riner, that you are so angry?" "What should the matter be?
My bad luck. For three or four years I have been ruining myself, body
and soul, in this sea with these nets, and I cannot catch even a string
to hang myself with." "Listen," said the Enemy. "If you will agree to
give me your wife's next child in thirteen years, from now until you
deliver it to me I will cause you to catch so much fish that you shall
become the richest of men by selling it." Then the mariner understood
that this was the Enemy, and said to himself: "My wife has had no
children for some years. Will she take it into her head to have another
just now when I make this agreement with the Enemy? Oh, come! she is old
now; she will have no more." Then turning to the Enemy, he said: "Well,
since you wish to make this contract, let us make it. But, remember, you
must make me rich." "Don't fear," said the Enemy; "let us make the
agreement and then leave the matter to me." "Softly, we must settle
another matter first; then we will make the contract." "What is it?"
"Listen. Suppose my wife should have no children during these thirteen
years?" "Then you will remain rich and give me nothing." "That is what I
wanted to know. Now we can make the contract." And they settled
everything at once. Then the Enemy disappeared. The mariner began to
draw in his nets, and they were full to overflowing of all kinds of
fish, and he became richer from day to day. In great joy he said: "I
have played a trick on the devil!"--and, poor man! he did not know that
it was the devil who had played a trick on him. Now you must know that
just when they were making the contract, the mariner's wife, old as she
was, expected to become a mother again, and the Enemy knew it. In due
time the wife gave birth to a boy so handsome that he seemed a flower.
His parents named him Lionbruno. The Enemy suddenly appeared: "Mariner!
mariner!" "How can I serve you?" replied the poor man, all trembling.
"The promise is due. Lionbruno is mine." "Yes, you are right. But you
must obey the contract. Remember that it is in thirteen years. Now only
a few months have passed." "That is true," replied the Enemy; "farewell,
then, until the end of the thirteen years." Then he vanished. Meanwhile
Lionbruno grew every day, and became constantly handsomer, and his
parents sent him to school. But time passes, and behold the end of the
thirteen years draws near. One day, before the time agreed upon, the
Enemy appeared. "M