In ancient times, people in Ged did not even see scythes, and they removed the hay with ordinary tailor's scissors, so their work was not at all successful.
The devil from time to time came to these places for large stones - he needed them to erect Mount St. Michael. He had just such a tool that could, in the blink of an eye, remove the grass from an entire meadow, but the devil only worked at night and did not give it to anyone.
Once he promised one dissolute man, with whom he was friends, to mow his meadow at night. Saint Michael found out about this and, climbing into the man’s meadow, poked the ground with the teeth of a harrow - and a harrow, as you know, has iron teeth. Then he hid in the hollow of an old oak tree and began to wait for night to fall. Almost all of him fit into the hollow, and only his head stuck out among the foliage.
The devil appeared, walked up to the fence, tapped the blade of the scythe with a hammer, then put it on a long stick, sharpened it, and finally, with even strokes, began to mow the grass that was falling around him;
When the scythe first encountered iron, it became jagged. The devil began to swear as only devils can, but continued to work. Having stumbled upon the second tooth, the braid broke. The devil said out loud:
“My scythe has spoiled, I’ll have to take it to the blacksmith!” - And, continuing to curse, he went to the town of Dinzhe.
The next day, Saint Michael went to Dinje to the blacksmith and asked if they had brought him an instrument to be repaired.
“They brought it,” answered the blacksmith. “It’s a strange thing, I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Tell you what, blacksmith, make me one exactly like this, and then I’ll explain to you what it serves.”
- OK.
Saint Michael did not hide his braid like the devil. He gave it to everyone and taught everyone how to work with it.
Thus, all people began to use the scythe.
Seeing the peasants holding scythes in their hands, Satan realized that his secret had been revealed, and immediately guessed that Saint Michael had tracked him down. Enraged, he went to the saint and challenged him to a duel.
“I agree,” answered the archangel. “But on the condition that we will fight in the oven.”
- Wherever you want, I don’t care.
And both went to the nearest village.
On the way, Saint Michael found a wooden hammer with a short handle, with which women knead hemp and flax before beating them. He tucked it under his arm and walked on.
We came to the oven. The devil took a grip with him and climbed inside. Saint Michael followed him. The grip was so long that it did not fit into the furnace, and while the devil was pulling it towards him, Saint Michael mercilessly beat his opponent on the head with a hammer.
- Have mercy! - the devil screamed. - After all, you will kill me this way!
“I will spare you only on the condition that you get out of our place and never come back here again.”
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru