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ArtistA whimsical picture book illustration of a small, crooked cottage deep in a dark forest, glowing warmly from within. At the doorway stands the Devil’s grandmother — a wrinkled, sharp-eyed old woman with a knowing smile — while three nervous soldiers hide nearby among twisted trees. The contrast between danger and cleverness fills the scene with tension and fairy-tale humor. Style by Anton Pieck × Leo and Diane Dillon.
Three poorly paid soldiers desert and hide in the cornfield. But the army surrounds the field until they fear they will starve. Then a dragon carries them out. The devil gives them a small whip that makes money. In return, they will belong to him in seven years if they cannot solve a riddle. They live in abundance but do nothing evil. Eventually, two of them become afraid that they cannot solve the riddle, but one is carefree and, on the advice of an old woman, goes to a stone house in the forest. There, the devil's grandmother hides him while she tries to get the devil to solve the riddle: "In the great North Sea lies a dead monkey, that shall be their roast; and a whale's rib, that shall be their silver spoon; and an old hollow horse's hoof, that shall be their wine glass." The soldier tells the others. They answer the devil's questions and are allowed to keep the whip.
