The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1915-10-08
A Medieval
Tale
By ESTHER VANDEVEER

w W. o~AA
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 n that has
remained dormant for many years. 1t
was told me by an American multi
millionaire who bought a castle in
Germany and found the legend among
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 a 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, d~isconsolate that he must
be deprived Of his love. when the door
opened and a man entered wearing q
pointed beard and an uptMned mus
tache.
"Who are you," asked the count,
"and how did you gain access to me
unannounced?"
Il am the devil" was the response.
''and l have come to help you to win
the hand of the girl you love-"
Leave me; you will require a soul to
pay for your assistance"
"You are right. l must have the
soul Of your lrstborn child"
"Begone. l say; l will have nothing
to do with you"
Then you must give up all hope of
a union with the Countess Bertha. Her
father will never yield"
The devil stuck to his work. convers-
ing with the count and constantly get
ting him under his satanic influence.
Caspar asked him how he would ac-
compIish his object, and he said the
baron was n sklllful chess player. The
devil would taunt him into playing u
game, the winner to name a 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 if 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 sem the baron word that he had
and challenged him to a contest. The
baron. much fattered, 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 a grand
parsonage. He told the baron that he
would play him a game of chess, the
stake to he 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 a husband for
his daughter Count Caspar Ardenreid.
The baron consented, cursing 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 1t and soon became
attached to his son-in-law. Caspar told
him how he had won his consent and
what he had agreed to 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 f1end
0t hiu nu,vN nor NJ In uyoc Gu ,>Rp,,I NJ
his 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
it had been stipulated that If any one
could be found to beat the devil at
chess the bargain would be off. He
(the baron) had learned a number of
combinations any one Of which was
sure to win.
The mother proposed that the baby
be baptized at once. hoping that this
might forestall Satan. but before it
could he done he appeared and claimed
the child's soul. Since all depended on
a chess contest the count proposed that
three games be played between the
baron and the devil. two games to win.
So they sat down at once and began to
play. Satan said he would play the
first game with his eyes shut. He pur-
posely threw away the game. but even
without seeing the chessmen he could
have beaten his antagonist. II he had
been so disposed. The second game he
beat the baron in less than a dozen
moves.
Cronsheld refused to play the third
game. declaring that the best chess
player in the world could not beat one
who played using superhuman means.
The count went to his wife to impart
the news that their sons soul depended
on the third game. which the devil was
sure to win. Bertha said she had been
praying to the Virgin Mary for help
and had been told what to do. When
her husband went back to the devil he
said he would play the third game him.
self. Satan laughed scornfully. but sat