Atondido Stories
carrying Katcha till doomsday. I’ll never forget you and some
time I’ll reward you. As you don’t know who it is you’ve helped,
I must tell you I’m a devil.”
With these words the devil vanished.
For a moment the shepherd was dazed. Then he laughed and
said to himself: “Well, if they’re all as stupid as he is, we ought
to be able for them!”
The country where the shepherd lived was ruled over by a
dissolute young duke who passed his days in riotous living and
his nights in carousing. He gave over the affairs of state to two
governors who were as bad as he. With extortionate taxes and
unjust fines they robbed the people until the whole land was cry-
ing out against them.
Now one day for amusement the duke summoned an astrol-
oger to court and ordered him to read in the planets the fate of
himself and his two governors. When the astrologer had cast a
horoscope for each of the three reprobates, he was greatly dis-
turbed and tried to dissuade the duke from questioning him fur-
ther.
“Such danger,” he said, “threatens your life and the lives of
your two governors that I fear to speak.”
“Whatever it is,” said the duke, “speak. But I warn you to
speak the truth, for if what you say does not come to pass you
will forfeit your life.”
The astrologer bowed and said: “Hear then, oh Duke, what
the planets foretell: Before the second quarter of the moon, on
such and such a day, at such and such an hour, a devil will come
and carry off the two governors. At the full of the moon on such
and such a day, at such and such an hour, the same devil will
come for your Highness and carry you off to hell.”
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