Atondido Stories
The shepherd, who was a good-natured chap, said: “I tell
you what: I’ll help you. I can’t leave my sheep long, but I’ll carry
her halfway.”
“Oh,” said the devil, “I’d be very grateful if you did!”
So the shepherd yelled at Katcha: “Hi, there, you! Catch hold of
me!”
When Katcha saw that the shepherd was a handsome youth,
she let go of the devil and leapt upon the shepherd’s back, catch-
ing hold of the collar of his sheepskin coat.
Now the young shepherd soon found that the long shaggy
coat and Katcha made a pretty heavy load for walking. In a few
moments he was sick of his bargain and began casting about for
some way of getting rid of Katcha.
Presently he came to a pond and he thought to himself that
he’d like to throw her in. He wondered how he could do it. Per-
haps he could manage it by throwing in his greatcoat with her.
The coat was so loose that he thought he could slip out of it
without Katcha’s discovering what he was doing. Very cautious-
ly he slipped out one arm. Katcha didn’t move. He slipped out
the other arm. Still Katcha didn’t move. He unlooped the first
button. Katcha noticed nothing. He unlooped the second button.
Still Katcha noticed nothing. He unlooped the third button and
kerplunk! he had pitched coat and Katcha and all into the mid-
dle of the pond!
When he got back to his sheep, the devil looked at him in
amazement.
“Where’s Katcha?” he gasped.
“Oh,” the shepherd said, pointing over his shoulder with his
thumb, “I decided to leave her up yonder in a pond.”
“My dear friend,” the devil cried, “I thank you! You have
done me a great favor. If it hadn’t been for you I might be
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