There were once three apprentices, who had agreed to keep always together while travelling, and always to work in the same town. At one time, however, their masters had no more work to give them, so that at last they were in rags, and had nothing to live on. Then one of them said, "What shall we do? We cannot stay here any longer, we will travel once more, and if we do not find any work in the town we go to, we will arrange with the innkeeper there, that we are to write and tell him where we are staying, so that we can always have news of each other, and then we will separate." And that seemed best to the others also. They went forth, and met on the way a richly-dressed man who asked who they were. "We are apprentices looking for work; Up to this time we have kept together, but if we cannot find anything to do we are going to separate." - "There is no need for that," said the man, "if you will do what I tell you, you shall not want for gold or for work; nay, you shall become great lords, and drive in your carriages!" One of them said, "If our souls and salvation be not endangered, we will certainly do it." - "They will not," replied the man, "I have no claim on you." One of the others had, however, looked at his feet, and when he saw a horse's foot and a man's foot, he did not want to have anything to do with him. The Devil, however, said, "Be easy, I have no designs on you, but on another soul, which is half my own already, and whose measure shall but run full." As they were now secure, they consented, and the Devil told them what he wanted. The first was to answer, "All three of us," to every question; the second was to say, "For money," and the third, "And quite right too!" They were always to say this, one after the other, but they were not to say one word more, and if they disobeyed this order, all their money would disappear at once, but so long as they observed it, their pockets would always be full. As a beginning, he at once gave them as much as they could carry, and told them to go to such and such an inn when they got to the town. They went to it, and the innkeeper came to meet them, and asked if they wished for anything to eat? The first replied, "All three of us." - "Yes," said the host, "that is what I mean." The second said, "For money." - "Of course," said the host. The third said, "And quite right too!" - "Certainly it is right," said the host.
Good meat and drink were now brought to them, and they were well waited on. After the dinner came the payment, and the innkeeper gave the bill to the one who said, "All three of us," the second said, "For money," and the third, "and quite right too!" - "Indeed it is right," said the host, "all three pay, and without money I can give nothing." They, however, paid still more than he had asked. The lodgers, who were looking on, said, "These people must be mad." - "Yes, indeed they are," said the host, "they are not very wise." So they stayed some time in the inn, and said nothing else but, "All three of us," - "For money," and "And quite right too!" But they saw and knew all that was going on. It so happened that a great merchant came with a large sum of money, and said, "Sir host, take care of my money for me, here are three crazy apprentices who might steal it from me." The host did as he was asked. As he was carrying the trunk into his room, he felt that it was heavy with gold. Thereupon he gave the three apprentices a lodging below, but the merchant came up-stairs into a separate apartment. When it was midnight, and the host thought that all were asleep, he came with his wife, and they had an axe and struck the rich merchant dead; and after they had murdered him they went to bed again. When it was day there was a great outcry; the merchant lay dead in bed bathed in blood. All the guests ran at once but the host said, "The three crazy apprentices have done this;" the lodgers confirmed it, and said, "It can have been no one else." The innkeeper, however, had them called, and said to them, "Have you killed the merchant?" - "All three of us," said the first, "For money," said the second; and the third added, "And quite right too!" - "There now, you hear," said the host, "they confess it themselves." They were taken to prison, therefore, and were to be tried. When they saw that things were going so seriously, they were after all afraid, but at night the Devil came and said, "Bear it just one day longer, and do not play away your luck, not one hair of your head shall be hurt."
Good meat and drink were now brought to them, and they were well waited on. After the dinner came the payment, and the innkeeper gave the bill to the one who said, "All three of us," the second said, "For money," and the third, "and quite right too!" - "Indeed it is right," said the host, "all three pay, and without money I can give nothing." They, however, paid still more than he had asked. The lodgers, who were looking on, said, "These people must be mad." - "Yes, indeed they are," said the host, "they are not very wise." So they stayed some time in the inn, and said nothing else but, "All three of us," - "For money," and "And quite right too!" But they saw and knew all that was going on. It so happened that a great merchant came with a large sum of money, and said, "Sir host, take care of my money for me, here are three crazy apprentices who might steal it from me." The host did as he was asked. As he was carrying the trunk into his room, he felt that it was heavy with gold. Thereupon he gave the three apprentices a lodging below, but the merchant came up-stairs into a separate apartment. When it was midnight, and the host thought that all were asleep, he came with his wife, and they had an axe and struck the rich merchant dead; and after they had murdered him they went to bed again. When it was day there was a great outcry; the merchant lay dead in bed bathed in blood. All the guests ran at once but the host said, "The three crazy apprentices have done this;" the lodgers confirmed it, and said, "It can have been no one else." The innkeeper, however, had them called, and said to them, "Have you killed the merchant?" - "All three of us," said the first, "For money," said the second; and the third added, "And quite right too!" - "There now, you hear," said the host, "they confess it themselves." They were taken to prison, therefore, and were to be tried. When they saw that things were going so seriously, they were after all afraid, but at night the Devil came and said, "Bear it just one day longer, and do not play away your luck, not one hair of your head shall be hurt."
