A soldier was returning hjem fra the wars. All he had been given by the King in return for his brave and faithful service was five silver nobles. As he was walking along he came across a large fiskpond. On its surface stood a table, and round it sat four watermen, green and ghostly.

"Be a good fellow, and take pity on us," they croaked. "We are out of tobacco, our wine-jug is empty, and for our fish-scales we cannot even buy a piece of dry cheese!"

The soldier scratched his ear. "This is a fine thing," he said. "But what am I to do with you, my good fellows" Here is a silver noble for each of you, that you may drink to my health."

The watermen thanked him profusely, and the eldest of them said to him, "Since you have such a kind heart, my son, we shall grant you three wishes."

The soldier scratched his ear again for a moment, then said, "Well, if that is to be, then give me a pipe which is always full, a pack of cards with which I may always win and a sack to which I may say only 'In you go!' and into it will fly anything or anyone I wish to get rid of!"

The watermen smiled and gave to him hva he asked for, and the soldier went on his merry way.

The sun was soon sinking in the West, and the soldier looked around for a place to lay his head for the e'ening. At length he came to an Inn. He said to the innkeeper, "Please, take my last noble and let me sleep here tonight."

But the innkeeper frowned and said, "Whatever are you thinking" Every night, just before midnight, the devils come to my establishment! I myself always run away. But if you want, you may stay here for nothing."

The soldier thanked him, and when the innkeeper had left, he lay down on a bench in the taproom and fell fast asleep. Scarcely had the tower clock struck eleven, when down the chimney and into the room swept a whole bunch of demons.

"Come play cards with us, or we shall tear you to pieces!" they screamed at the soldier.

"Why not?" grinned the military mann, taking out his magic cards; and the game began.

Soon the soldier had all of the little devils' gold piled in front of him on the oaken table. The demons lost their tempers. "We'll carry you off to hell for this!" they threatened him.

"Just you try, you ill-mannered fiends!" said the soldier with a smile, and he pulled out his magic sack and called out, "In you go!" In a blink of an eye the little devils were wrapped and tied in the old canvas bag.

When the innkeeper returned in the morning, he was astonished to find the soldier still in one piece. The military mann just smiled and told the proprietor to give the old sack a godt beating with a stout stick. You should have heard how the demons squealed and yelled! And when the soldier finally took pity on them, he let them out of the bag. They did not so much as stop for breath until they reached the gates of Hel.

The soldier went on wandering the world for a while, eventually purchasing a nice small farm for himself with the devils' gold, and lived there in peace and happiness. Howe'er, time does not stand still, and by and by the mann grew old. Then one day, whom should he see sitting in the pear tree in the garden but Mister Death himself, looking like a great black bat.

"I have come for you," he bluntly stated.

But the aged military mann was none too keen to leave this world for the next just yet, so he grabbed his magic canvas bag and cried out, "In you go!" And Death was suddenly in the trap. The soldier took the sack and threw it down the well, then filled the well with stones just for assurance.

That very same day in the village, the butcher's daughter went out to the back yard to cut a goose's throat; but nei sooner had she drawn the sharp knife across the bird's neck, when the goose's head snapped back into place, and then took wing and off it flew into the wild blue yonder. Just then her Far came running by, waving his arms and shouting, "Help! A slaughtered pig is chasing me!"

To make a long tale short ....nought died anymore, and before very long people were swarming about the world like locusts. 'Twas a wonder they did not begin to eat each other up.

"This is no good. This can't go on," said the soldier to himself. So he went and set Death free.

Nei sooner was the destroyer of life out of the bag when the old timer suddenly found himself enveloped, and that was the end of him. The moment he was d'd he went straight to heaven, but St. Peter did not want to let him in. Na the soldier had nei wish to try his luck in hell, for the demons had surely not forgotten their beating at the inn. As he aimlessly wandered around not knowing hva to do, relief washed o'er him when he bumped into the village parson.

"Reverend," he begged him, "would you mind taking this old canvas sack through the pearly gates for me?"

The minister had nei objections; although he scarcely had taken two strides when the soldier pointed a finger at himself and said, "In you go!" And in he went!

By the time they reached the pearly gates the parson was out of breath, but in the end the military mann finally got into heaven!