he cried: “Don’t let him in. He is the one who broke off our horns.” The gate was slammed in the soldier’s face and nothing remained for him to do but to go back whence he had come.

On the way he wondered what he should do, when, suddenly, a bright thought came. He went up again to the gate of heaven and knocked. Saint Peter opened. “Into my knapsack!” he called out, and instantly Saint Peter found himself in the sack, unable to get out. The soldier slipped into heaven, closed the gate and then set Saint Peter free. The saint ran off to complain that the soldier would make trouble in heaven.

“Never mind,” he was answered, “just be careful not to find yourself in the knapsack again!”

So the soldier remained in heaven and he is still there to this very day.

About the Real and the Unreal Devils

ABOUT THE REAL AND THE UNREAL DEVILS

THERE was once a poor man who had a wife and five children and they had nothing to eat. They had a godfather in the village, a rich sedlak, but he was so miserly that he would not give them even a piece of bread. So these people lived in want, rising hungry in the morning and going to bed hungry at night.

One day, as this poor woman was going to a neighboring village to beg some bread for her children, she followed the path along a stream. The water had washed away part of its banks and, as she was walking along, a great piece of earth gave way under her, and she barely saved herself from falling into the water. And then she saw that, as the earth had fallen away, a huge pot full of golden ducats had rolled out from its hiding-place. Overjoyed, the woman quickly gathered the money into her apron and ran home.

Now their misery was ended. They hid the money in a chest in the garret, so that no one should know of it. Then, taking a ducat, the woman went to their god- father and asked for a loaf of bread. The sedlak began to scold, saying that he had none for beggars, but when he saw the ducat, he brought the loaf at once. He asked her where she got the money and the woman, an honest soul, told him by what chance she had found the gold.

The miserly sedlak begrudged them their riches and one day he said to his wife: “I would like to have that money, but how am I to get it?”

She was still more miserly and at once thought of a way. “I’ll tell you. To-night we will kill our black cow and you must wrap yourself in the hide with the horns upon your head. Then at midnight go to the hut, knock on the door and tell them you are the devil and have come for the money.”

The sedlak listened and did all as his wife advised. Just before midnight, he was at the hut pounding on the door and rattling an iron chain. The poor man put his head out of the window and asked who was there and what was wanted.

“I am the devil and I have come for my money,” thundered the sedlak.

The poor man had but little courage left when he saw the black head with its horns.

“Do you hear?” he said to his wife, “the devil has come for the money. Give it to him, I want nothing to do with it.”

But the wife was braver and refused, for who knew what all this might mean?

So the sedlak stalked about the hut in vain and, very soon after midnight, went away. He thought that by coming every night he would frighten them yet. The next night he came again and with a loud noise demanded the money, but again he got nothing.

By this time the poor man was so frightened that next morning he said: “Wife, if that devil comes again, I will give him the money myself. Indeed, who knows what kind of gold it may be?”

This intention he also told the sedlak who, acting as

though he knew nothing, came to spy out how the poor man felt.

“All is won,” thought the sedlak, “to-night I shall get the money surely.”

That evening, after the day’s work, the poor man was sitting in front of his hut, when a strange man in hunter’s dress came up the road. Dusty and tired from his journey, he asked the poor man to lodge him for the night.

“If you are brave enough to stay, I shall be glad to have you. Terrible things have been happening here.”

And then the poor man told him about the money they had found and how the devil had been coming for it. The hunter was eager to see this devil, so the poor man led him into the hut, glad that they were not to be alone that night.

As it neared twelve o’clock, the same noise and rattling was heard. The poor man was preparing to give up the money, when the hunter said: “Open the door! Let him in!”

The wife objected, thinking that if they paid no attention, he would go away again. At this the hunter jumped up and opened the door. When the horned monster stepped into the room, the hunter asked: “Who are you and what are you looking for?”

“I am the devil and I have come for my money.”

The hunter answered: “You are a devil? I am one too. Well then, we shall go where we both belong.”

He picked up the sedlak and flew with him out of the window and all that remained in the room was a little smoke and the smell of brimstone.

In the morning, the sedlak’s wife came to ask if her husband had been there.

“He hasn’t been here for a long time,” answered the poor man’s wife. “I can scarcely remember when. But a strange thing happened here last night.”

And then she told her all.

The sedlak’s wife knew at once that it was her husband whom the devil had carried off, but she never said a word.

Afterward, the poor man bought a fine piece of land with the money and he and his family were very happy.

