The other day my wife and I went about the essential business that comes with recently moving, that is, exploring the local library. While there I found an interesting book about Pennsylvania Dutch folk tales, some of them are silly jokes, however, there was a section of tales about a fellow whose name is translated to Pumpernickel Bill. Pumpernickel Bill is generally someone you want to avoid, a lazy and unmotivated fellow, he frequently has dealings with the Devil, and, while he outsmarts his infernal opponent, he’s still a character that is a bit odd and best avoided. As it goes, while no one seems to have met Pumpernickel Bill in person, a friend of a friend always has. I read these tales and immediately got the urge to illustrate them, so here is the tale, taking place over the course of three harvest seasons:

In the first season the Devil approaches Pumpernickel Bill and asked to join in a joint venture. They would work together growing crops for a season, and at the end of the year the Devil would claim what is above the soil and Bill, what lies below. That year Pumpernickel Bill planted potatoes, leaving him with abundance and the Devil with nothing of value.

In the second season the Devil approaches Bill again, offering to take that which grows below, leaving Bill with the crop above the soil. That year Bill planted wheat, leaving himself with abundance and the Devil with nothing of value.

In the third season the Devil finally schemed to claim his fair share, laying claim to both the top and bottom of the plant. Pumpernickel Bill thought for a while, knowing it was a large demand. Finally he agreed, and that year planted corn, leaving himself with the abundance of the ears of corn in-between and the Devil with nothing of value. The Devil, seeing he had been outsmarted a third consecutive year, vanished, vowing to never farm with Pumpernickel Bill ever again.