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303
The Book of Dreams and Ghosts
·
Andrew Lang
237
THE
DEVIL
OF
HJALTA-STAD
{246}
The
sheriff
writes:
"The
Devil
at
Hjalta-stad
was
outspoken
enough
this
past
winter,
although
no
one
saw
him.
I,
along
with
others,
had
the
dishonour
to
hear
him
talking
for
nearly
two
days,
during
which
he
addressed
myself
and
the
minister,
Sir
Grim,
with
words
the
like
of
which
'eye
hath
not
seen
nor
ear
heard'.
As
soon
as
we
reached
the
front
of
the
house
there
was
heard
in
the
door
an
iron
voice
saying:
'So
Hans
from
Eyrar
is
come
now,
and
wishes
to
talk
with
me,
the
---
idiot'.
Compared
with
other
names
that
he
gave
me
this
might
be
considered
as
flattering.
When
I
inquired
who
it
was
that
addressed
me
with
such
words,
he
answered
in
a
fierce
voice,
'I
was
called
Lucifer
at
first,
but
now
I
am
called
Devil
and
Enemy'.
He
threw
at
us
both
stones
and
pieces
of
wood,
as
well
as
other
things,
and
broke
two
windows
in
the
minister's
room.
He
spoke
so
close
to
us
that
he
seemed
to
be
just
at
our
side.
There
was
an
old
woman
there
of
the
name
of
Opia,
whom
he
called
his
wife,
and
a
'heavenly
blessed
soul,'
and
asked
Sir
Grim
to
marry
them,
with
various
other
remarks
of
this
kind,
which
I
will
not
recount.
"I
have
little
liking
to
write
about
his
ongoings,
which
were
all
disgraceful
and
shameful,
in
accordance
with
the
nature
of
the
actor.
He
repeated
the
'Pater
Noster'
three
times,
answered
questions
from
the
Catechism
and
the
Bible,
said
that
the
devils
held
service
in
hell,
and
told
what
texts
and
psalms
they
had
for
various
occasions.
He
asked
us
to
give
him
some
of
the
food
we
had,
and
a
drink
of
tea,
etc.
I
asked
the
fellow
whether
God
was
good.
He
said,
'Yes'.
Whether
he
was
truthful.
He
answered,
'Not
one
of
his
words
can
be
doubted'.
Sir
Grim
asked
him
whether
the
devil
was
good-looking.
He
answered:
'He
is
far
better-looking
than
you,
you
---
ugly
snout!'
I
asked
him
whether
the
devils
agreed
well
with
each
other.
He
answered
in
a
kind
of
sobbing
voice:
'It
is
painful
to
know
that
they
never
have
peace'.
I
bade
him
say
something
to
me
in
German,
and
said
to
him
Lass
uns
Teusc
redre
(sic),
but
he
answered
as
if
he
had
misunderstood
me.
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