Page:Tales and Legends from the Land of the Tzar.djvu/46

30 go you and fetch some wine, while I go to your hut and make myself known to your women-folk."

"I should be delighted, old fellow, but my cattle are not housed yet, worse luck, or I should go; but as I can't, I must trouble you to fetch it yourself, the tavern is only just round the corner."

"All right; but first I want to get rid of my knapsack. Would you mind taking it to your hut, and putting it down somewhere carefully; and tell your wife on no account to open it."

His friend took the knapsack into his hut; telling his wife, and some other women who happened to be there, to take care of it but not to open it, whilst he went to house the cattle. But the women could not withstand the temptation.

"Let us open this knapsack, and see what is in it!"

They had hardly undone it, when out jumped the demons, making a tremendous noise, breaking all the windows and door, and then ran off as hard as ever they could. But on their way they met their enemy the soldier.

"Oh, you wicked ones!" he cried; "so you are loose again, are you?"

On hearing his voice, the demons were greatly alarmed, and in their endeavours to get away from their enemy, threw themselves under a mill, where they remain to this day.

Our soldier went back to the hut, scolded the women well for not having obeyed him, and after spending a jolly day with his old friend, he travelled home to his native land, where he is now living in happiness, peace, and plenty.