The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs

There was once a poor woman who gave birth to a little son, and because he came into the world wearing a caul, it was foretold that in his fourteenth year he would marry the King's daughter. Now it happened that soon after, the King came to the village, and no one knew that he was the King. When he asked the people what news there was, they answered, "In these very days a child has been born with a caul. Whatever such a one undertakes turns out well. And it has been foretold that in his fourteenth year he will have the King's daughter for his wife."

The King, who had a wicked heart and was troubled by this prophecy, went to the parents, and putting on a friendly face he said, "You poor people, let me have your child, and I will take good care of it." At first they refused, but when the stranger offered them a great weight of gold, and they thought, "It is a luck-child, and everything must turn out for the best," they gave in at last and handed him the child.

The King placed the baby in a box and rode off with it until he came to a deep stretch of water. There he threw the box in and thought, "Now I have rid my daughter of this unwanted suitor." But the box did not sink. It floated like a little boat, and not a single drop of water made its way inside. It drifted to within two miles of the King's chief city, where there was a mill, and there it caught fast against the mill-dam. A miller's lad, who happened by good luck to be standing there, noticed it and hauled it in with a hook, thinking he had found some great treasure. But when he opened it, there lay a lovely boy inside, quite fresh and lively. He carried him to the miller and his wife, and since they had no children of their own, they were overjoyed and said, "God has given him to us." They cared well for the foundling, and he grew up good in every way.

It happened one day that the King, caught in a storm, stepped into the mill and asked the mill-folk if the tall youth was their son. "No," they answered, "he is a foundling. Fourteen years ago he drifted to the mill-dam in a box, and our miller's lad pulled him out of the water." Then the King knew at once that this was none other than the luck-child he had thrown into the water, and he said, "My good people, could the youth carry a letter to the Queen for me? I will give him two gold pieces for his trouble." "As the King commands," they answered, and they told the boy to make ready. Then the King wrote a letter to the Queen, and in it he wrote: "As soon as this boy arrives with this letter, let him be put to death and buried, and let it all be done before I return home."

The boy set off with the letter, but he lost his way, and by evening he came into a great forest. In the darkness he saw a small light, and going toward it he came to a little cottage. When he stepped inside, an old woman was sitting alone by the fire. She started when she saw the boy and said, "Where do you come from, and where are you going?" "I come from the mill," he answered, "and I am going to the Queen, to whom I must bring a letter. But I have lost my way in the forest, so I would gladly spend the night here." "You poor boy," said the woman, "you have stumbled into a den of robbers, and when they come home they will kill you." "Let whoever wishes come," said the boy. "I am not afraid. But I am so tired I cannot go a step farther." And he stretched himself out on a bench and fell asleep.

Soon after, the robbers came home and angrily asked what strange boy was lying there. "Ah," said the old woman, "it is an innocent child who lost his way in the forest, and out of pity I took him in. He is carrying a letter to the Queen." The robbers broke the seal and read the letter, and there it stood that the boy should be put to death the moment he arrived. Then even the hard-hearted robbers felt pity, and their leader tore up the letter and wrote another, and in it he wrote that as soon as the boy arrived he should be married at once to the King's daughter. They let him lie quietly on the bench until morning, and when he woke they gave him the letter and showed him the right road.

And the Queen, when she had received the letter and read it, did just as it said. She had a splendid wedding-feast prepared, and the King's daughter was married to the luck-child. And since the young man was handsome and kind, she lived happily and contentedly with him.

After some time the King returned to his palace and saw that the prophecy had come true, and that the luck-child was married to his daughter. "How has this happened?" he said. "In my letter I gave a very different order." So the Queen handed him the letter and told him to see for himself what was written in it. The King read it and saw plainly that it had been exchanged for another. He asked the youth what had become of the letter entrusted to him, and why he had brought a different one instead. "I know nothing about it," he answered. "It must have been changed in the night, while I slept in the forest." Filled with anger, the King said, "You shall not get off so easily. Whoever wishes to have my daughter must fetch me three golden hairs from the head of the Devil in hell. Bring me what I ask, and you shall keep my daughter." With this the King hoped to be rid of him forever. But the luck-child answered, "I shall fetch the golden hairs. I am not afraid of the Devil." And so he took his leave and set out on his journey.

The road led him to a great town, where the watchman at the gate asked him what trade he knew and what he understood. "I know everything," answered the luck-child. "Then you can do us a favor," said the watchman, "if you can tell us why our market-fountain, which once flowed with wine, has run dry and gives not even water anymore." "That you shall know," he answered. "Only wait until I come back."

He went on and came to another town, where the gatekeeper likewise asked him what trade he knew and what he understood. "I know everything," he answered. "Then you can do us a favor," said the gatekeeper, "and tell us why a tree in our town, which once bore golden apples, now will not even put out leaves." "That you shall know," he answered. "Only wait until I come back."

He went on farther and came to a wide river that he had to cross. The ferryman asked him what trade he knew and what he understood. "I know everything," he answered. "Then you can do me a favor," said the ferryman, "and tell me why I must forever row back and forth, and am never set free." "That you shall know," he answered. "Only wait until I come back."

