I liked the fellow. He smelled like a living man, but he didn’t have the smell of fear on him. No fear at all. So I let him stay in the house.

He wanted me to pluck him three golden hairs from the Devil’s head. He also wanted answers to a few questions.

It was easily done. I turned him into an ant and I told him to creep into the folds of my dress where he would be safe. Then I aired out the house so that when the Devil came home, he wouldn’t smell anything human.

The Devil’s Grandmother in The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs, Grimms. Illustration by John Gruelle.