The Devil's Gifts

THE DEVIL’S GIFTS

OHERE was once a weaver who had become so poor that he had nothing left to eat. His wife said to him one morning: “Our neighbor is killing a hog today; go and beg a piece of meat. Perhaps he will give you some and that would be a dinner.”

The weaver went and begged his neighbor for a piece of the meat, but the neighbor, who was very greedy, refused. Still the poor man begged: “Have pity on me; my wife and children are dying of hunger and I have nothing to give them.”

Thereupon, the neighbor angrily cut off a piece and said: “Take it and go to the devil!”

The poor man took it and thanked him, but outside the tears started to his eyes at his neighbor’s unkindness. Looking at the meat, he said to himself: “Truly, I would rather ask charity of the devil.”

Hardly had he uttered it, when a little black man appeared before him who said that he would gladly show him the way. The poor man was so bewildered that he followed him without knowing what he was doing. In a short time, they reached the gates of hell.

“Now I advise you,” said the black man,” to take that meat to Lucifer. He will accept it and, when he asks what you wish in return, ask for the cloth he has spread on the table.”

The devil led the weaver into a large room where Lucifer sat at a table.

“What are you bringing us?” he asked.

“A piece of meat.”

“And what do you wish for it?”

“Give me the cloth you have on your table.”

The weaver received the cloth and returned to the earth.

“Do you know what kind of a table-cloth that is?” asked the devil who had been his guide.

“How should I know?” answered the weaver. “I only see that it is coarsely woven.”

“Such a cloth, my dear weaver, you could never weave. If you spread it and say:

‘Of meat and drink for our pleasure, Let there be bountiful measure,’

all that you wish will immediately appear.”

Then the devil led him to the road and showed him the way home.

But the return journey was longer. The weaver walked until evening and, as it was getting dark, he stopped at an inn for the night. When asked if he wanted supper, he smiled and said: “No.” Then, spreading his own cloth on the table he said: “Of meat and drink for our pleasure, Let there be bountiful measure.”

Immediately the table was covered with all kinds of good things, and he and the astonished innkeeper ate and drank.

After supper, when the weaver had gone to bed, the innkeeper said to his wife: “A table-cloth like that would be a treasure!”

“We have one much like it,” she answered; “let us put ours in its place and he will never know.”

While the weaver slept, they took his wonderful cloth and put theirs in its place. In the morning, after the weaver had washed and dressed, he spread the cloth and said:

“Of meat and drink for our pleasure, Let there be bountiful measure.”

But the table remained empty. The weaver called the second time, still there was nothing. Not even the third time did any food appear. So the weaver picked up the cloth and went back to hell.

On the way, he met the devil who had been his guide and told him that the table-cloth had obeyed him only once and, now that it was of no use, he was taking it back.

“Take it to Lucifer then,” said the devil,” and ask him to give you the rooster you will see there.”

The weaver went to Lucifer, gave him the cloth and received in return the rooster, which he took under his arm and returned to the earth.

“Do you know what kind of a rooster that is?” asked his guide.

“How should I know? I have noticed only that it doesn’t like to crow, for I haven’t heard it yet.”

“But it will crow as soon as you command and each time a ducat will fall from its bill.”

That night the weaver arrived at the inn again and the innkeeper asked him if he had any money. The weaver set the rooster on the table and commanded it to crow. The rooster crowed immediately and a ducat fell from its bill. So the weaver had a good supper and a soft bed.

When he had gone to sleep, the innkeeper said to his wife: “A rooster like that would really be a treasure!”

“We have a rooster much like his,” she answered; “let us put ours in its place and he will never know.”

They exchanged roosters and the weaver knew nothing. When he got up in the morning he commanded the rooster to crow, but the rooster did not wish to crow. In vain the weaver commanded and, angrily picking up the rooster, he went back to Lucifer again.

He told the devil, who was standing at the gate, that the rooster had crowed only once and now it would not obey.

“Give it to Lucifer then,” said the devil smiling, “and ask him for the big stick that stands in the corner near the door.”

The weaver took the rooster to Lucifer, was given the big stick in place of it, and hurried away. As he met his guide, he asked him what power it might have.

“That is such a stick, my dear sir, that when you say:

‘Stick, alert! Make it hurt!’

it will beat the one who has wronged you. And let me tell you also, that they cheated you twice at the inn. Go back there and the stick will help you.”

When the weaver heard all this, he went straight to the inn and asked for lodging. As the innkeeper saw he had nothing with him but a stick, he refused.