Long ago, three soldiers, starving after two days in hiding, were trapped in a wheat field surrounded by enemies. A fiery dragon descended before them, offering salvation in exchange for their souls. With no other choice, they agreed.
The dragon, revealed to be a devil, transported them to safety and gave them a magical whip. "Whip this," it said, "and money will appear. Live like kings for seven years, but then your souls are mine." The devil made them sign a contract and posed a riddle: "If you solve this riddle in seven years, you shall be free."
Using the whip, the soldiers lived in luxury. As the seventh year neared, two grew anxious, but the third boasted he could solve the riddle. A witch overheard him and advised seeking a stone house in the forest.
Only the boastful soldier heeded her advice. He found the house, where the devil's grandmother lived. She hid him in a cellar. At midnight, when the devil returned, she tricked it into revealing the riddle's answer, which the soldier overheard.
When the devil returned to claim their souls, the brave soldier gave the correct answer: "The dead, long-tailed monkey in the North Sea is spiced meat; the whale's rib is a silver spoon; the horse's leg is a wineglass." Defeated, the devil vanished. The soldiers kept the magic whip and lived in wealth and freedom ever after.