I COMMENCE with wolf-stories, which are rather numerous in Esthonia. One of them relates the creation of the wolf. When God had created the world, he asked the Devil what he thought of his work; and the Devil objected that there was no animal to scare away mischievous boys from the woods when the bear and the snake were sunk in their winter sleep. Thereupon God gave leave to the Devil to make such an animal as he wished, and to give it life by the formula, “Stand up and devour the Devil.” Then the Devil made the wolf’s back of a strong hedge-pole, the head of a tree-stump, the breast of twigs and leather, and the loins of bricks.
BEAST-STORIES
Footnotes