and devils alike.

THE SON OF THE THUNDER-GOD.[51]

(KREUTZWALD.)

Once upon a time the son of the Thunder-God made a compact with the
Devil. It was agreed that the Devil was to serve him faithfully for
seven years, and to do everything which his master required of him,
after which he was to receive his master's soul as a reward. The Devil
fulfilled his part of the bargain faithfully. He never shirked the
hardest labour nor grumbled at poor living, for he knew the reward he
had to expect. Six years had already passed by, and the seventh had
begun; but the Thunderer's son had no particular inclination to part
with his soul so easily, and looked about for some trick by which he
could escape the necessity of fulfilling his share of the bargain. He
had already tricked the Devil when the compact was signed, for instead
of signing it with his own blood, he had signed it with cock's blood,
and his short-sighted adversary had not noticed the difference. Thus the
bond which the Devil thought perfectly secure was really a very doubtful
one. The end of the time was approaching, and the Thunderer's son had
not yet attempted to regain his freedom, when it happened one day that a
black cloud arose in the sky, which foreboded a violent thunderstorm.
The Devil immediately crept down underground, having made himself a
hiding-place under a stone for that purpose. "Come, brother," said he to
his master, "and keep me company till the tempest is over." "What will
you promise me if I fulfil your request?" said the Thunderer's son. The
Devil thought they might settle this down below, for he did not like to
talk over matters of business just then, when the storm was threatening
to break over them at any moment. The Thunderer's son thought, "The Old
Boy seems quite dazed with terror to-day, and who knows whether I may
not be able to get rid of him after all?" So he followed him into the
cave. The tempest lasted a long time, and one crash of thunder followed
another, till the earth quaked and the rocks trembled. At every peal the
Old Boy pushed his fists into his ears and screwed up his eyes tight; a
cold sweat covered his shaking limbs, and he was unable to utter a word.
In the evening, when the storm was over, he said to the Thunderer's son,
"If your old dad did not make such a noise and clatter now and then, I
could get along with him very well, for his arrows could not hurt me
underground. But this horrible clamour upsets me so mu