The merchant took him to his dead daughter, left him alone with her, and locked the door. The Soldier read and read. Midnight came, the wind blew, the coffin began to rock, the cover flew afar off. The Soldier jumped up on the stove-pipe, covered himself with the frying-pan, protected himself with a sign of the cross, and awaited what was going to happen. Out jumped the witch and began rushing about. Round her came swarming countless devils, the izba was full of them! They rushed about in search of the Soldier; they looked into the stove-- "Here's the place," they cried, "where he was last night." "There's the place, but he's not there." This way and that they rush,--cannot see him anywhere. Presently there stepped across the threshold a very old devil. "What are you looking for?" "The Soldier. He was reading here a moment ago, and now he's disappeared." "Ah! no eyes! And who's that sitting on the stove-pipe there?" The Soldier's heart thumped like anything; he all but tumbled down on the ground! "There he is, sure enough!" cried the devils, "but how are we to settle him. Surely it's impossible to reach him there?" "Impossible, forsooth! Run and lay your hands on a candle-end which has been lighted without a blessing having been uttered over it." In an instant the devils brought the candle-end, piled up a lot of wood right under the stove-pipe, and set it alight. The flame leapt high into the air, the Soldier began to roast: first one foot, then the other, he drew up under him. "Now," thinks he, "my death has come!" All of a sudden, luckily for him, the cocks began to crow, the devils vanished, the witch fell flat on the floor. The soldier jumped down from the stove-pipe, and began putting out the fire. When he had put it out he set every thing to rights, placed the merchant's daughter in her coffin, covered it up with the lid, and betook himself to reading the psalter. At daybreak came the merchant, and listened at the door to find out whether the Soldier was alive or not. When he heard his voice he opened the door and said-- "Hail, Soldier!" "I wish you good health, master merchant." "Have you passed the night comfortably?" "Glory be to God, I've seen nothing bad." The merchant gave him a hundred and fifty roubles, and said-- "You've done a deal of work, Soldier! do a little more. Come here to-night and carry my daughter to the graveyard." "Good, I'll come." "Well, friend, what has God given?" "Glory be to God, grandfather, I've got off safe! The merchant has asked me to be at his house to-night, to carry his daughter to the graveyard. Should I go or not?" "If you go, you won't be alive, and if you don't go, you won't be alive. But you must go; it will be better so." "But what must I do? tell me."