Atondido Stories
ruler, then indeed I will help you even if I have to suffer hellfire
in your place.”
The duke declared that with God’s help he would mend his
ways and the shepherd promised to come back on the fatal day.
With grief and dread the whole country awaited the coming of
the full moon. In the first place the people had greeted the astrol-
oger’s prophecy with joy, but since the duke had reformed their
feelings for him had changed.
Time sped fast as time does whether joy be coming or sorrow
and all too soon the fatal day arrived.
Dressed in black and pale with fright, the duke sat expecting
the arrival of the devil.
Suddenly the door flew open and the devil, black as night,
stood before him. He paused a moment and then he said, polite-
ly:
“Your time has come, Lord Duke, and I am here to get you!”
Without a word the duke arose and followed the devil to the
courtyard, which was filled with a great multitude of people.
At that moment the shepherd, all out of breath, came pushing
his way through the crowd, and ran straight at the devil, shout-
ing out:
“What do you mean by this? Get out of here or there’ll be
trouble!”
“What do yo u mean?” whispered the devil. “Don’t you re-
member what I told you?”
“Hush!” the shepherd whispered back. “I don’t care any-
thing about the duke. This is to warn you! You know Katcha?
She’s alive and she’s looking for you!”
The instant the devil heard the name of Katcha he turned
and fled.
All the people cheered the shepherd, while the shepherd
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