This one is the story which grew up in my mind, about the
bare outline related to me by one of Mrs Rutan's hearers. What the
original teller said, I never knew, but what the listener felt was clear.
And in this form I have told it a great many times.]
Once there were two brothers. One was rich, and one was poor; the rich one
was rather mean. When the Poor Brother used to come to ask for things it
annoyed him, and finally one day he said, "There, I'll give it to you this
time, but the next time you want anything, you can go Below for it!"
Presently the Poor Brother did want something, and he knew it wasn't any
use to go to his brother; he must go Below for it. So he went, and he
went, and he went, till he came Below.
It was the queerest place! There were red and yellow fires burning all
around, and kettles of boiling oil hanging over them, and a queer sort of
men standing round, poking the fires. There was a Chief Man; he had a long
curly tail that curled up behind, and two ugly little horns just over his
ears; and one foot was very queer indeed. And as soon as anyone came in
the door, these men would catch him up and put him over one of the fires,
and turn him on a spit. And then the Chief Man, who was the worst of all,
would come and say, "Eh, how do you feel now? How do you feel now?" And of
course the poor people screamed and screeched and said, "Let us out! Let
us out!" That was just what the Chief Man wanted.
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