The Devil and His Grandmother (Brothers Grimm)
Short summary
Three soldiers deserted from the army due to poor pay and hid in a cornfield. Trapped there for days and facing starvation, they encountered a fiery dragon who was actually the Devil.
He offered them a deal: serve him for seven years with unlimited wealth from a magical whip, then solve his riddle or become his property forever. They accepted and lived luxuriously. When the time neared its end, two soldiers panicked, but the third remained confident.
Following an old woman's advice, he found the Devil's grandmother in a forest house. She hid him in her cellar. When the Devil visited, he revealed the riddle's answer:
In the great North Sea lies a dead dogfish, that shall be your roast meat, and the rib of a whale shall be your silver spoon, and a hollow old horse's hoof shall be your wineglass.
The soldier told his companions. When the Devil returned, they correctly answered his riddle, won their freedom, and kept the magical whip.
Detailed summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
Three soldiers desert and encounter the devil
During a great war, three soldiers found themselves in desperate circumstances. Their king paid them so poorly that they could barely survive on their wages, forcing them to make a difficult decision.
There was a great war, and the King had many soldiers, but gave them small pay, so small that they could not live upon it, so three of them agreed among themselves to desert.
Fearing execution if caught, the soldiers hid in a large cornfield. However, the troops did not march away as expected and remained surrounding the field for two days and nights. The deserters grew so hungry they nearly died, yet leaving meant certain death on the gallows. In their despair, they wondered if desertion had been worthwhile when a fiery dragon suddenly appeared, flying through the air and landing before them. The dragon asked why they had concealed themselves there.
Seven years of wealth and luxury
The dragon, who was actually the Devil, offered them a bargain.
If you will serve me for seven years... I will convey you through the army so that no one shall seize you... but when the seven years have come to an end, you are my property.
Having no choice, the soldiers accepted. The Devil gave them a magical whip that would produce unlimited gold when cracked, allowing them to live like lords with horses and carriages. He also set them a riddle - if they could solve it at the contract's end, they would be free. The soldiers signed a book sealing their agreement, then departed with their whip to enjoy seven years of pleasure and magnificence, traveling the world in luxury while doing nothing wicked.
The approaching deadline and seeking help
As the seven years neared their end, two of the soldiers became terribly anxious and alarmed about their fate.
However, the third soldier remained confident and optimistic.
While sitting in the countryside with sorrowful faces, an aged woman approached and inquired about their sadness.
After hearing their story about serving the Devil and facing the impossible riddle, she offered guidance.
If you are to be saved, one of you must go into the forest, there he will come to a fallen rock which looks like a little house, he must enter that, and then he will obtain help.
The two melancholy soldiers remained behind, believing nothing could save them, but the confident third soldier ventured into the forest and found the rock-house as described.
The devils grandmother reveals the riddle
Inside the little house sat a very aged woman who was the Devil's grandmother.
After hearing the soldier's tale, she took pity on him and agreed to help. She lifted a great stone covering a cellar and instructed him to hide there, warning him to sit still and listen carefully to everything said above. At midnight, the dragon would come for dinner, and she would question him about the riddle, as he told her everything. At twelve o'clock, the Devil arrived flying through the air, demanding his meal. His grandmother served food and drink, and during their conversation, she asked about his day and how many souls he had acquired. The Devil boasted about capturing three soldiers and setting them an impossible riddle. When she inquired about the riddle, he mockingly revealed the answer: in the great North Sea lies a dead dogfish for roast meat, a whale's rib for a silver spoon, and a hollow old horse's hoof for a wineglass. After the Devil went to bed, the grandmother freed the soldier, who confirmed he had heard everything needed to save himself and his companions.
The final confrontation and victory
The soldier returned to his companions and shared how the Devil's grandmother had helped them learn the riddle's answer. Overjoyed, they whipped up more gold for themselves. When the seven years ended, the Devil appeared with their signed contract, ready to take them to hell. He offered them one final chance: if they could guess what their meal would consist of, they would be free and could keep the magical whip. The first soldier correctly answered that their roast meat would be a dead dogfish from the great North Sea. The Devil grew angry and muttered in frustration. The second soldier identified their spoon as a whale's rib, causing the Devil to make a wry face and growl again. Finally, the third soldier declared their wineglass would be an old horse's hoof. The Devil flew away with a loud cry, powerless over them, and the three soldiers kept their whip, living happily ever after with unlimited wealth.