ng them up to dry, and said
nothing to Peter about the matter.

After some time had passed she noticed that every day he came riding
home from the forest he took off a blood-stained shirt and put on a
clean one. She then saw that it was something else than the blood of the
deer that stained his shirts, so one day she took courage and asked him
about it.

At first he refused to tell her, but she then related to him her own
story, and how she had succeeded in delivering the lindorm. He then told
her that he had formerly lived a wild life, and had finally entered
into a written contract * with the Evil Spirit. Before this contract
had expired he had repented and turned from his evil ways, and withdrawn
himself to this solitude. The Evil One had then lost all power to take
him, but so long as he had the contract he could compel him to meet him
in the forest each day at a certain time, where the evil spirits then
scourged him till he bled.

Next day, when the time came for the man to ride into the forest, the
queen asked him to stay at home and look after the princes, and she
would go to meet the evil spirits in his place. The man was amazed, and
said that this would not only cost her her life, but would also bring
upon him a greater misfortune than the one he was already under. She
bade him be of good courage, looked to see that she had the three nuts
which she had found beside her mother's grave, mounted her horse, and
rode out into the forest. When she had ridden for some time the evil
spirits came forth and said, 'Here comes Peter's horse and Peter's
hound; but Peter himself is not with them.'

Then at a distance she heard a terrible voice demanding to know what she
wanted.

'I have come to get Peter's contract,' said she.

At this there arose a terrible uproar among the evil spirits, and the
worst voice among them all said, 'Ride home and tell Peter that when he
comes to-morrow he shall get twice as many strokes as usual.'

The queen then took one of her nuts and cracked it, and turned her horse
about. At this sparks of fire flew out of all the trees, and the evil
spirits howled as if they were being scourged back to their abode.

Next day at the same time the queen again rode out into the forest;
but on this occasion the spirits did not dare to come so near her. They
would not, however, give up the contract, but threatened both her and
the man. Then she cracked her second nut, and all the forest behind her
se