History Literature / Bearskin

* BadGuyWins: Arguably. Bearskin and his bride find happiness, but her sisters go to Hell, giving Satan two souls for the measly price of some gold.

* DealWithTheDevil: The mainspring of the plot. But it's a fair deal, and from Satan's perspective he ultimately gets the better half of it.

* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: The youngest is the one who redeems her father's promise to his benefactor. She is also the only one of the three who considers Bearskin's selfless act; her two sisters see only his horrid appearance.

The soldier spends several years WalkingTheEarth, giving away gold to the poor and asking them to pray for him. One night he rescues an old man from prison for debt, and the man promises the hand of one of his daughters in gratitude. The older two reject him, but the youngest agrees, knowing that only a good man would have rescued her father. He gives her half of a ring and tells her to wait three years for his return -- or failure to return, in which case she is free to marry someone else.

He survives to the end of the term, gaining the gold purse, and cleans himself up before visiting the old man again. Everyone but the youngest daughter takes a keen interest in him, especially when he says he's come to seek a bride. The older girls go to pretty themselves up, letting him reveal himself to the youngest girl in private -- by showing her the other half of the ring. They marry in great joy, but the older sisters are eaten alive with envy and finally kill themselves. The Devil is pleased: he got two souls instead of one.

** A: Your actions and decisions may have effects on those around you.
** B: Jealousy will ''ruin'' you.

* DealWithTheDevil: The mainspring of the plot.

* FoolishSiblingResponsibleSibling: The youngest is the only one willing to redeem her father's promise -- and consider the man's character.

* BlindIdiotTranslation: Some foreign translators of the tale (even a few English ones) were apparently confused by Bearskin's nickname and have the solider [[BalefulPolymorph actually turn into a bear]] instead of just wearing a skin. This makes the later scenes where he falls in love with the princess and completes humane acts accidentally humorous.

* BlindIdiotTranslation: Some foreign translators of the tale (even a few English ones) were apparently confused by Bearskin's nickname and have him [[BalefulPolymorph actually turn into a bear]]. This makes the later scenes where he falls in love with the princess and completes humane acts accidentally humorous.

A soldier can not return home after he leaves the army, and can not find a job. Finally, he makes a deal with the devil, who gives him a purse of gold that's always full. But he must wear a bearskin and neither pray nor wash nor cut his hair for seven years. If he survives, he can keep the purse freely, but he loses his soul if he dies.

The soldier went about giving away gold and asking all the poor people to pray for him. He rescues an old man from prison for debt, and the man says that one of his daughters will marry him. The older two reject him, but the younger concludes that only a good man would have rescued her father. He gives her half of a ring, and tells her that he will return in three years, or be dead, in which case she is free.

He survives and cleans himself up before visiting the old man again. Everyone is taken by how handsome he is, though the youngest daughter sits quietly in the corner. When he says he will marry one of them, the older girls go to pretty themselves up. Then he shows the youngest the other half of the ring. They get married. The older sisters kill themselves in fury and envy, and the devil is pleased: he got two souls, not one, out of this.

* ChildMarriageVeto: The daughters do get to reject him, despite their father's promise.

* DrivenToSuicide: The two elder sisters, once they figure out who [[HeCleansUpNicely the handsome man who picked up the youngest sibling]] was.

* SecretTestOfCharacter: The youngest daughter, who agrees to marry Bearskin because she can see his good character, rejects the suit of the handsome, rich young man who comes to marry her three years later. Then comes the happy news that the handsome young man ''is'' her fiance.

* PersonWithTheClothing

* RuleOfThree: Three daughters.
* RuleOfSeven: Seven years before the bargain is up.
* SecretTestOfCharacter: The youngest daughter is not only willing to marry him for his character, when he appears in handsome form, she ignores him until he proves he's the man she promised to marry.

* YoungestChildWins: The sisters are furious, but she does get to marry him.

''Bearskin'' is a German FairyTale collected by the BrothersGrimm.

'''''Bearskin''''' is a German FairyTale collected by the BrothersGrimm.

* NemianSkinning: The devil gives the hero the titular Bearskin to wear after the pact had been made.

* GreenEyedMonster: The sisters.

* SheCleansUpNicely: [[GenderFlip gender-flipped]].

* SheCleansUpNicely: {{gender flip|ped}}.

* SheCleansUpNicely: {{gender flip|ed}}.

* CelestialDeadline: He has to wait out the seven years
* ChildMarriageVeto: The daughters do get to reject him, despite their father's promise
* DealWithTheDevil: The mainspring of the plot
* GreenEyedMonster: The sisters, when they

* PersonWithTheClothing: Bearskin

* RuleOfThree: Three daughters

* SheCleansUpNicely: GenderFlip
* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: The youngest
* WinWinEnding: Both the Devil and Bearskin got what they wanted from the deal

A soldier can not return home after he leaves the army, and can not find a job. Finally, he makes a deal with the devil, who gives him an always full purse of gold. But he must wear a bearskin and neither pray nor wash nor cut his hair for seven years. If he survives, he can keep the purse freely, but he loses his soul if he dies.

* CelestialDeadline
* ChildMarriageVeto
* DealWithTheDevil
* GreenEyedMonster
* IWillWaitForYou
* NamelessNarrative
* PersonWithTheClothing
* ThePromise
* RuleOfThree
* RuleOfSeven
* SecretTestOfCharacter

* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan
* WinWinEnding
* YoungestChildWins

A soldier can not return home after he leaves the army, and can not find a job. Finally, he makes a deal with the devil, who gives him an always full purse of gold. But he must wear a bearskin and neither pray nor wash nor cut his hair for seven years. If he survives, he can keep the purse freely, but he loses his soul.