The Smith and the Devil. 134 boy work the bellows smartly ; but it went as one might expect— the legs were burnt up, and the smith had to pay for the horse. This was not exactly to his liking, but at that moment a poor old woraan, who went about begging, came past, and he thought if one thing does not succeed another may. So he took the old woman and put her in the fire, and although she cried and begged for her life, it was of no use. " You don't know what is good for you, although you are so old/' said the smith ; " I will make a young woman of you in half a minute, and I shan't charge as much as a penny for the job." It fared no better with the poor old woman than with the horse's legs. Just then the saints came round again to him. "That was ill done," said the samt. " Oh, I don't think there are many who will be asking after her," answered the smith ; " but it is a great shame that the devil doesn't hold to what is written over the door." — " If you might have three wishes from me," said the samt, "what would you wish for yourself?" "Try me," answered the smith, " and you will get to know." The samt then gave him three wishes. " First of all, I wish that whcn I ask anybody to climb up in the pear-tree just outside the smithy, he must sit there till I myself ask him to come down again," said the smith. " Secondly, I wish that any one whom I ask to sit down in the arm-chair in the smithy there, must remain inittillImyselfaskhimtogetup; and,lastofall,IwishthatifI ask anybody to creep into the steel-ring purse which I have in my pocket, he must remain there till I give him leave to creep out again." " You have wished like a foolish man," said the other samt. " First of all you should have wished for leave to get into paradise." — " I dared not ask for that," said the smith, and bade the saints farewell. Well, days came and days passed, and when the time was up, the devil came to fetch the smith according to the agreement. " Areyoureadyhow?"hesaid,asheputhisnoseinatthedoor of the smithy. " Well, yes ; but I want to finish the head of this
