Peter Christen Asbjørnsen

“ Now, when he came into the princess's room, there sat Death at her pillow; but as he sat he dozed and nodded, and while he did this she felt herself better.
"Now, life or death is at stake," said the doctor; "and I fear, from what I see, there is no hope." ”

“ I am the De'il, and I come from Hell; that's where I come from," said the man.
"No!" said the lad; "thou only pinest and plaguest poor folk, and if there is any unhappiness astir, they always say it is thy fault. Thee I will not drink with."
So he went far and farther than far again with his ale-keg on his back, till he thought it grew so heavy there was no carrying it any farther, he began to look round again if any one were coming with whom he could drink and lighten his keg. So after a long, long time, another man came, and he was so dry and lean 'twas a wonder his bones hung together. ”

“ But, after he had thought awhile, he said the keg should never get empty, however much they drank out of it, and the ale that was in it should become a healing drink, by which the lad could make the sick whole again better than any doctor. And he also said that when the lad came into the sick man's room, Death would always be there, and show himself to him, and it should be to him for a sure token if he saw Death at the foot of the bed that he could cure the sick with a draught from the keg ”