When he got out,
St. Peter was standing by the door, and said, “Just look what a man
thou art; did I not forbid thee to take anything, and there thou hast
thy knapsack full of gold!” “How can I help that,” answered Brother
Lustig, “if people will put it in for me?” “Well, I tell thee this,
that if ever thou settest about anything of this kind again thou shalt
suffer for it!” “Eh, brother, have no fear, now I have money, why
should I trouble myself with washing bones?” “Faith,” said St. Peter,
“the gold will last a long time! In order that after this thou mayst
never tread in forbidden paths, I will bestow on thy knapsack this
property, namely, that whatsoever thou wishest to have inside it, shall
be there. Farewell, thou wilt now never see me more.” “Good-bye,” said
Brother Lustig, and thought to himself, “I am very glad that thou hast
taken thyself off, thou strange fellow; I shall certainly not follow
thee.” But of the magical power which had been bestowed on his
knapsack, he thought no more. Brother Lustig travelled about with his money, and squandered and
wasted what he had as before. When at last he had no more than four
kreuzers, he passed by an inn and thought, “The money must go,” and
ordered three kreuzers’ worth of wine and one kreuzer’s worth of bread
for himself. As he was sitting there drinking, the smell of roast goose
made its way to his nose. Brother Lustig looked about and peeped, and
saw that the host had two geese standing in the oven. Then he
remembered that his comrade had said that whatsoever he wished to have
in his knapsack should be there, so he said, “Oh, ho! I must try that
with the geese.” So he went out, and when he was outside the door, he
said, “I wish those two roasted geese out of the oven and in my
knapsack,” and when he had said that, he unbuckled it and looked in,
and there they were inside it. “Ah, that’s right!” said he, “now I am a
made man!” and went away to a meadow and took out the roast meat. When
he was in the midst of his meal, two journeymen came up and looked at
the second goose, which was not yet touched, with hungry eyes. Brother
Lustig thought to himself, “One is enough for me,” and called the two
men up and said, “Take the goose, and eat it to my health.” They
thanked him, and went with it to the inn, ordered themselves a half
bottle of wine and a loaf, took out the goose which had been given
them, and began to eat. The hostess saw them and said to her husband,
“Those two are eating a goose; just look and see if it is not one of
ours, out of the oven.” The landlord ran thither, and behold the oven
was empty! “What!” cried he, “you thievish crew, you want to eat goose
as cheap as that? Pay for it this moment; or I will wash you well with
green hazel-sap.” The two said, “We are no thieves, a discharged
soldier gave us the goose, outside there in the meadow.” “You shall not
throw dust in my eyes that way! the soldier was here but he went out by
the door, like an honest fellow. I looked after him myself; you are the
thieves and shall pay!” But as they could not pay, he took a stick, and
cudgeled them out of the house. Brother Lustig went his way and came to a place where there was a
magnificent castle, and not far from it a wretched inn. He went to the
inn and asked for a night’s lodging, but the landlord turned him away,
and said, “There is no more room here, the house is full of noble
guests.” “It surprises me that they should come to you and not go to
that splendid castle,” said Brother Lustig. “Ah, indeed,” replied the
host, “but it is no slight matter to sleep there for a night; no one
who has tried it so far, has ever come out of it alive.”

“If others have tried it,” said Brother Lustig, “I will try it too.”

“Leave it alone,” said the host, “it will cost you your neck.” “It
won’t kill me at once,” said Brother Lustig, “just give me the key, and
some good food and wine.” So the host gave him the key, and food and
wine, and with this Brother Lustig went into the castle, enjoyed his
supper, and at length, as he was sleepy, he lay down on the ground, for
there was no bed. He soon fell asleep, but during the night was
disturbed by a great noise, and when he awoke, he saw nine ugly devils
in the room, who had made a circle, and were dancing around him. Brother Lustig said, “Well, dance as long as you like, but none of you
must come too close.” But the devils pressed continually nearer to him,
and almost stepped on his face with their hideous feet. “Stop, you
devils’ ghosts,” said he, but they behaved still worse. Then Brother
Lustig grew angry, and cried, “Hola! but I will soon make it quiet,”
and got the leg of a chair and struck out into the midst of them with
it. But nine devils against one soldier were still too many, and when
he struck those in front of him, the others seized him behind by the
hair, and tore it unmercifully. “Devils’ crew,” cried he, “it is
getting too bad, but wait. Into my knapsack, all nine of you!” In an
instant they were in it, and then he buckled it up and threw it into a
corner. After this all was suddenly quiet, and Brother Lustig lay down
again, and slept till it was bright day. Then came the inn-keeper, and
the nobleman to whom the castle belonged, to see how he had fared; but
when they perceived that he was merry and well they were astonished,
and asked, “Have the spirits done you no harm, then?” “The reason why
they have not,” answered Brother Lustig, “is because I have got the
whole nine of them in my knapsack! You may once more inhabit your
castle quite tranquilly, none of them will ever haunt it again.” The
nobleman thanked him, made him rich presents, and begged him to remain
in his service, and he would provide for him as long as he lived. “No,”
replied Brother Lustig, “I am used to wandering about, I will travel
farther.” Then he went away, and entered into a smithy, laid the
knapsack, which contained the nine devils on the anvil, and asked the
smith and his apprentices to strike it. So they smote with their great
hammers with all their strength, and the devils uttered howls which
were quite pitiable. When he opened the knapsack after this, eight of
them were dead, but one which had been lying in a fold of it, was still
alive, slipped out, and went back again to hell. Thereupon Brother
Lustig travelled a long time about the world, and those who know them
can tell many a story about him, but at last he grew old, and thought
of his end, so he went to a hermit who was known to be a pious man, and
said to him, “I am tired of wandering about, and want now to behave in
such a manner that I shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven.” The
hermit replied, “There are two roads, one is broad and pleasant, and
leads to hell, the other is narrow and rough, and leads to heaven.” “I
should be a fool,” thought Brother Lustig, “if I were to take the
narrow, rough road.” So he set out and took the broad and pleasant
road, and at length came to a great black door, which was the door of
Hell.