A poor man had so many children that he had already asked everyone in the world to be godfather. When another child was born, he had no one left to invite. In his perplexity, he lay down and fell asleep. He dreamt he should go outside his gate and ask the first person he met to be godfather.
Upon waking, he obeyed the dream. Outside the gate, he asked the first stranger he encountered. The stranger gave him a small glass of water, saying, "This is wonderful water. With it, you can heal the sick, but you must see where Death is standing. If Death stands by the patient's head, give him the water and he will be healed. If Death stands by his feet, all effort is in vain, for the patient must die."
From then on, the man could always tell if a patient could be saved. He became famous for his skill and earned much money. Once, he was called to the King's child. He saw Death by the child's head and cured it with the water. He did the same a second time, but the third time, Death stood by the child's feet, and he knew the child must die.
Later, the man decided to visit his godfather and tell him of his success. But the house was a strange establishment! On the first flight of stairs, a broom and shovel were violently disputing. They told him the godfather lived "one flight higher." On the second flight lay a heap of dead fingers, which gave the same direction. On the third flight was a heap of dead heads, and on the fourth, fishes sizzling in a pan, all directing him upward.
Ascending to the fifth flight, he peeked through a keyhole and saw the godfather, who had long horns. When he entered, the godfather hurried into bed and covered himself. The man described the strange sights: the quarreling broom and shovel, the dead fingers, the dead heads, and the self-cooking fish. Each time, the godfather dismissed his observations as foolishness—they were merely a boy and maid talking, scorzonera roots, cabbages, and dinner preparing itself.
Finally, the man said, "And on the fifth flight, I peeked through the keyhole and saw you, godfather, with long, long horns."
"Oh, that is a lie!" cried the godfather.
Alarmed, the man ran out. Who knows what the godfather would have done to him if he had stayed.