[1] A variant from Sicily, "Don Giovanni de la Fortuna", was collected by Laura Gonzenbach in Sicilianische Märchen and included by Andrew Lang in The Pink Fairy Book.

[3] The tale is classified as Aarne–Thompson type 361 (Bearskin), in which a man gains a fortune and a beautiful bride by entering into a pact with the devil.

[1] The modern version of tale was originally published by the Brothers Grimm in the first edition of Kinder- und Hausmärchen vol.

[1][4] A man serves as a soldier, but when the war ends, he returns home to learn that both of his parents have died and that his brothers have no place for him.

While walking in a heath, the soldier meets a man with a green coat and a horse's hoof before shooting a bear that is charging at them.

The Devil then offers to make the soldier rich if for seven years, he will neither cut his hair, clip his nails, bathe, nor cite the Lord's Prayer, and wear a coat and cloak.

Clean and rich, Bearskin dresses himself as a fine gentleman and goes to the old man's house, where the older sisters serve him, but his bride does not recognize him.

The two older sisters run off to dress splendidly, and Bearskin drops his half of the ring into a wine cup and gives it to his bride.

The story is similar to other AT-361 tales like the Swiss "The Devil as Partner", the Austrian "Hell's Gatekeeper", the Russian "Never-Wash", the Sicilian "Don Giovanni de la Fortuna", or the Philippine "The Reward of Kindness".

Some other tales, such as Hans My Hedgehog have such a main character, but differ in that, in Bearskin, the wedding is not the trigger for his being restored to human form.