The Three Brothers

There was once a poor man who had three sons. "My sons," said he to them

one day, "you have not seen anything yet, and you have no experience

whatever; it is time for you to go to different countries and try your

luck in the world; so get ready for the journey, and go as far as your

eyes can see." The three lads got ready, and, having filled their bags

with cakes specially prepared For the occasion, they left home. They

went on and on till at last they got tired and lay down,--the two elder

then proposed that, as it became good brethren, they should all share

equally, and that they should begin with the youngest's provisions, and

when they were finished should divide those of the second, and lastly

those of the eldest. And so it happened; on the first day the youngest's

bag was emptied; but the second day, when meal-time came, the two eldest

would not give the youngest anything, and when he insisted on receiving

his share, they gouged out his eyes and left him to starve. For the

present let us leave the two eldest to continue their way, and let's

see what became of the poor blind lad. He, resigning himself to God's

will, groped his way about, till, alas! he dropped into a well. There

was no water in it, but a great deal of mud; when he dropped into it the

mud splashed all over his body, and he felt quite a new man again and

ever so much better. Having besmeared his face and the hollows of his

eyes with the mud he again saw clearly, because the healing power of the

miracle-working mud had renewed his eyes once more, and his whole face

became of a beautiful complexion.

The lad took as much mud in a flower pot with him as he could carry and

continued his journey, when suddenly he noticed a little mouse quite

crushed, imploring him for help; he took pity on it, and, having

besmeared it with the miraculous mud, the mouse was cured, and gave to

his benefactor a small whistle, with the direction that if anything

happened to him he had to blow the whistle, and the mouse, who was the

king of mice, would come to his help with all his mates on earth. He

continued his way and found a bee quite crushed and cured it too with

the mud, and obtained another whistle, which he had to blow in case of

danger, and the queen of the bees would come to his aid. Again going on

he found a wolf shockingly bruised; at first he had not courage to cure

it, being afraid that it would eat him; but the wolf implored so long

that at last he cured him too, and the wolf became strong and beautiful;

the wolf, too, gave him a whistle to use in time of need.

The lad went on till at last he came to the royal town, where he was

engaged as servant to the king. His two brothers were there already in

the same service, and, having recognised him, tried in every way to

destroy him. After long deliberation as to how to carry out their plan

they went to the king and falsely accused their brother of having told

them that he was able to gather the corn of the whole land into the

king's barn in one night; the lad denied it, but all in vain. The king

declared that if all the corn was not in the barn by the morning he

would hang him. The lad wept and wailed for a long time, when suddenly

he remembered his whistles, and blew into the one that the mouse had

given him and when the mice came he told them his misfortunes: by

midnight all the corn of the country was gathered together. Next day his

brothers were more angry still, and falsely said to the king that their

brother was able to build a beautiful bridge of wax from the royal

castle to the market place in one night; the king ordered him to do this

too, and having blown his second whistle the bees, who appeared to

receive his command, did the task for him. Next morning from his window

the king very much admired the beautiful arched bridge; his brothers

nearly burst in their rage, and spread the report that their brother was

able to bring twelve of the strongest wolves into the royal courtyard by

the next morning. They firmly believed that on this occasion they were

quite sure of their victory, because either the wolves would tear their

brother in pieces, or if he could not fulfil the task the king would

have him executed; but again they were out of their reckoning: the lad

blew his third whistle and the king of wolves arrived to receive his

orders. He told him his misfortune, and the wolf ordered not only

twelve, but all his mates in the country, into the royal courtyard. The

lad now sat on the back of the king of wolves, and drove with a whip the

whole pack in front of him, who tore everything in pieces that crossed

them. There was a great deal of weeping, imploring, and wailing in the

royal palace, but all in vain; the king promised a sack full of gold,

but all in vain. The king of the wolves, heedless of any words, urged on

the pack by howling at them continually: "Drive on! Seize them!" The

king promised more; two sacks, three sacks, ten, or even twenty sacks

full of gold were offered but not accepted; the wolves tore everyone in

pieces; the two brothers perished, and so did the king and all his

servants, and only his daughter was spared; the lad married her,

occupied the king's throne, and lives happily to this day if he has not

died since. In his last letter he promised to come and see us to-morrow.