Parker Hoysted Fillmore

“ When he gave the prince some money in advance, the prince agreed and Peter promised to come to the castle the next day to meet his bride to be.
The prince when he got home told his daughters that he had seen Peter. They questioned him about Peter’s appearance and asked him what sort of a looking person this brother-in-law of the Devil was.
“He isn’t so very ugly,” the prince said, “really he isn’t. If he washed his face and trimmed his hair and nails he’d be fairly good-looking. In fact I rather like him.” ”

“ The people are crying out against them and their wasteful ways but the prince seems unable to curb them. The prince has a third daughter, the child of his second wife. Her name is Angelina and she certainly is as good and beautiful as an angel. We call her the Princess Linka. There isn’t a man in the country that wouldn’t go through fire and water for her—God bless her! As for the other two—may the Devil take them!”
Suddenly remembering himself, the landlord clapped his hand to his mouth in alarm.
Peter laughed good-humoredly. ”

“ Draw another pitcher of beer and place it at once before the gentleman.”
Yirik feared Peter but he feared the landlord more. He was an orphan, poor lad, and served the landlord for his keep and three dollars a year.
So with trembling fingers he drew a pitcher of beer and then, breathing a prayer to his patron saint, he slowly dragged himself into the tavern.
“There, there, boy,” Peter called out kindly. “You needn’t be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m not the Devil. I’m only his little brother-in-law.” ”

“ He’s deep in debt for he has two of the wickedest, most extravagant daughters in the world. They’re the children of his first marriage. They are proud and haughty and they waste the money of the realm as though it were so much sand. ”

“ Peter shook hands on the bargain and the Devil, taking him about the waist, whisked him up into the air, and, pst! before Peter knew what was happening, they were in hell.
The Devil gave Peter a leather apron and led him into a room where there were three big cauldrons.
“Now it’s your duty,” the Devil said, “to keep the fires under these cauldrons always burning. Keep four logs under the first cauldron, eight logs under the second, and twelve under the third. Be careful never to let the fires go out. And another thing, Peter: you’re never to peep inside the cauldrons. ”