The old devil waited and waited for some news from the young devils about how they had destroyed the three brothers, but none came. He went to find out for himself: he looked everywhere for the three, but found only three holes.
"Well," he thought, "evidently they did not get the best of them. I shall have to try it myself."
He went to find the brothers, but they were no longer in their old places. He found them in different kingdoms. All three were living and reigning there. That vexed the old devil.
"I shall have to do the work myself," he said.
First of all he went to King Semén. He did not go to him in his own form, but in the shape of a general. He went to him, and said:
"I have heard that you, King Semén, are a great warrior. I have had good instruction in this business, and I want to serve you."
King Semén began to ask him questions, and he saw that he was a clever man, and so received him into his service.
The old general began to teach King Semén how to gather a great army.
"In the first place," he said, "you must collect more soldiers, for too many people in your kingdom are walking about idly. You must shave the heads of all the young men without exception, and then you will have an army which will be five times as large as it is now. In the second place, you must introduce new guns and cannon. I will get you the kind of guns that fire one hundred bullets at once, as though pouring out pease. And I will get you cannon that burn with their fire: whether a man, or a horse, or a wall,—they burn everything."
King Semén listened to his new general, and ordered all the young men without exception to be drafted as soldiers, and started new factories. He had a lot of new guns and cannon made, and at once started a war against a neighbouring king. The moment the enemy's army came out against him, he ordered his soldiers to fire at them with bullets and to burn them with the cannon fire. He at once maimed and burnt one-half the army. The neighbouring king became frightened, and he surrendered and gave up his kingdom to him. King Semén was happy.