The Evil Spirit, seeing no cause for suspicion, climbed up the tree like a cat.
When Smith returned, he cried in jeering tones, “Hallo! are you coming down? Have you not gathered enough nuts? I am quite ready to start, you know.”
The little black gentleman, in spite of all his efforts, could not climb down from the branches. They closed round him as though they had taken root. Smith summoned his workmen and ordered them to burn the Devil’s feet with hot irons. When the martyrdom had continued some minutes, the Devil shouted to Smith:
“I implore you to make them stop. I will give you iron and coal for yet another seven years, if only you will let me climb down from this tree. Ooh! Ooh! my poor toes.”
“You are free as air,” answered Smith; and the Devil fled away as though pursued by a devil himself.
ORDERED THEM TO BURN THE DEVIL’S FEET WITH HOT IRONS
The years soon sped away, and this time Lucifer, accompanied by many other devils, came to fetch Smith’s soul. He was dressed in deep black, as though in mourning for his mother.
Smith greeted this important person very humbly, and exclaimed, “Bravo! bravo! I am very pleased at the prospective honour of travelling with such an august person. I am extremely sensible of this great favour.”