So the smith had no choice but to transform the master. So he quietly asked the coachman what his man had done with the lady, and thought: "Well, I don't mind! I will do the same; it may come out to the same tune, or it may not. I must look out for myself."
So he stripped the lord to his skin, clutched his legs up with nippers, threw him into the forge, began to blow up the bellows, and burned him to ashes. Afterwards he threw the bones—hurled them all into the milk, and began watching would a young master emerge from the bath. And he waited one hour, and another hour, and nothing happened, looked at the little tub—all the little bones were floating about all burned to pieces.
And what was the lady doing? She sent messengers to the smithy. "When was the master to be turned out?" And the poor smith answered that the master had wished her a long life. And you may imagine what they thought of this. Soon she learned that all the smith had done had been to burn her husband to bits and not to make him young, and she was very angry indeed, sent her body-servants, and ordered them to take the smith to the gallows. The order was given, and the thing was done. The attendants ran to the smith, laid hold of him, and took him to the gallows.
Then the same young man who had acted as a hand to the smith came and asked: "Where are they taking you, master?"
"They are going to hang me!" the smith said. And he explained what had happened.
"Well, never mind, uncle!" said the Unholy Spirit. "Swear that you will never strike me with your hammer, and I will secure you such honour as your father had. The lady's husband shall arise young and in full health."
The smith swore and made oath that he would never raise the hammer on the devil and would give him every honour.
