When Nicolas, Ernest and Jean-François find a man frozen in the snow, they bring him home and put him in the oven to thaw him out. Imagine their surprise when they discover his tail, and realize that they have inadvertently helped the Devil! Rewarded with three wishes, the young brothers find - as is so often the case - that wishing can be a tricky business...

Adapted from a tale in Charles Thuriet's 1892 Traditions populaires de la Haute-Saône et du Jura, this French legend is part of a rich tradition of stories about the Devil, in which greedy wish-makers are punished, usually by falling on their noses. Like many folktales, it provides both a cautionary moral and an explanation for some natural phenomena. David McPhail's intricate etching-like illustrations make an excellent accompaniment to Valen's story. ( )