Atondido Stories
I’m to carry off the duke himself, for he was so wicked that
he’s to have no second chance. So don’t try to save him, for if
you do you’ll pay for it with your own skin. Don’t forget!”
The shepherd remembered carefully everything the devil told
him. When the moon was in its first quarter he went to the first
castle. A great crowd of people was gathered outside waiting to
see the devil carry away the governor.
Suddenly there was a loud cry of despair, the gates of the
castle opened, and there was the devil, as black as night, drag-
ging out the governor. He, poor man, was half dead with fright.
The shepherd elbowed his way through the crowd, took the gov-
ernor by the hand, and pushed the devil roughly aside.
“What do you mean by this?” he shouted. “Get out of here or
there’ll be trouble!”
Instantly the devil fled and the governor fell on his knees be-
fore the shepherd and kissed his hands and begged him to state
what he wanted in reward. When the shepherd asked for two
bags of gold, the governor ordered that they be given him with-
out delay.
Then the shepherd went to the castle of the second governor
and went through exactly the same performance.
It goes without saying that the duke soon heard of the shep-
herd, for he had been anxiously awaiting the fate of the two gov-
ernors. At once he sent a wagon with four horses to fetch the
shepherd to the palace and when the shepherd arrived he
begged him piteously to rescue him likewise from the devil’s
clutches.
“Master,” the shepherd answered, “I cannot promise you an-
ything. I have to consider my own safety. You have been a great
sinner, but if you really want to reform, if you really want to rule
your people justly and kindly and wisely as becomes a true
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