There was no help for it; they had to give him the youth. And when the old man had returned home, the youth told him to go to Novgorod, there to enquire for a merchant, and ask him whether he had any children. He did so, and the merchant replied, "I had an only son, but his mother cursed him in a passion, crying, 'The devil take thee!'[462] And so the devil carried him off." It turned out that the youth whom the old man had saved from the devils was that merchant's son. Thereupon the merchant rejoiced greatly, and took the old man and his wife to live with him in his house.[463] And here is another tale of the same kind, from the Vladimir Government. Once upon a time there was an old couple, and they had an only son. His mother had cursed him before he was born, but he grew up and married. Soon afterwards he suddenly disappeared. His parents did all they could to trace him, but their attempts were in vain. Now there was a hut in the forest not far off, and thither it chanced that an old beggar came one night, and lay down to rest on the stove. Before he had been there long, some one rode up to the door of the hut, got off his horse, entered the hut, and remained there all night, muttering incessantly: "May the Lord judge my mother, in that she cursed me while a babe unborn!" Next morning the beggar went to the house of the old couple, and told them all that had occurred. So towards evening the old man went to the hut in the forest, and hid himself behind the stove. Presently the horseman arrived, entered the hut, and began to repeat the words which the beggar had overheard. The old man recognized his son, and came forth to greet him, crying: "O my dear son! at last I have found thee! never again will I let thee go!" "Follow me!" replied his son, who mounted his horse and rode away, his father following him on foot. Presently they came to a river which was frozen over, and in the ice was a hole.[464] And the youth rode straight into that hole, and in it both he and his horse disappeared. The old man lingered long beside the ice-hole, then he returned home and said to his wife: "I have found our son, but it will be hard to get him back. Why, he lives in the water!" Next night the youth's mother went to the hut, but she succeeded no better than her husband had done. So on the third night his young wife went to the hut and hid behind the stove. And when she heard the horseman enter she sprang forth, exclaiming: "My darling dear, my life-long spouse! now will I never part from thee!" "Follow me!" replied her husband. And when they came to the edge of the ice-hole-- "If thou goest into the water, then will I follow after thee!" cried she. "If so, take off thy cross," he replied. She took off her cross, leaped into the ice-hole--and found herself in a vast hall. In it Satan[465] was seated. And when he saw her arrive, he asked her husband whom he had brought with him. "This is my wife," replied the youth.