said that he would marry him to one of his daughters in gratitude. The oldest daughter ran away, screaming, from the sight. The middle one said he was worse than a bear that had tried to pass itself off as human. The youngest one agreed to fulfill her father's promise. Bearskin gave her half a ring and promised to return in three years. Her sisters ridiculed her at length. At the end of the seven years Bearskin found the devil again and demanded he fulfill his promise. The devil then proceeded to bathe Bearskin, clip his nails and cut his hair until he was as good as new. Bearskin then demanded that the devil say the Lord's prayer. The devil warned Bearskin not to push his luck, as he has already won their bargain, and disappeared. Clean and with his money, Bearskin dressed himself as a fine gentleman and went to the old man's house, where the older sisters served him, and his bride (dressed in black) showed no reaction to him. He told the old man that he would marry one of his daughters. The two older sisters ran off to dress splendidly, and Bearskin dropped his half of the ring into a wine cup and gave it to his bride. She drank it and realized that he was her bridegroom. They married. Upon realizing who Bearskin was and what they had given up, one sister hanged herself in rage and the other drowned herself. That night, the devil knocked on the door to tell Bearskin that he had gotten two souls for the price of one. Variants The story is similar to other AT-361 tales like the Swiss "The Devil as Partner", the Austrian "Hell's Gatekeeper", the Russian "Never-Wash", the Sicilian "Don Giovanni de la Fortuna", or the Philippine "The Reward of Kindness". In "Don Giovanni de la Fortuna", Don Giovanni is not a soldier; he squandered the fortune his father left him and met the devil while begging. The time limit is three years, three months, and three days, and in that time, he buys a house and his fame spreads; the king asks him to lend him money, and that is how the promise to marry is brought about. The sisters, though they die, are not explicitly taken by the devil. The "Devil's Breeches" is close to "Don Giovanni de la Fortuna", but while the hero