impressed that Viehmann could retell her stories again and again without changing a word. In this tale a soldier who is down on his luck makes a deal with the Devil - but, unlike Faust in the German legend who loses his soul in a bargain with the Devil, here the soldier agrees to serve the Devil for seven years in return for a reward and his freedom. Where we expect the Devil to be vengeful when the soldier disobeys him by peeking inside the pots he is only concerned that the soldier has carried out his duties by stoking the hell-fires and sweeping the dust behind the doors. But unlike God in the Old Testament who punishes those who disobey him, in this tale the Devil understands the curiosity of human nature and is forgiving. See also Brother Lustig References Further reading Accessed 22 Dec. 2022. External links The text of 'The Devil's Sooty Brother' in the original German (1857) Grimms' Fairy Tales Fictional soldiers Hell in popular culture Fictional characters who have made pacts with devils German fairy tales Literary characters introduced in 1819