The Peasant and the Devil

Once upon a time there was a clever peasant who was known far and wide for his tricks. The best story is how he once tricked the Devil and made a fool of him. One day the peasant was working in his field.

As dusk fell, he was getting ready to go home when he saw a heap of burning coals in the middle of his field. Full of surprise, he went closer. There sat a little black devil on the live coals. “You are sitting on a treasure!” said the peasant.

“Yes, indeed,” replied the Devil, “on a treasure with more gold and silver than you have ever seen in your life!” “The treasure lies in my field and belongs to me,” said the peasant. “It is yours,” answered the Devil, “if for two years you give me half of everything your field produces.

I have enough money, but I long for the fruits of the earth.” The peasant agreed to the bargain. “To avoid any argument about the division,” he said, “everything above the ground shall belong to you, and what is under the earth to me.” The Devil was quite satisfied with that, but the cunning peasant had sown turnips.

Now when harvest time came, the Devil appeared to take his crop. But he found nothing but yellow withered leaves, while the peasant, full of joy, was digging up his turnips. “You got the best of it this time,” said the Devil, “but next time that won’t do.

What grows above ground shall be yours, and what is under it, mine.” “I agree,” replied the peasant. But when it was time to sow, he did not sow turnips again, but wheat. The grain ripened, and the peasant went into the field and cut the full stalks down to the ground.

When the Devil came, he found nothing but stubble. In a fury he went away down into a cleft in the rocks. “That’s the way to cheat the Devil,” said the peasant, and he went and fetched the treasure.