So nobody would enlist.

The old Devil came to Iván and said: “Your fools won’t enlist of their own free will. We shall have to make them.”

“All right,” said Iván, “you can try.”

So the old Devil gave notice that all the people were to enlist, and that Iván would put to death anyone who refused.

The people came to the General and said, “You say that if we do not go as soldiers the King will put us to death, but you don’t say what will happen if we do enlist. We have heard say that soldiers get killed!”

“Yes, that happens sometimes.”

When the people heard this they became obstinate.

“We won’t go,” said they. “Better meet death at home. Either way we must die.”