Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-06-21
CHEATING THE DEVIL.
Some Medieval Stories of Shabby Tricks
Played on Satan.

One of the DEVILS favorite plans for
getting souls into his power was to
make Il contract with men by which,
in consideration of value received, they
should belong to him at the end of
certain period. The price paid varied
according to circumstances. If the
man was bad shot, it was the power
of hitting whatever he aimed at; il he
was in love, return of his affection
by his sweetheart; or it might be any
other advantage that he most desired
at the time. But in order to induce
people to make these somewhat uneven
bargains condition was often added
byswhich they might have a chance of
escaping from the consequences. 1t is
the old argument Of the devil to Eve.
'Ye shall not surely die So, in the
case of the Freischutz. the devil was
obliged to tell him in every case what
lie was aiming at A man in this pre-
dicament was saved on the day before
that on which he had to carry out his
part of his bargain Ivy an ingenious de-
vice on the part Of his wife. Taking
off her clothes, she smeared her body
with sirup and rolled in q heap of
feathers, after which she went and ran
out into the fields. The man went
out to shoot for the last time with his
game-keeper, the devil, who, on seeing
this strange bird, called out: There,
fret But what is it?' said the husband.
The devil looked and looked, but was
obliged to confess that he did not
know. Then our bargain is off," said
the man, and the devil vanished with
an intolerable stencil. Again: AS
Semundr the Learned was returning
from the Black School he and his COM
panions heard that certain living in,
Iceland was vacant SO they all went
to the king in Norway to ask for it,
and he promised it to the one who
should reach the place first. Then Soc
mundr called the devil and said: Swim
with me to Iceland; if you bring me
there without wetting the skirts of my
coat you shall have my soul The devil
agreed, and, changing himself into a
seal, took Semundr on his back and
started for Iceland. On the way Soc
mundr amused himself by reading the
Psalms of David But when they got
close to the shore of Iceland he closed
the book and hit the seal on the head
with it; he dived, and Semundr's skirts
were wetted, but he easily reached the.
land. So Semundr got his living and
the devil lost his bargain This was
not the only occasion on which See
mundr cheated the devil. A man nam
ed KALI Arnason had, while pupil in,
the Black School, made a present of
himself to the devil. Bat on his return
to Iceland he was, not unnaturally,,
anxious to escape from his agreement
So he called in Semundr the Learned,
who advised him thus: Let one of
your bull calves live, and call it Ami
In due time this will beget another
which you will call KALI, and then YOU
will have a Kali ArnasOn.' SO after
time the devil came to claim the fulfill
ment of his promise, saying, 4 want
Kali Arnason.' oh, by all means,'
said the man, and went and fetched
the second calf, saying, There YOU
have KALI Arnason.' The devil could
not deny this, though, as was natural.
he grumbled at the shabby trick play
ed him. National ReUiegC.