The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs

Once upon a time, a poor woman gave birth to a son. The child was born with a caul, which was said to bring good fortune, and it was prophesied that in his fourteenth year, he would marry the king’s daughter.

It happened that the king came to the village soon after this, but no one knew he was the king. When he asked the villagers for news, they told him about the child who had been born with a caul, and how it was foretold that he would marry the princess when he turned fourteen.

The king, who had a wicked heart, was angered by this prophecy. He went to the parents and, appearing friendly, said, “You are poor people. Give me your child, and I will take care of him.”

At first, they refused, but the stranger offered them a substantial amount of gold, and they thought, “The child was born lucky, so all will turn out well for him.” Finally, they agreed and gave their baby to the stranger, not knowing he was the king.

The king placed the baby in a box and rode away. When he came to a deep river, he threw the box in, thinking, “I have saved my daughter from her unwelcome suitor.”

The box, however, did not sink. It floated like a little boat, and not a drop of water seeped inside. It drifted downstream until it reached a mill, where it got caught in the mill-wheel. A miller and his wife who worked there heard the child’s cries and rescued him from the box.

“Look what a beautiful boy heaven has sent us!” exclaimed the miller’s wife, who had no children. “We shall raise him as our own.”

The miller and his wife raised the boy with love and care. Years passed, and the boy grew into a handsome, kind-hearted young man.

One day, the king sought shelter from a storm and happened to enter the miller’s house. He asked the young man, “Is this miller your father?”

“No, Your Majesty,” replied the youth. “I was found as a baby floating in a box on the river. The miller and his wife took me in and raised me.”

The king’s heart froze in fear as he realized this was the same child he had tried to drown years ago. Concealing his shock, he said to the miller, “This is a fine young man. I need a messenger to carry a letter to the queen. Would you allow him to do this service for me? I will pay him well.”

The miller, honored by the king’s request, agreed, and the young man was ready to serve. The king wrote a letter to the queen saying, “As soon as the boy arrives with this letter, kill him immediately and bury him. This must be done before I return.”

The boy set off with the letter, but he lost his way in a forest. As darkness fell, he came upon a small, dimly lit cottage. Inside, he found an old woman sitting alone.

“May I stay here for the night?” he asked politely. “I am carrying a message to the queen, but I’ve lost my way in the forest.”

“You are in danger, my child,” the old woman replied. “This is a robbers’ den, and they will kill you when they return.”

“I have nowhere else to go,” said the boy, “and I’m too tired to continue.”

Taking pity on him, the old woman hid him behind a large barrel. “Stay very quiet,” she warned.

When the robbers returned and saw the boy’s footprints, they demanded to know who had been there. The old woman told them about the messenger with the king’s letter.

The robbers found the sleeping boy and took the letter from his pocket. When they read it, even these hardened men were moved to pity. The leader tore up the king’s letter and wrote a new one, ordering that upon the boy’s arrival, he should immediately be married to the princess.

The next morning, they showed the boy the right path, and he continued his journey to the palace. Upon receiving the letter, the queen followed what she believed were the king’s instructions and prepared a magnificent wedding. The princess, who was remarkably beautiful, was pleased with her kind-hearted husband, and they lived happily together.

When the king returned and saw that his plan had failed, he was furious. “The prophecy cannot come true!” he declared. “I will find a way to get rid of him.”

He thought for a while and then said to the young man, “To truly deserve my daughter, you must prove your worth. Bring me three golden hairs from the head of the devil.”

The king was certain this was an impossible task that would lead to the young man’s death. But the youth, confident in his good fortune, replied, “I will bring you the three golden hairs.”

He bid farewell to his wife and set off on his journey to hell. His path led him to a large city where the watchman at the gate asked him his business.

“I am going to fetch three golden hairs from the devil’s head,” he answered.

“Indeed!” said the watchman. “Then you might inquire why our market fountain, which once flowed with wine, has dried up and won’t even give water now.”

“I will ask,” promised the young man.

Further on, he came to another city, and again the watchman inquired about his journey.

“I am going to fetch three golden hairs from the devil’s head,” he said.

