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The Smith and the Devil. 135 nail first," said the smith ; "just climb up into the pear-tree and take a pear. You must be both hungry and thirsty after your journey." The devil thanked him for the kind offer, and climbed up into the tree. " Now that I think of it," said the smith, " I don't think I shall get this head finished for the next four years, for this iron is so terribly hard. You can't come down in that time, but you may sit there and rest yourself. " The devil begged and prayed that he might get leave to come down again, but all in vain. At last he had to promise that he would not come back till the four years were out, and so the smith said : " Well, on that condition you may come down." When the time was up, the devil came again to fetch the smith. "You are ready now, I suppose ?" he said. " I think you have had time to finish the head of that nail by this." " Yes, I have finished the head, of course," answered the smith ; " but still you have come a trifle too early, because I have not sharpened the point yet ; such hard iron I have never in my life worked at before. While I hammer down the point of the nail, you might as well sit down in my arm-chair and rest yourself, for I suppose you are pretty tired." The devil thanked him for his kindness, and sat down in the arm-chair ; but he had no sooner sat down for a good rest, than the smith said, that taking everything into consideration, he could not get the point properly sharpened in less than four years. The devil at first begged very prettily to be let out of the chair, and after a time he grew angry and began to threaten ; but the smith excused himself the best way he could, and said it was all the fault of the iron, for it was really so terribly hard, and gave the devil the consolation that he sat very comfortably in the arm-chair, and that he in four years' time would let him out exactly to the minute. There was no other help for it ; the devil had to promise that he would not come to fetch the smith till the four years were out, and so the smith said : " Well, on that condition you may go," and away the devil went as fast as he could. In four years' time the d-evil came again to fetch the smith.