The next morning they were led to the bar, and the judge said, "Are you the murderers?" - "All three of us." - "Why did you kill the merchant?" - "For money." - "You wicked wretches, you have no horror of your sins?" - "And quite right too!" - "They have confessed, and are still stubborn," said the judge, "lead them to death instantly." So they were taken out, and the host had to go with them into the circle. When they were taken hold of by the executioner's men, and were just going to be led up to the scaffold where the headsman was standing with naked sword, a coach drawn by four blood-red chestnut horses came up suddenly, driving so fast that fire flashed from the stones, and someone made signs from the window with a white handkerchief. Then said the headsman, "It is a pardon coming," and "Pardon! pardon!" was called from the carriage also. Then the Devil stepped out as a very noble gentleman, beautifully dressed, and said, "You three are innocent; you may now speak, make known what you have seen and heard." Then said the eldest, "We did not kill the merchant, the murderer is standing there in the circle," and he pointed to the innkeeper. "In proof of this, go into his cellar, where many others whom he has killed are still hanging." Then the judge sent the executioner's men thither, and they found it was as the apprentices said, and when they had informed the judge of this, he caused the innkeeper to be led up, and his head was cut off. Then said the Devil to the three, "Now I have got the soul which I wanted to have, and you are free, and have money for the rest of your lives."
C'erano una volta tre garzoni che avevano deciso di viaggiare insieme e di lavorare sempre nella stessa città. Ma, dopo un po' di tempo, il lavoro cessò, sicché‚ essi si ridussero in miseria e non avevano di che vivere. Allora uno disse: -Cosa dobbiamo fare? Non possiamo più rimanere insieme; la prossima sarà l'ultima città nella quale ci recheremo: se anche lì non avremo lavoro ci accorderemo con l'albergatore e ognuno di noi gli scriverà dov'è andato, sicché‚ si possa avere notizie l'uno dell'altro; poi ci separeremo-. A tutti questa parve la miglior soluzione. Mentre stavano parlando, venne loro incontro un uomo sontuosamente vestito e domandò chi fossero. -Siamo garzoni e cerchiamo lavoro; per ora siamo rimasti insieme, ma se lavoro non ne troviamo più, ci separeremo.- -Non temete- disse l'uomo -se farete quello che vi dico, non vi mancherà n‚ denaro n‚ lavoro; diventerete gran signori e andrete in carrozza.- Uno disse: -Lo faremo se ciò non comprometterà l'anima nostra e la salvezza eterna-. -No- rispose l'uomo -con voi io non c'entro.- Ma l'altro gli aveva guardato i piedi e, scorgendo un piede di cavallo e un piede umano, non voleva avere a che fare con lui. Il diavolo però disse: -State tranquilli, non si tratta di voi, ma dell'anima di un altro, che è già mia per metà; ora bisogna solo completare l'opera-. Essi si tranquillizzarono e acconsentirono, e il diavolo disse loro quel che voleva: il primo doveva rispondere a ogni domanda: -Tutti e tre insieme-; il secondo: -Per denaro-; il terzo: -Ed era giusto-. Dovevano sempre parlare uno dopo l'altro, ma senza dire una parola di più; se non avessero ubbidito. tutto il denaro sarebbe subito sparito; se ubbidivano, invece, avrebbero avuto le tasche sempre piene. Per cominciare, diede subito loro tanto denaro quanto potevano portarne, e ordinò che andassero in città, in una locanda così e così. Entrarono e l'oste andò loro incontro e chiese: -Volete mangiare qualcosa?-. Il primo rispose: -Tutti e tre insieme-. -Sì- disse l'oste -lo credo bene.