There was once a bailiff who was a fleecer of the worst sort. One day the Devil came to fetch him.
"Never do I hear people say anything," he said, "but,"Devil takes that bailiff! So now you'll have to come along with me. And, indeed, so bad are you, that I don't believe you could be any wickeder or worse if you tried."
"Well, if you will pay attention to all the things folk chatter about, then you have more to fly after than you can manage!" said the bailiff. "But, if you're such a kind man that you do everything folk ask you to, then I ought to be let off this time, too!" he said.
Indeed, the bailiff spoke up well for himself, and as the Devil was rather good-natured, they agreed at last to join company for a while. And the first person they met who bade the Devil take someone, him the Devil should take, and the bailiff should be set free.
"But is must come from the heart!" said the Devil.
First they came to a cottage. There stood the old woman churning butter, but when she saw strangers, she had to have a peek at them. In the meantime, along came her little pet pig, rooting and snuffing in every corner, and stuck its snout in the churn. Over it went, and the pig started gobbling up the cream. "Was there ever a worse plague than a pig like that!" screamed the old woman. "Devil take you!" she said. "Well, take the pig then!" said the bailiff. "Do you think she's making me a present of the pork?" asked the Devil "What would she have for her Sunday dinners in winter? NO, that didn't come from the heart!"
So they walked on until they came to another cottage. Here the little child had been up to some mischief. "Right now I've had enough of you!" said the mother. "I do nothing else but wash and wipe and tidy up after this nasty brat! Devil take you!" she said. "Well, it doesn't come from the heart when a mother curse her child," said the Devil-
So they walked a bit farther. Then they met two farmers. "There's that bailiff of ours," said one. "Devil take that farmer-fleecer alive!" said the other "That came from the heart, it did!" said the Devil. "So come with me!" And that time neither praying nor pleading helped.