136 The Smith and the Devil.
- ' You are ready now, of course ? " safd the <Jevii, as he put his nose
Ln at the door of the smithy. rt Ready, quite ready," answered; the smith ; "we can start: when you like. But there is one thing," he continued, " which I have been standing here and thinking about for a long time, to ask you about. Is it true, what they say, that the devil can make himself as small as he likes?"— " Yes, of course," answered the devil. — " Ah, perhaps you could do me the favour to creep into this steel-ring purse and see if there are any hoies at the bottom," said the smith ; " I am so afraid I shall lose my money for the journey." — " Oh, yes, with pleasure," said the devil, and made himself small and crept into the purse. But he had scarcely got inside when the smith closed the purse. 41 It is safe and sound everywhere," said the devil inside the purse. " I am glad to hear you say that," answered the smith ; " but it is better to be prudent beforehand than wise afterwards. I think I will weld the joints a little better together, just for safety's sake you know," and with that he put the purse in the fire and made it red hot. "Oh dear ! oh dear ! " cried the devil; "are you mad? Don't you know I am inside the purse ? " "Yes, but I can't help you," said the smith. "There's an old saying, that ' one must strike while the iron is hot,' " and so he took his big sledge-hammer, put the purse on the anvil, and hammered away as hard as he could. "Oh dear! oh dear! oh dear!" screamed the devil inside the purse. " Dear friend, do let me out and I shall never come back again." " Well, I think the joints are pretty well welded together now," said the smith, "so now you may come out again." With this he opened the purse, and the devil rushed away in such a hurry that he did not even look behind him. Some time after this, the smith began thinking that he had per haps done a foollsh thing by making the devil his enemy. " For suppose the saints above \von't have me" he said, " I may run the