When he had crossed the water he found the entrance to hell. It was black and sooty within, and the Devil was not at home, but his old grandmother sat there in a wide easy chair. "What do you want?" she said to him, though she did not look nearly so wicked as he had feared. "I should like three golden hairs from the Devil's head," he answered, "or I cannot keep my wife." "That is a great deal to ask," she said. "If the Devil comes home and finds you here, it will cost you your neck. But I am sorry for you, and I will see if I can help you." She changed him into an ant and said, "Creep into the folds of my skirt, and there you will be safe." "Yes," he answered, "that is all very well. But there are three things besides that I should like to know: why a fountain that once flowed with wine has run dry and now gives not even water; why a tree that once bore golden apples will not even put out leaves; and why a ferryman must forever cross back and forth, and is never set free." "Those are hard questions," she answered, "but only keep still and quiet, and pay heed to what the Devil says when I pull out the three golden hairs."

When evening came, the Devil returned home. Hardly had he stepped inside than he noticed that the air was not clean. "I smell, I smell the flesh of a man," he said. "Something is not right here." Then he peered into every corner and searched, but he could find nothing. His grandmother scolded him. "I have only just swept up," she said, "and set everything in order, and now you are turning it all topsy-turvy again. You always have the flesh of a man in your nose! Sit down and eat your supper." When he had eaten and drunk he grew tired, and he laid his head in his grandmother's lap and asked her to pick through his hair a little. Before long he began to doze, and he puffed and snored. Then the old woman took hold of a golden hair, pulled it out, and laid it down beside her. "Ouch!" cried the Devil. "What are you doing?" "I had a bad dream," answered the grandmother, "and so I clutched at your hair." "What did you dream, then?" said the Devil. "I dreamed that a market-fountain, which once flowed with wine, had dried up, and would not give even water. What can be the cause of it?" "Ha, if only they knew!" answered the Devil. "There is a toad sitting under a stone in the well. If they killed it, the wine would flow again."

The grandmother went on picking through his hair until he fell asleep once more and snored so hard that the windows rattled. Then she pulled out the second hair. "Ow! What are you doing?" cried the Devil angrily. "Don't take it amiss," she said. "I did it in a dream." "What did you dream this time?" he asked. "I dreamed that in a certain kingdom stood an apple tree that once bore golden apples, but now will not even put out leaves. What can be the reason for it?" "Ha, if only they knew!" answered the Devil. "A mouse is gnawing at its root. If they killed it, the tree would bear golden apples again; but if it gnaws much longer, the tree will wither away entirely. Now leave me in peace with your dreams. If you disturb my sleep once more, you will get a box on the ear."

The grandmother spoke softly to him and soothed him, and picked through his hair until he had fallen asleep and was snoring again. Then she took hold of the third golden hair and pulled it out. The Devil sprang up, roared, and would have handled her roughly, but she calmed him once more and said, "Who can help bad dreams?" "What did you dream, then?" he asked, for he was curious after all. "I dreamed of a ferryman who complained that he must forever cross back and forth, and was never set free. What can be the cause of it?" "Ha, the fool!" answered the Devil. "When someone comes and wants to be carried across, he need only put the pole into the man's hand. Then the other must do the ferrying, and he himself is free." Now that the grandmother had pulled out the three golden hairs, and the three questions were answered, she let the old dragon sleep in peace, and he slept until the break of day.

When the Devil had gone out again, the old woman took the ant from the folds of her skirt and gave the luck-child his human shape once more. "There you have the three golden hairs," she said, "and no doubt you heard what the Devil said to your three questions." "Yes," he answered, "I heard, and I shall be sure to remember." "Then you have what you need," she said, "and now you can go on your way." He thanked the old woman for her help in his need, left hell, and was glad that everything had turned out so well.

When he came to the ferryman, he was to give him the promised answer. "Ferry me across first," said the luck-child, "and then I will tell you how you may be set free." And when he had reached the far shore, he gave him the Devil's advice: "The next time someone comes and wants to be carried across, just put the pole into his hand."

He went on and came to the town where the barren tree stood, and there too the watchman wanted his answer. So he told him what he had heard from the Devil: "Kill the mouse that is gnawing at its root, and it will bear golden apples again." The watchman thanked him and gave him as a reward two donkeys laden with gold, which followed after him.

At last he came to the town whose fountain had run dry. There he told the watchman what the Devil had said: "There is a toad in the well beneath a stone. You must seek it out and kill it, and then the fountain will give wine again in plenty." The watchman thanked him and likewise gave him two donkeys laden with gold.

At last the luck-child came home to his wife, who was heartily glad to see him again and to hear how well everything had gone for him. To the King he brought what he had asked for, the three golden hairs of the Devil, and when the King saw the four donkeys laden with gold he was well pleased and said, "Now all the conditions are fulfilled, and you may keep my daughter. But tell me, dear son-in-law, where does all this gold come from? These are enormous riches!" "I was ferried across a river," he answered, "and I brought it back from there. It lies on the shore like sand." "Can I fetch some of it too?" said the King, all eager. "As much as ever you wish," he answered. "There is a ferryman on the river. Let him carry you over, and on the far side you can fill your sacks." The greedy King set off in all haste, and when he came to the river he beckoned to the ferryman to carry him across. The ferryman came, told him to step aboard, and when they reached the far shore he put the pole into the King's hand and sprang away. And from that time on the King had to do the ferrying, as a punishment for his sins.

Is he ferrying still? Why, of course — no one has taken the pole from him yet.