"What are you? Why do you thank me?" Petrúsha asked.
"Oh, I am the Devil, and I am thanking you because when the old woman was stumbling along and barking at me uselessly, you put in a good word for me." And he began to beseech him: "Do come, Petrúsha, and be my guest, and I will give you a reward—gold and silver—all you wish."
"All right!" said Petrúsha; "I will come."
And the Devil gave him his directions, and instantly vanished, and Petrúsha went back home.
Next day Petrúsha went to pay a visit to the Devil—went on and went on for three whole days; and he got into a deep wood—into the dreary and darksome forest where he could not see the sky. And in that forest there stood a rich palace; and when he came to the palace, a fair maiden saw him. She had been stolen from a village by the Unholy Spirit. She saw him and asked: "Why have you come here, doughty youth? Here the devils live, and they will tear you to tatters."
Petrúsha told her how and why he had come to this palace.
"Well, look you to it," the fair maiden said; "the devils are going to give you gold and silver—do not take any of it. Only ask them to give you the sorry horse on which the unholy spirits load their fuel and water. This horse is your father. When he got drunk and fell into the water, the devils instantly got hold of him, turned him into a horse, and now he serves as the beast of burden to carry their wood and water for them."
Then that same youth came forward who had invited Petrúsha to pay him a visit, and he began to entertain him with all sorts of sweetmeats and drinks. Then the time came for Petrúsha's departure home.
"As a parting gift," the Devil said to him, "I will
