While I'm back it this thread, it might be as well to make clear, now that there are links at the top to several versions of The Devil And The Farmer's Wife = Child 278, The Farmer's Curst Wife, that this is not the same as The Devil And The Feathery Wife. Fred did point this out briefly above (28Sept09, 06:08) but now we have all the links it's worth reiterating. (And I've seen them related in other places).

While they do both have a farmer, his wife and the devil, there the similarity ends. In Child 278, the devil carries the farmer's wife off to hell, where she behaves so badly the devil is obliged to return her to the farmer. In DAFW the farmer makes a bargain with the devil and his wife devises a way to outwit the devil out of the bargain.

Mick