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　　’No，wedonotwantmoney，’saidthey。’Wehavenopaymentstomake，andnotaxes，sowhatshouldwedowithit？’

　　TheoldDevillaydowntosleep——supperless。

　　TheaffairwastoldtoIv&aacute；ntheFool。Peoplecameandaskedhim，’Whatarewetodo？Afinegentlemanhasturnedup，wholikestoeatanddrinkanddresswell，buthedoesnotliketowork，doesnotbegin“Christ’sname，“butonlyoffersgoldpiecestoeveryone。Atfirstpeoplegavehimallhewanteduntiltheyhadplentyofgoldpieces，butnownoonegiveshimanything。What’stobedonewithhim？Hewilldieofhungerbeforelong。’

　　Iv&aacute；nlistened。

　　’Allright，’sayshe，’wemustfeedhim。Lethimlivebyturnateachhouseasashepherd[16]does。’

　　Therewasnohelpforit。TheoldDevilhadtobeginmakingtheround。

　　InduecoursetheturncameforhimtogotoIvan’shouse。TheoldDevilcameintodinner，andthedumbgirlwasgettingitready。

　　Shehadoftenbeendeceivedbylazyfolkwhocameearlytodinner——

　　withouthavingdonetheirshareofwork——andateupalltheporridge，soithadoccurredtohertofindoutthesluggardsbytheirhands。Thosewhohadhornyhands，sheputatthetable，buttheothersgotonlythescrapsthatwereleftover。

　　TheoldDevilsatdownatthetable，butthedumbgirlseizedhimbythehandsandlookedatthem——therewerenohardplacesthere:thehandswerecleanandsmooth，withlongnails。ThedumbgirlgaveagruntandpulledtheDevilawayfromthetable。AndIv&aacute；n’swifesaidtohim，’Don’tbeoffended，finegentleman。

　　Mysister-in-lawdoesnotallowanyonetocometotablewhohasn’thornyhands。Butwaitawhile，afterthefolkhaveeatenyoushallhavewhatisleft。’

　　TheoldDevilwasoffendedthatintheKing’shousetheywishedhimtofeedlikeapig。HesaidtoIv&aacute；n，’Itisafoolishlawyouhaveinyourkingdomthateveryonemustworkwithhishands。It’syourstupiditythatinventedit。Dopeopleworkonlywiththeirhands？Whatdoyouthinkwisemenworkwith？’

　　AndIv&aacute；nsaid，’Howarewefoolstoknow？Wedomostofourworkwithourhandsandourbacks。’

　　’Thatisbecauseyouarefools！ButIwillteachyouhowtoworkwiththehead。Thenyouwillknowthatitismoreprofitabletoworkwiththeheadthanwiththehands。’

　　Iv&aacute；nwassurprised。

　　’Ifthatisso’saidhe，’thenthereissomesenseincallingusfools！’

　　AndtheoldDevilwenton。’Onlyitisnoteasytoworkwithone’shead。

　　Yougivemenothingtoeat，becauseIhavenohardplacesonmyhands，butyoudonotknowthatitisahundredtimesmoredifficulttoworkwiththehead。Sometimesone’sheadquitesplits。’

　　Iv&aacute；nbecamethoughtful。

　　’Why，then，friend，doyoutortureyourselfso？Isitpleasantwhentheheadsplits？Woulditnotbebettertodoeasierworkwithyourhandsandyourback？’

　　ButtheDevilsaid，’Idoitalloutofpityforyoufools。IfIdidn’ttorturemyselfyouwouldremainfoolsforever。But，havingworkedwithmyhead，Icannowteachyou。’

　　Iv&aacute；nwassurprised。

　　’Doteachus！’saidhe，’sothatwhenourhandsgetcrampedwemayuseourheadsforachange。’

　　AndtheDevilpromisedtoteachthepeople。SoIv&aacute；ngavenoticethroughoutthekingdomthatafinegentlemanhadcomewhowouldteacheverybodyhowtoworkwiththeirheads；thatwiththeheadmorecouldbedonethanwiththehands；andthatthepeopleoughtalltocomeandlearn。

　　NowtherewasinIvan’skingdomahightower，withmanystepsleadinguptoalanternonthetop。AndIv&aacute；ntookthegentlemanuptherethateveryonemightseehim。

　　Sothegentlemantookhisplaceonthetopofthetowerandbegantospeak，andthepeoplecametogethertoseehim。Theythoughtthegentlemanwouldreallyshowthemhowtoworkwiththeheadwithoutusingthehands。ButtheoldDevilonlytaughttheminmanywordshowtheymightlivewithoutworking。Thepeoplecouldmakenothingofit。Theylookedandconsidered，andatlastwentofftoattendtotheiraffairs。

　　TheoldDevilstoodonthetowerawholeday，andafterthatasecondday，talkingallthetime。Butstandingtheresolonghegrewhungry，andthefoolsneverthoughtoftakingfoodtohimupinthetower。Theythoughtthatifhecouldworkwithhisheadbetterthanwithhishands，hecouldatanyrateeasilyprovidehimselfwithbread。

