’No，wedonotwantmoney，’saidthey。’Wehavenopaymentstomake，andnotaxes，sowhatshouldwedowithit？’
TheoldDevillaydowntosleep——supperless。
TheaffairwastoldtoIvá；ntheFool。Peoplecameandaskedhim，’Whatarewetodo？Afinegentlemanhasturnedup，wholikestoeatanddrinkanddresswell，buthedoesnotliketowork，doesnotbegin“Christ’sname，“butonlyoffersgoldpiecestoeveryone。Atfirstpeoplegavehimallhewanteduntiltheyhadplentyofgoldpieces，butnownoonegiveshimanything。What’stobedonewithhim？Hewilldieofhungerbeforelong。’
Ivá；nlistened。
’Allright，’sayshe，’wemustfeedhim。Lethimlivebyturnateachhouseasashepherd[16]does。’
Therewasnohelpforit。TheoldDevilhadtobeginmakingtheround。
InduecoursetheturncameforhimtogotoIvan’shouse。TheoldDevilcameintodinner，andthedumbgirlwasgettingitready。
Shehadoftenbeendeceivedbylazyfolkwhocameearlytodinner——
withouthavingdonetheirshareofwork——andateupalltheporridge，soithadoccurredtohertofindoutthesluggardsbytheirhands。Thosewhohadhornyhands，sheputatthetable，buttheothersgotonlythescrapsthatwereleftover。
TheoldDevilsatdownatthetable，butthedumbgirlseizedhimbythehandsandlookedatthem——therewerenohardplacesthere:thehandswerecleanandsmooth，withlongnails。ThedumbgirlgaveagruntandpulledtheDevilawayfromthetable。AndIvá；n’swifesaidtohim，’Don’tbeoffended，finegentleman。
Mysister-in-lawdoesnotallowanyonetocometotablewhohasn’thornyhands。Butwaitawhile，afterthefolkhaveeatenyoushallhavewhatisleft。’
TheoldDevilwasoffendedthatintheKing’shousetheywishedhimtofeedlikeapig。HesaidtoIvá；n，’Itisafoolishlawyouhaveinyourkingdomthateveryonemustworkwithhishands。It’syourstupiditythatinventedit。Dopeopleworkonlywiththeirhands？Whatdoyouthinkwisemenworkwith？’
AndIvá；nsaid，’Howarewefoolstoknow？Wedomostofourworkwithourhandsandourbacks。’
’Thatisbecauseyouarefools！ButIwillteachyouhowtoworkwiththehead。Thenyouwillknowthatitismoreprofitabletoworkwiththeheadthanwiththehands。’
Ivá；nwassurprised。
’Ifthatisso’saidhe，’thenthereissomesenseincallingusfools！’
AndtheoldDevilwenton。’Onlyitisnoteasytoworkwithone’shead。
Yougivemenothingtoeat，becauseIhavenohardplacesonmyhands，butyoudonotknowthatitisahundredtimesmoredifficulttoworkwiththehead。Sometimesone’sheadquitesplits。’
Ivá；nbecamethoughtful。
’Why，then，friend，doyoutortureyourselfso？Isitpleasantwhentheheadsplits？Woulditnotbebettertodoeasierworkwithyourhandsandyourback？’
ButtheDevilsaid，’Idoitalloutofpityforyoufools。IfIdidn’ttorturemyselfyouwouldremainfoolsforever。But，havingworkedwithmyhead，Icannowteachyou。’
Ivá；nwassurprised。
’Doteachus！’saidhe，’sothatwhenourhandsgetcrampedwemayuseourheadsforachange。’
AndtheDevilpromisedtoteachthepeople。SoIvá；ngavenoticethroughoutthekingdomthatafinegentlemanhadcomewhowouldteacheverybodyhowtoworkwiththeirheads；thatwiththeheadmorecouldbedonethanwiththehands；andthatthepeopleoughtalltocomeandlearn。
NowtherewasinIvan’skingdomahightower，withmanystepsleadinguptoalanternonthetop。AndIvá；ntookthegentlemanuptherethateveryonemightseehim。
Sothegentlemantookhisplaceonthetopofthetowerandbegantospeak，andthepeoplecametogethertoseehim。Theythoughtthegentlemanwouldreallyshowthemhowtoworkwiththeheadwithoutusingthehands。ButtheoldDevilonlytaughttheminmanywordshowtheymightlivewithoutworking。Thepeoplecouldmakenothingofit。Theylookedandconsidered，andatlastwentofftoattendtotheiraffairs。
TheoldDevilstoodonthetowerawholeday，andafterthatasecondday，talkingallthetime。Butstandingtheresolonghegrewhungry，andthefoolsneverthoughtoftakingfoodtohimupinthetower。Theythoughtthatifhecouldworkwithhisheadbetterthanwithhishands，hecouldatanyrateeasilyprovidehimselfwithbread。
