In the time of R. Judah, the Pious, there lived a lord of noble birth and of royal blood,

who was very rich and owned precious stones of inestimable value. Now this lord had an only daughter, whom he would not allow anyone to marry unless he was as rich as himself, for he believed there was no one in the world as rich as he was.

One day a demon (may God protect us!), in the guise of a handsome young man of royal carriage, bearing beautiful objects of precious stones and pearls such as had never been seen before and a great deal of money, more than one could count, came to the lord and said to him: "Gracious sir, I have heard that you have an only daughter, whom you will not allow anyone to marry unless he is as rich as you are and of equally noble lineage."

The lord said to him: "It is true."

The demon said: "Then give her to me, for I am as rich as you are and of equally noble birth. And if you do not believe me, come with me and I will show you all kinds of precious stones and pearls and rich garments and silver and gold, such as you have never seen in all the days of your life."

The lord went with the demon to his inn and he showed him in .his chamber everything that he had mentioned. Then he said to the lord: "All this is nothing. When I marry your daughter and bring her home, then she will see what wealth is, for I am a king mightier than any king now living upon earth. However, I think that you can see my status for yourself. I do not believe there is another man in the world who has as much wealth as I have shown you, not to speak of what I have at home. You can also see from my appearance that I am a king's son. Therefore, if you are willing to give me your daughter as a wife, let me know."

Then the lord asked him: "Whence do you come, my dear sir? What is the name of your kingdom and in what country is it situated?"

To make a long story short, the demon was too clever for the lord and persuaded him to give

him his daughter as a wife. Then the lord made a proclamation throughout his land that he was

going to give his daughter away in marriage and invited all the people to the wedding. He made

a brilliant wedding. There was great joy and dancing and fencing and tournaments, as befits a

wedding of this kind.

When the wedding was over, the demon said to the lord: "My dear father-in-law, I desire to go to my country with my wife. I ask you, therefore, to give me leave, for I have promised my people that I will not remain away long."

The lord asked his son-in-law to remain with him a little longer, but he would not consent, saying he 'was afraid that he would suffer great harm if he remained away any longer.

When the lord saw that his son-in-law's decision was final, he ordered many of his friends to accompany them on horseback and many went on foot.

The lord had an old musician, who played the harp and other instruments. He also went along with the demon, for he wanted to see his country, Thus they all left together, the nobles and the people and a great army. The lord and his lady also went with them, accompanying them a short distance. At last they took leave of one another with great weeping and crying. The lord returned home, and the demon with his wife and the people continued on their journey.

Having traveled three days, they saw a beautiful city in front of them. The demon said to the people: "Turn back, for I cannot allow you to enter the city."

But the people begged him earnestly to allow them to go with them into the city. So the demon replied: "I will grant you that pleasure, for you have shown so much loyalty in coming with me into a strange country, and I will afterwards allow you to return home in peace. If you had not been so faithful, I would have done .you harm."

Then he told them that he was a demon and that the father had brought it upon himself through his own sin in refusing to give his daughter to anyone as a wife.

When the people heard it, they were very much frightened and the young woman also was so scared that she fell down in a dead, faint for she thought that her life was forfeit, since she must go with him though she would have much preferred to go back home with her people, but it was not possible.

Then the demon told the people to return home.

But they replied: "How can we tell such a thing to our master when we come home? Moreover, he will not believe us. Give us a true sign, which we can show to our master."

The demon replied: "This is a true sign: It took you three days to come here with me and now it will take you full three weeks to get home. This will convince, your master that you have been led by a demon."

So they had to take leave of the demon and departed with great weeping and lamentation.

After three weeks, they reached their home and told the lord what had happened to them on their journey and that his son-in-law was a demon.

The parents mourned bitterly, as one can well imagine, at having made so unfortunate a marriage for their daughter, and they both died of sorrow and grief.

Now the old musician followed his young mistress into the town, which was solely inhabited by demons (may God protect us!). The demon lived in the town with his wife three years.

In the fourth year, the demon said to her: "My wife, you must come with me, for your time has come to die."

So she had to go with him, and the old musician went along with them. The demon brought his wife to the gate of hell where he handed over his pretty wife to the devils, who destroy human beings and are called in Hebrew mal'ake habbalah, They took the young woman into hell, and the demon returned to his city to the other demons.

The old musician looked into hell and saw there another musician whom he had known before, for they had been companions. So he said to him: "My dear fellow, tell me, what are you doing in hell?"

The other replied: "Can you not see that I am playing on the harp?" And he added: "Take care on your life that you do not go to the woman with whom you came here, for the moment you ,go to her you must remain here. She has been handed over to the devils, therefore do not go to her."

Then the musician who was standing outside said to the one that was inside: "Tell me, how is it that you are not burnt, seeing that you are in hell? I thought that everyone who went to hell was burnt. You must have done some good deed, which has saved you from being burned."

The musician replied: "I do not remember having done any good deed in my life except that I have played at Jewish weddings and made the people merry. I am now being rewarded for that service."

Then the musician who was standing outside thought to himself: "If a non-Jew who has merely played at Jewish weddings and made the people merry is saved from burning in hell, how would it be if one became a Jew himself? I believe that such a man would not enter hell at all."

So he said to him: "My dear friend, tell me how to find my way home, and give me a sign that I have spoken to you, so that if God grant me the good fortune to come among people again, I might tell them that you have spoken to me and they will believe me."

Then the other said to him: "Stretch out your hand and touch me with your little finger and you will see great wonders."

He touched him, and the finger took fire and burned and he could not put it out. Then he showed him the right way home. He went away, but his finger was burning all the time. After a while he lost a whole limb. He found the right way and wherever he came he asked for Jews. At last he came to a town where many Jews dwelt, and he asked them to accept him as a proselyte.

They replied: "Go to R. Judah, the Pious, he will convert you."

So he left them, Jewish' intending to go to Regensburg to see the pious man.

When he was three miles from Regensburg, R Judah, the Pious, saw in a prophetic vision that

so and so was coming to see him. Then he said to his students: "I smell the fire of hell. A Gentile is corning, who will ask for me. Tell him I am not at home and he cannot see me. Then ask him what he wants. If he says that he wishes to become a Jew, convert him to our faith so that the evil smell of hell may leave him."

The musician came to the students in Regensburg and told them that he wanted to become a Jew and asked where the master was. They replied that he was not at home and that he could not see him.

Then he said: "I would like to embrace Judaism."

The pupils then received him into the faith in a chamber which the pious man had designated. From that moment on the fire of hell that burned his limbs was extinguished and the smell disappeared.

Then the pious man came and found the musician sitting in the chamber. So he asked him what his business was and whence he had come with the fire of hell on him. Then he told him the whole story of the lord and his daughter. Then the pious man taught him and he became a pious Jew.