“Then perhaps you could find out why our tree, which once bore golden apples, now won’t even grow leaves,” said the watchman.

“I will ask,” promised the young man.

He journeyed further and came to a wide river that he needed to cross. The ferryman asked why he was traveling, and when told, said, “Then ask why I am condemned to row back and forth, with no one ever releasing me from my task.”

“I will ask,” promised the young man.

At last, he reached the entrance to hell, which was dark and sooty. The devil wasn’t home, but his grandmother was sitting in a large chair. She was an ugly old woman, but not unfriendly.

“What do you want?” she asked.

“I need three golden hairs from the devil’s head,” said the young man, “or I cannot keep my wife.”

The old woman felt sorry for him and said, “That’s a dangerous request, for if the devil returns and finds you here, he’ll kill you. But I will help you.”

She transformed the young man into an ant and told him to hide in the folds of her dress. “I will pluck the three hairs when he’s asleep,” she promised.

When evening came, the devil returned home. He immediately sensed something different. “I smell human flesh,” he growled.

“I just cleaned thoroughly,” his grandmother said. “Now sit down and eat your dinner, and afterward, you can rest your head in my lap. I’ll pick through your hair a bit, which always helps you sleep.”

After dinner, the devil lay down with his head in his grandmother’s lap and soon fell asleep, snoring loudly. The old woman plucked a golden hair from his head.

“Ouch!” cried the devil, waking up. “What are you doing?”

“I had a troubling dream,” she said, “and in my distress, I must have pulled your hair.”

“What did you dream?” asked the devil.

“I dreamed of a city with a market fountain that once flowed with wine but now has dried up. Why is that?”

“Ha!” laughed the devil. “If they only knew! There’s a toad sitting under a stone in the fountain. If they kill the toad, the wine will flow again.”

The devil soon fell back asleep, and his grandmother plucked a second golden hair.

“Ouch!” he cried. “What are you doing now?”

“I had another dream,” she said. “I dreamed of a city where a tree once bore golden apples but now won’t even grow leaves. Why is that?”

“Ha!” laughed the devil. “If they only knew! A mouse is gnawing at the tree’s roots. If they kill the mouse, the tree will bear golden apples again.”

He fell asleep once more, and she plucked the third golden hair.

“Ouch!” the devil shouted, jumping up. “What is wrong with you tonight?”

“Just one more dream,” she soothed. “I dreamed of a ferryman who is condemned to row back and forth across a river, with no one ever releasing him. Why is that?”

“Ha! The fool!” laughed the devil. “If he placed the oar in a passenger’s hand and jumped ashore, that person would have to take his place. But don’t tell anyone this!”

With that, the devil fell into a deep sleep. His grandmother transformed the ant back into the young man and gave him the three golden hairs.

“You have what you came for,” she said, “and now you also have the answers to the three questions.”

The young man thanked her profusely and left hell. When he reached the ferryman, he said, “First row me across, and then I’ll tell you how to be free.”

On the other side, he revealed the devil’s secret: “The next time someone wants to cross, give them the oar and jump ashore. They will have to take your place.”

In the city with the barren tree, he told them about the mouse gnawing at the roots. They killed the mouse, and the tree immediately sprouted new leaves and began to bear golden apples again. As a reward, they gave him two donkeys laden with gold.

In the city with the dry fountain, he revealed the secret of the toad. They found and killed it, and wine began to flow abundantly once more. In gratitude, they also gave him two donkeys laden with gold.

Finally, the young man returned to the king with four donkeys carrying gold and the three golden hairs from the devil’s head. The king was astonished to see him alive and even more shocked by the wealth he had brought back.

“Where did you get all this gold?” demanded the king, his eyes gleaming with greed.

“Across the river lies a land where gold is as plentiful as sand,” the young man replied. “The ferryman can take you there.”

The greedy king immediately set out for this land of gold. When he reached the river, the ferryman asked him to cross. As the king stepped into the boat, the ferryman handed him the oar and jumped ashore. The king was now condemned to be the ferryman, a punishment for his wickedness.

And the young man lived happily with his princess, having proved that a child born with a caul truly is destined for good fortune.