A smith and his son have a unique relationship with a devil depicted on the doors of their smithy. The father respects the devil, greeting him warmly, which leads to prosperity. Upon the father's death, the son inherits the smithy but shows disdain for the devil, mistreating him for three years. The devil, unable to tolerate the disrespect, transforms into a young man and becomes the smith's apprentice, quickly mastering the craft. One day, while the smith is away, the devil deceives a wealthy lady into believing he can make her young again. He burns her to ashes and revives her as a beautiful young woman. The lady, now youthful, persuades her husband to seek the same transformation. The smith, pressured by the husband, attempts the same process but fails, resulting in the husband's death. The furious lady orders the smith to be hanged for his failure. As he is taken to the gallows, the devil, now in his human form, offers to save the smith if he swears never to harm him again. The smith agrees, and the devil resurrects the husband. The smith is freed, and he learns to treat the devil with respect. The devil disappears, and the smith and his wife live happily thereafter, their lives enriched by the lessons learned from their encounters with the devil.
By Alexander Nikolayevich Afanasyev · First published 1820 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Folklore, Fantasy