TheoldDevilstoodonthetopofthetoweryetanotherday，talkingaway。Peoplecamenear，lookedonforawhile，andthenwentaway。
AndIvá；nasked，’Well，hasthegentlemanbeguntoworkwithhisheadyet？’
’Notyet，’saidthepeople；’he’sstillspoutingaway。’
TheoldDevilstoodonthetoweronedaymore，buthebegantogrowweak，sothathestaggeredandhithisheadagainstoneofthepillarsofthelantern。OneofthepeoplenoticeditandtoldIvan’swife，andsherantoherhusband，whowasinthefield。
’Comeandlook，’saidshe。’Theysaythegentlemanisbeginningtoworkwithhishead。’
Ivá；nwassurprised。
’Really？’sayshe，andheturnedhishorseround，andwenttothetower。
AndbythetimehereachedthetowertheoldDevilwasquiteexhaustedwithhunger，andwasstaggeringandknockinghisheadagainstthepillars。AndjustasIvá；narrivedatthetower，theDevilstumbled，fell，andcamebump，bump，bump，straightdownthestairstothebottom，countingeachstepwithaknockofhishead！
’Well！’saysIvá；n，’thefinegentlemantoldthetruthwhenhesaidthat“sometimesone’sheadquitesplits。“Thisisworsethanblisters；aftersuchworktherewillbeswellingsonthehead。’
TheoldDeviltumbledoutatthefootofthestairs，andstruckhisheadagainsttheground。Ivá；nwasabouttogouptohimtoseehowmuchworkhehaddone——whensuddenlytheearthopenedandtheoldDevilfellthrough。Onlyaholewasleft。
Ivá；nscratchedhishead。
’Whatanastything，’sayshe。’It’soneofthosedevilsagain！Whatawhopper！Hemustbethefatherofthemall。’
Ivá；nisstillliving，andpeoplecrowdtohiskingdom。Hisownbrothershavecometolivewithhim，andhefeedsthem，too。Toeveryonewhocomesandsays’Givemefood！’Ivá；nsays，’Allright。Youcanstaywithus；wehaveplentyofeverything。’
Onlythereisonespecialcustominhiskingdom；whoeverhashornyhandscomestotable，butwhoeverhasnot，musteatwhattheothersleave。
evilallures，butgoodenduresEVILALLURES，BUTGOODENDURES
THERElivedinoldentimesagoodandkindlyman。Hehadthisworld’sgoodsinabundance，andmanyslavestoservehim。Andtheslavespridedthemselvesontheirmaster，saying:
’Thereisnobetterlordthanoursunderthesun。Hefeedsandclothesuswell，andgivesusworksuitedtoourstrength。Hebearsnomaliceandneverspeaksaharshwordtoanyone。Heisnotlikeothermasters，whotreattheirslavesworsethancattle:
punishingthemwhethertheydeserveitornot，andnevergivingthemafriendlyword。Hewishesuswell，doesgood，andspeakskindlytous。Wedonotwishforabetterlife。’
Thustheslavespraisedtheirlord，andtheDevil，seeingit，wasvexedthatslavesshouldliveinsuchloveandharmonywiththeirmaster。Sogettingoneofthem，whosenamewasAleb，intohispower，theDevilorderedhimtotempttheotherslaves。Andoneday，whentheywereallsittingtogetherrestingandtalkingoftheirmaster’sgoodness，Alebraisedhisvoice，andsaid:
’Itisstupidtomakesomuchofourmaster’sgoodness。TheDevilhimselfwouldbekindtoyou，ifyoudidwhathewanted。Weserveourmasterwell，andhumourhiminallthings。Assoonashethinksofanything，wedoit:foreseeingallhiswishes。Whatcanhedobutbekindtous？Justtryhowitwillbeif，insteadofhumouringhim，wedohimsomeharminstead。Hewillactlikeanyoneelse，andwillrepayevilforevil，astheworstofmastersdo。
TheotherslavesbegandenyingwhatAlebhadsaidandatlastbetwithhim。Alebundertooktomaketheirmasterangry。Ifhefailed，hewastolosehisholidaygarment；butifhesucceeded，theotherslavesweretogivehimtheirs。Moreover，theypromisedtodefendhimagainstthemaster，andtosethimfreeifheshouldbeputinchainsorimprisoned。Havingarrangedthisbet，Alebagreedtomakehismasterangrynextmorning。
Alebwasashepherd，andhadinhischargeanumberofvaluable，pure-bredsheep，ofwhichhismasterwasveryfond。Nextmorning，whenthemasterbroughtsomevisitorsintotheinclosuretoshowthemthevaluablesheep，Alebwinkedathiscompanions，asiftosay:
