Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/265

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upon a time there lived an old blacksmith who had an only son, a bright, intelligent boy of six.

One day the blacksmith went to church, and began praying before a large holy picture. On looking at the picture more attentively, he saw painted on it a very big devil, such a dreadful-looking creature—all black, with long horns and fierce tail.

"That is something like a devil!" thought the blacksmith to himself. "I think I shall have one painted exactly like it, in the smithy!"

So when he returned home he engaged a house-painter, and told him to paint on the door of the smithy a devil exactly like the one he saw in the holy picture at church. The house-painter obeyed, and in a very short time he completed his order.

From that day forth, whenever the blacksmith entered the smithy, he used to look at the devil on the door, and say in a friendly way,—

"Good-day to you, my countryman; I hope I see you well!"

He would then make a roaring fire, and betake himself to his work. After living for over ten years in perfect harmony with the devil, the blacksmith died, and left his son to continue the business, who, being very fond of that sort of work, got on remarkably