“No, brothers!” said the Fiddler, “your strings don’t suit me. I’ve got some of my own at home; by your leave I’ll go for them.”
The fiends wouldn’t let him go. “You wouldn’t come back,” they say.
“Well, if you won’t trust me, send some one with me as an escort.”
The fiends chose one of their number, and sent him with the Fiddler. The Fiddler got back to the village. There he could hear that, in the farthest cottage, a wedding was being celebrated.
“Let’s go to the wedding!” he cried.
“Come along!” said the fiend.
They entered the cottage. Everyone there recognized the Fiddler and cried:
“Where have you been hiding these three years?”
“I have been in the other world!” he replied.
They sat there and enjoyed themselves for some time. Then the fiend beckoned to the Fiddler, saying, “It’s time to be off!” But the Fiddler replied: “Wait a little longer! Let me fiddle away a bit and cheer up the young people.” And so they remained sitting there till the cocks began to crow. Then the fiend disappeared.