- Il secondo: -Per denaro- -Si capisce!- disse l'oste. Il terzo: -Ed era giusto-. -Certo che era giusto!- disse l'oste. Mangiarono e bevvero molto bene e furono serviti con cura. Dopo pranzo venne il momento di pagare, e l'oste porse il conto al primo, che disse: -Tutti e tre insieme-. E il secondo: -Per denaro-. E il terzo: -Ed era giusto-. -Certo che è giusto- disse l'oste. -Tutti e tre dovete pagare, gratis non posso dare nulla.- Ma essi gli diedero più di quello che aveva chiesto. Gli altri clienti guardavano e dicevano: -Devono essere pazzi-. -Sì, lo sono- disse l'oste -non hanno tutti i venerdì.- I tre garzoni rimasero nella locanda per qualche tempo e non dicevano altro che -Tutti e tre insieme-, -per denaro-, -ed era giusto-. Ma vedevano e sapevano tutto quello che succedeva là dentro. Un giorno giunse un ricco mercante, carico di denaro, e disse: -Signor oste, prenda in consegna il mio denaro: quei tre matti potrebbero rubarmelo-. L'oste ubbidì; e mentre portava la valigia in camera sua, sentì che era piena d'oro. Poi diede ai tre garzoni giaciglio a pianterreno, mentre il mercante andò di sopra in una camera separata. Quando fu mezzanotte, e l'oste pensava che tutti dormissero, entrò con sua moglie; avevano un'ascia e ammazzarono il ricco mercante; e dopo aver compiuto l'assassinio, tornarono a coricarsi. Quando si fece giorno, ci fu un gran baccano: il mercante giaceva morto nel letto, in una pozza di sangue. I clienti accorsero tutti insieme, ma l'oste disse: -Sono stati i tre garzoni pazzi-. I clienti confermarono e dissero: -Non può esser stato nessun altro-. L'oste li fece chiamare e chiese loro: -Avete ucciso voi il mercante?-. -Tutti e tre insieme- disse il primo; e il secondo: -Per denaro-. E il terzo: -Ed era giusto-. -Sentite?- esclamò l'oste -lo confessano loro stessi.- Così furono condotti in prigione per essere giudicati. Vedendo che le cose si mettevano male, si spaventarono; ma durante la notte venne il diavolo e disse: -Resistete ancora un giorno e non lasciatevi sfuggire la fortuna; non vi torceranno un capello-. Il mattino seguente comparvero a giudizio, e il giudice disse: -Siete voi gli assassini?-. -Tutti e tre insieme.- -Perché‚ avete ucciso il mercante?- -Per denaro.- -Sciagurati!- disse il giudice -non avete avuto paura del peccato?- -Ed era giusto.- -Hanno confessato e si intestardiscono ancora!- disse il giudice. -Conduceteli subito al patibolo.- Così furono condotti fuori e l'oste dovette fare cerchio con l'altra gente. Quando gli aiutanti del boia li presero e li condussero sul palco dove si trovava il carnefice con la spada sguainata, arrivò all'improvviso una carrozza trainata da quattro cavalli rosso sangue: correva così velocemente che i sassi sprizzavano fuoco, mentre dal finestrino qualcuno agitava un panno bianco. Il carnefice disse: -Arriva la grazia-. E dalla carrozza gridarono: -Grazia! grazia!-. Ne scese il diavolo con l'aspetto di un gran signore, vestito sontuosamente e disse: -Voi tre siete innocenti, adesso potete parlare: dite quello che avete visto e sentito-. Allora il più vecchio disse: -Noi non abbiamo ucciso il mercante; l'assassino è là tra la gente-. E indicò l'oste. -Se volete una prova, andate nella sua cantina: là sono appesi molti altri, assassinati da lui.- Allora il giudice mandò gli aiutanti del boia, e le cose stavano proprio come aveva detto il garzone. Quando lo riferirono al giudice, questi ordinò che l'oste fosse condotto sul palco e gli fosse mozzata la testa. Allora il diavolo disse ai tre: "Io ho l'anima che volevo, voi invece siete liberi e avete denaro per tutta la vita."