The bee., 1915-09-21
A Medieval
Tale
By ESTHER VANDEvEER

" DC kOlnk hDOul making Dhrkhlnb TOT
souls A great many such tales Illus.
trating his methods have been handed
down to us from that age in which
they were believed by those who cir.
culated them. Here is one that has
remained dormant for many years. II
was told me bysan American multi.
millionaire who bought a castle In
Germany and found the legend amonp
papers that had not been disturbed for
hundreds of years.
Count Caspar Ardenreid, the lord OF
the castle in question, was in love
with Bertha, the daughter Of n neigh
boring Baron Cronsheld. There had
been a feud between the families, and
Cronsheld refused the young count the
hand Of his daughter.
One evening the count was sitting In
his cabinet, disconsolate that he must
be, deprived Of his love, when the door
opened and man entered wearing Il
pointed beard and an upturned mus
tache.
"Who are you," asked the count,
"and how did you gain access to me
unannouncedY'
Il am the devil" was the response,
"and / have come to help you to win
the hand Of the girl you love"
V Leave me; you will'reQuire a soul TO
pay for your assistance" 81
"You are right. must have the
soul Of your firstborn child"
"Begone, l say; l will have nothing
to dc with you"
Then you must give up all hope Of
union with the Countess Bertha. Her
father VIII never yield" t-'
The devil stuck to his work, convers-
ing with the count and Constantly get
ting him under his satanic influence
Caspar asked him how be would &C
complish his object, and he said the
baron wGs a skillf1l chess player. The
deyn would taupt him into playing a
game, the winner TO name q husband
for his daughter. Caspar, who was
desperately In love, finally consented
but only after wringing from the devil
a certain condition. He might redeem
his child's soul II he could beat the
devil at a game Of chess. This did not
seem likely, but It was the only hope
Satan would give.
The bargain having been struck,
Satan sent the baron word that he had
heard OF his remarkable skill at chees
and challenged him to a contest The
baron. much fiattered, invited the chal-
lenger to his castle Satan appeared In
the person Of an agreeable young man
giving evidence by his rich attire and
general lavishness Of being q grand
Parsonage. He told the baron that he
would play him a game Of chess, the
stakefto be what he had named to Cas-
par. The baron, supposing that he
wanted Bertha for himself, consented.
OF course the devil beat the baron, and
the winner named for q husband for
his daughter Count Caspar Ardenreid.
The baron consented, cursin9 the trick
ster at the same time and wondering
why he had befriended the lovers
Since there was nothing against
Count Caspar but the feud with which
he had nothing to do, Baron Cronsheld
made the best OF It and soon became
attached to his sOn-in-law. Caspar told
him how he had won his consent and
what he had agreed 10 pay for IT. This
excited the old man to spend a great
deal Of time studying difficult chess
problems in order that when the devil
came to claim his grandchild he might
redeem him by beating the arch hend
at his own game. He was so proud Of
bis ability as a chess player that he
really aspired to beat the devil.
The day a man child was born to the
count and countess was both a happy
and a sad one. The lady had learned
from her husband the secret that her
baby's soul must go to the devil, and
since she was very religious the calam-
Ity was the more awful Her father |
assured her that her son was safe, for
L had been stipulated that II any one |
could be found to beat the devil at |
chess the bargain would be on. He |
the baron) had learned a number Of |
any one Of which was
sure to win.
The mother proposed that the baby
be baptized at once, hoping that this |
might forestal Satan. but before It |
,ould be done he appeared and claimed
he child's soul. Since all depended on
/ chess contest the count proposed that
.hree games be played between the
1aron and the devil. two games to win.
30 they sat down at once and began to
play. Satan said he would play the
irst game with his eyes shut He pur-
'osely threw away the game. but even
without seeing the chessmen he could
lave beaten his antagonist II he had
'een so disposed. The second game he
'eat the baron in less than a dozen
moves.
CrOnsheld refused to play the third
Iame. declaring that the best chess
'layer in the world could not beat one
Who played using superhuman means.
The count went to his wife to impart
he news that their sons soul depended