So the Demon took the form of a youth, and went to the smithy.
“Good day, uncle!” says he.
“Good day!”
“What should you say, uncle, to taking me as an apprentice? At all events, I could carry fuel for you, and blow the bellows.”
The Smith liked the idea. “Why shouldn’t I?” he replied. “Two are better than one.”
The Demon began to learn his trade; at the end of a month he knew more about smith’s work than his master did himself, was able to do everything that his master couldn’t do. It was a real pleasure to look at him! There’s no describing how satisfied his master was with him, how fond he got of him. Sometimes the master didn’t go into the smithy at all himself, but trusted entirely to his journeyman, who had complete charge of everything.
Well, it happened one day that the master was not at home, and the journeyman was left all by himself in the smithy. Presently he saw an old lady[70] driving along the street in her carriage, whereupon he popped his head out of doors and began shouting:—
“Heigh, sirs! Be so good as to step in here! We’ve opened a new business here; we turn old folks into young ones.”
Out of her carriage jumped the lady in a trice, and ran into the smithy.
“What’s that you’re bragging about? Do you mean to say it’s true? Can you really do it?” she asked the youth.