Bearskin (Brothers Grimm)
Short summary
A fairy tale setting. A brave soldier was dismissed after war ended. Orphaned and rejected by his brothers, he wandered to a heath where he met the Devil.
The Devil offered him unlimited money from a magic coat if he lived seven years without washing, cutting hair or nails, or praying, wearing only the coat and a bearskin. The soldier agreed. Over years he became hideous but helped many with his wealth. In year four, he saved an old man from debtor's prison. The grateful father offered him a daughter in marriage.
Two daughters rejected the monster, but the youngest accepted him to honor her father's promise. Bearskin gave her half a ring and left for three final years. When seven years ended, the Devil cleaned and transformed him back. He returned as a handsome stranger.
I am thy betrothed bridegroom, whom thou sawest as Bearskin, but through God's grace I have again received my human form, and have once more become clean.
The youngest recognized him by the ring half. Her jealous sisters killed themselves, giving the Devil two souls instead of one.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
The dismissed soldiers despair
A young soldier had served bravely in war, always at the forefront when bullets flew. When peace came, he received his dismissal and was told he could go wherever he pleased.
His parents were dead and he had no home, so he went to his brothers seeking shelter until war broke out again.
The brothers, however, were hard-hearted and said, 'What can we do with thee? thou art of no use to us; go and make a living for thyself.'
The Devils test and bargain
With nothing but his gun, the soldier wandered into the world until he reached a wide heath with a circle of trees. There he sat sorrowfully, contemplating his fate and the prospect of starvation. Suddenly, a strange man in a green coat appeared before him.
The Devil offered him gold and possessions but first tested his courage by summoning a large bear. The soldier shot the bear through the muzzle, killing it instantly. Satisfied with this proof of fearlessness, the Devil proposed a bargain.
thou shalt for the next seven years neither wash thyself, nor comb thy beard... If thou diest during these seven years, thou art mine; if thou remainest alive, thou art free
The Devil gave him a green coat with pockets always full of money and the bear's skin as a cloak and bed. Because of this apparel, he would be called Bearskin.
Seven years as the hideous Bearskin
During the first year, Bearskin's appearance remained passable, but by the second year he began to look monstrous. His hair covered nearly his entire face, his beard became like coarse felt, his fingers grew claws, and dirt covered his face so thickly that plants could have grown on it.
Everyone who saw him ran away in terror. However, he gave money to the poor everywhere, asking them to pray that he might not die during the seven years. Because he paid well for everything, he always found shelter despite his frightening appearance.
In the fourth year, he entered an inn where the landlord initially refused him, even denying him space in the stable for fear of scaring the horses. Only when Bearskin pulled out a handful of gold ducats did the host relent, giving him a room in an outhouse with the promise that he would not show himself.
Saving the desperate old man
One evening, Bearskin heard loud lamenting from a neighboring room. His compassionate heart moved him to investigate, where he found an old man weeping bitterly and wringing his hands.
The man initially tried to escape from Bearskin's frightening appearance, but when he heard the human voice, he revealed his troubles. His property had dwindled away, he and his daughters faced starvation, and he was too poor to pay the innkeeper, facing imprisonment. Bearskin immediately paid the innkeeper and filled the old man's pocket with gold.
The three daughters different reactions
Overwhelmed with gratitude, the old man invited Bearskin to meet his three daughters, offering one as a wife in return for his kindness. When they arrived at the house, the eldest daughter screamed and ran away upon seeing Bearskin's face.
The second daughter rejected him, saying she could not accept a husband who no longer had human form. However, the youngest daughter spoke differently.
Dear father, that must be a good man to have helped you out of your trouble, so if you have promised him a bride for doing it, your promise must be kept.
The betrothal and parting promise
Delighted by her words, Bearskin took a ring from his finger, broke it in two, and gave her one half while keeping the other. He wrote his name on her half and hers on his, asking her to keep it carefully. He told her he must wander for three more years, and if he did not return, she would be free, for he would be dead. The bride dressed in black while her sisters mocked her mercilessly.
Transformation and return to human form
When the seven years ended, Bearskin returned to the heath where he met the Devil again. Though reluctant, the Devil was forced to wash Bearskin, comb his hair, and cut his nails. Afterward, Bearskin looked like a brave soldier and was more handsome than ever before. He dressed magnificently and drove to his bride's house in a carriage drawn by four white horses.
The wedding and the Devils final collection
No one recognized the transformed man. The two eldest sisters competed for his attention, but when he revealed his identity with the ring, they ran out in rage. One drowned herself in a well, the other hanged herself on a tree. That evening, the Devil knocked at the door.
Seest thou, I have now got two souls in the place of thy one!