“Yes,” said he, “I know enough, and will contrive to save myself.” Then he had to go back another way, through the window, secretly and with all speed to his companions. He told them how the Devil had been overreached by the old grandmother, and how he had learned the answer to the riddle from him. Then they were all joyous, and of good cheer, and took the whip and whipped so much gold for themselves that it ran all over the ground.

When the seven years had fully gone by, the Devil came with the book, showed the signatures, and said, “I will take you with me to hell. There you shall have a meal! If you can guess what kind of roast meat you will have to eat, you shall be free and released from your bargain, and may keep the whip as well.”

Then the first soldier began and said, “In the great North Sea lies a dead dogfish, that no doubt is the roast meat.”

The Devil was angry, and began to mutter, “Hm! hm! hm!” And asked the second, “But what will your spoon be?”

“The rib of a whale, that is to be our silver spoon.”