Well, all was good and well done, that no one could
deny; but there was no hurry talking of the wedding before the bridge
was ready.
One day the bridge stood ready, and the devil was there waiting for the
toll which he had bargained for.
The youngster wanted the king to go with him and try the bridge, but the
king had no mind to do it. So he mounted a horse himself, and put the
fat dairy-maid in the palace on the pommel in front of him; she looked
almost like a big fir block, and so he rode over the bridge, which
thundered under the horse's feet.
"Where is the toll? Where have you got the soul?" cried the devil.
"Why, inside this fir block," said the youngster; "if you want it you
will have to spit in your hands and take it."
"No, many thanks! If she does not come to me, I am sure I shan't take
her," said the devil. "You got me once into a pinch, and I'll take care
you don't get me into another," and with that he flew straight home to
his old mother, and since that time he has never been heard or seen
thereabouts.
The youngster went home to the palace and asked for the reward the king
had promised him, and when the king wanted to get out of it, and would
not stick to what he had promised, the youngster said it was best he got
a good bag of food ready for him and he would take his reward himself.
Yes, the king would see to that, and when the bag was ready the
youngster asked the king to come outside the door.
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