　　TheoldDevilstoodonthetopofthetoweryetanotherday，talkingaway。Peoplecamenear，lookedonforawhile，andthenwentaway。

　　AndIv&aacute；nasked，’Well，hasthegentlemanbeguntoworkwithhisheadyet？’

　　’Notyet，’saidthepeople；’he’sstillspoutingaway。’

　　TheoldDevilstoodonthetoweronedaymore，buthebegantogrowweak，sothathestaggeredandhithisheadagainstoneofthepillarsofthelantern。OneofthepeoplenoticeditandtoldIvan’swife，andsherantoherhusband，whowasinthefield。

　　’Comeandlook，’saidshe。’Theysaythegentlemanisbeginningtoworkwithhishead。’

　　Iv&aacute；nwassurprised。

　　’Really？’sayshe，andheturnedhishorseround，andwenttothetower。

　　AndbythetimehereachedthetowertheoldDevilwasquiteexhaustedwithhunger，andwasstaggeringandknockinghisheadagainstthepillars。AndjustasIv&aacute；narrivedatthetower，theDevilstumbled，fell，andcamebump，bump，bump，straightdownthestairstothebottom，countingeachstepwithaknockofhishead！

　　’Well！’saysIv&aacute；n，’thefinegentlemantoldthetruthwhenhesaidthat“sometimesone’sheadquitesplits。“Thisisworsethanblisters；aftersuchworktherewillbeswellingsonthehead。’

　　TheoldDeviltumbledoutatthefootofthestairs，andstruckhisheadagainsttheground。Iv&aacute；nwasabouttogouptohimtoseehowmuchworkhehaddone——whensuddenlytheearthopenedandtheoldDevilfellthrough。Onlyaholewasleft。

　　Iv&aacute；nscratchedhishead。

　　’Whatanastything，’sayshe。’It’soneofthosedevilsagain！Whatawhopper！Hemustbethefatherofthemall。’

　　Iv&aacute；nisstillliving，andpeoplecrowdtohiskingdom。Hisownbrothershavecometolivewithhim，andhefeedsthem，too。Toeveryonewhocomesandsays’Givemefood！’Iv&aacute；nsays，’Allright。Youcanstaywithus；wehaveplentyofeverything。’

　　Onlythereisonespecialcustominhiskingdom；whoeverhashornyhandscomestotable，butwhoeverhasnot，musteatwhattheothersleave。

　　evilallures，butgoodenduresEVILALLURES，BUTGOODENDURES

　　THERElivedinoldentimesagoodandkindlyman。Hehadthisworld’sgoodsinabundance，andmanyslavestoservehim。Andtheslavespridedthemselvesontheirmaster，saying:

　　’Thereisnobetterlordthanoursunderthesun。Hefeedsandclothesuswell，andgivesusworksuitedtoourstrength。Hebearsnomaliceandneverspeaksaharshwordtoanyone。Heisnotlikeothermasters，whotreattheirslavesworsethancattle:

　　punishingthemwhethertheydeserveitornot，andnevergivingthemafriendlyword。Hewishesuswell，doesgood，andspeakskindlytous。Wedonotwishforabetterlife。’

　　Thustheslavespraisedtheirlord，andtheDevil，seeingit，wasvexedthatslavesshouldliveinsuchloveandharmonywiththeirmaster。Sogettingoneofthem，whosenamewasAleb，intohispower，theDevilorderedhimtotempttheotherslaves。Andoneday，whentheywereallsittingtogetherrestingandtalkingoftheirmaster’sgoodness，Alebraisedhisvoice，andsaid:

　　’Itisstupidtomakesomuchofourmaster’sgoodness。TheDevilhimselfwouldbekindtoyou，ifyoudidwhathewanted。Weserveourmasterwell，andhumourhiminallthings。Assoonashethinksofanything，wedoit:foreseeingallhiswishes。Whatcanhedobutbekindtous？Justtryhowitwillbeif，insteadofhumouringhim，wedohimsomeharminstead。Hewillactlikeanyoneelse，andwillrepayevilforevil，astheworstofmastersdo。

　　TheotherslavesbegandenyingwhatAlebhadsaidandatlastbetwithhim。Alebundertooktomaketheirmasterangry。Ifhefailed，hewastolosehisholidaygarment；butifhesucceeded，theotherslavesweretogivehimtheirs。Moreover，theypromisedtodefendhimagainstthemaster，andtosethimfreeifheshouldbeputinchainsorimprisoned。Havingarrangedthisbet，Alebagreedtomakehismasterangrynextmorning。

　　Alebwasashepherd，andhadinhischargeanumberofvaluable，pure-bredsheep，ofwhichhismasterwasveryfond。Nextmorning，whenthemasterbroughtsomevisitorsintotheinclosuretoshowthemthevaluablesheep，Alebwinkedathiscompanions，asiftosay: