Chapter I. INTRODUCTORY, part 7 · page 21 2101So the Demon took the form of a youth, and went to the smithy.102"Good day, uncle!" says he.103"Good day!"104"What should you say, uncle, to taking me as an apprentice?105At all events, I could carry fuel for you, and blow the bellows."106The Smith liked the idea. "107Why shouldn't I?" he replied. "108Two are better than one."109The 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.110It was a real pleasure to look at him!111There's no describing how satisfied his master was with him, how fond he got of him.112Sometimes the master didn't go into the smithy at all himself, but trusted entirely to his journeyman, who had complete charge of everything.113Well, it happened one day that the master was not at home, and the journeyman was left all by himself in the smithy.114Presently he saw an old lady[70] driving along the street in her carriage, whereupon he popped his head out of doors and began shouting:--115"Heigh, sirs!116Be so good as to step in here!117We've opened a new business here; we turn old folks into young ones."118Out of her carriage jumped the lady in a trice, and ran into the smithy.119"What's that you're bragging about?120Do you mean to say it's true?121Can you really do it?" she asked the youth.122"We haven't got to learn our business!" answered the Demon. "123If I hadn't been able to do it, I wouldn't have invited people to try."124"And how much does it cost?" asked the lady.125"Five hundred roubles altogether."126"Well, then, there's your money; make a young woman of me."127The Demon took the money; then he sent the lady's coachman into the village.128"Go," says he, "and bring me here two buckets full of milk."129After that he took a pair of tongs, caught hold of the lady by the feet, flung her into the furnace, and burnt her up; nothing was left of her but her bare bones.130When the buckets of milk were brought, he emptied them into a large tub, then he collected all the bones and flung them into the milk.131Just fancy! at the end of about three minutes the lady emerged from the milk--alive, and young, and beautiful!checked by a teacher132Well, she got into her carriage and drove home.133There she went straight to her husband, and he stared hard at her, but didn't know she was his wife.134"What are you staring at?" says the lady. "135I'm young and elegant, you see, and I don't want to have an old husband!136Be off at once to the smithy, and get them to make you young; if you don't, I won't so much as acknowledge you!"137There was no help for it; off set the seigneur.138But by that time the Smith had returned home, and had gone into the smithy.139He looked about; the journeyman wasn't to be seen.140He searched and searched, he enquired and enquired, never a thing came of it; not even a trace of the youth could be found.141He took to his work by himself, and was hammering away, when at that moment up drove the seigneur, and walked straight into the smithy.142"Make a young man of me," says he.143"Are you in your right mind, Barin?checked by a teacher144How can one make a young man of you?"145"Come, now! you know all about that."146"I know nothing of the kind."147"You lie, you scoundrel!148Since you made my old woman young, make me young too; otherwise, there will be no living with her for me."149"Why I haven't so much as seen your good lady."150"Your journeyman saw her, and that's just the same thing.151If he knew how to do the job, surely you, an old hand, must have learnt how to do it long ago.152Come, now, set to work at once.153If you don't, it will be the worse for you.154I'll have you rubbed down with a birch-tree towel."155The Smith was compelled to try his hand at transforming the seigneur.156He held a private conversation with the coachman as to how his journeyman had set to work with the lady, and what he had done to her, and then he thought:--1 2← previousChapter I. INTRODUCTORY, part 6next →Chapter I. INTRODUCTORY, part 8↑ back to Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-loreThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg22373/17/page/2/