` The way lies straight forward , south through the wood , ' said he . Hans then must have his provisions for the journey ; two bakings of bread , two casks of butter , two barrels of ale , and two kegs of brandy . He tied all these up together , and got them on his shoulder hanging on his good walking-stick , and off he tramped southward . After he had got through the wood , there was more than one road , and he was in doubt which of them was the right one , so he sat down and opened up his bundle of provisions . He found he had left his knife at home , but by good chance , there was a plough lying close at hand , so he took the coulter of this to cut the bread with . As he sat there and took his bite , a man came riding past him . ` Where are you from ? ' said Hans . ` From Purgatory , ' said the man . ` Then stop and wait a little , ' said Hans ; but the man was in a hurry , and would not stop , so Hans ran after him and caught the horse by the tail . This brought it down on its hind legs , and the man went flying over its head into a ditch . ` Just wait a little , ' said Hans ; ' I am going the same way . ' He got his provisions tied up again , and laid them on the horse 's back ; then he took hold of the reins and said to the man , ` We two can go along together on foot . ' As they went on their way Hans told the stranger both about the errand he had on hand and the fun he had had with Old Eric . The other said but little but he was well acquainted with the way , and it was no long time before they arrived at the gate . There both horse and rider disappeared , and Hans was left alone outside . ` They will come and let me in presently , ' he thought to himself ; but no one came . He hammered at the gate ; still no one appeared . Then he got tired of waiting , and smashed at the gate with his staff until he knocked it in pieces and got inside . A whole troop of little demons came down upon him and asked what he wanted .
His master 's compliments , said XXXXX , and he wanted three years ' tribute .
Eric Hans bakings coulter horse left plough reins right walking-stick