to him how to use the
head instead of the hands, so as to produce more with the former than
with the latter.

In Ivan's kingdom there was a high tower, which was reached by a long,
narrow ladder leading up to the balcony, and Ivan told the old devil
that from the top of the tower every one could see him.

So the old devil went up to the balcony and addressed the people.

The fools came in great crowds to hear what the old devil had to say,
thinking that he really meant to tell them how to work with the head.
But the old devil only told them in words what to do, and did not give
them any practical instruction. He said that men working only with their
hands could not make a living. The fools did not understand what he
said to them and looked at him in amazement, and then departed for their
daily work.

The old devil addressed them for two days from the balcony, and at the
end of that time, feeling hungry, he asked the people to bring him some
bread. But they only laughed at him and told him if he could work better
with his head than with his hands he could also find bread for himself.
He addressed the people for yet another day, and they went to hear him
from curiosity, but soon left him to return to their work.

Ivan asked, "Well, did the nobleman work with his head?"

"Not yet," they said; "so far he has only talked."

One day, while the old devil was standing on the balcony, he became
weak, and, falling down, hurt his head against a pole.

Seeing this, one of the fools ran to Ivan's wife and said, "The
gentleman has at last commenced to work with his head."

She ran to the field to tell Ivan, who was much surprised, and said,
"Let us go and see him."

He turned his horses' heads in the direction of the tower, where the old
devil remained weak from hunger and was still suspended from the pole,
with his body swaying back and forth and his head striking the lower
part of the pole each time it came in contact with it. While Ivan
was looking, the old devil started down the steps head-first--as they
supposed, to count them.

"Well," said Ivan, "he told the truth after all--that sometimes from
this kind of work the head bursts. This is far worse than welts on the
hands."

The old devil fell to the ground head-foremost. Ivan approached him,
but at that instant the ground opened and the devil disappeared, leaving
only a hole to show where he had gone.

Ivan scratched his head and said: "See here; such nastiness