62 lines
3.4 KiB
Text
62 lines
3.4 KiB
Text
The Three Brothers
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There was once a man who had three sons, and nothing else in the world
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but the house in which he lived. Now each of the sons wished to have
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the house after his father's death; but the father loved them all
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alike, and did not know what to do; he did not wish to sell the house,
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because it had belonged to his forefathers, else he might have divided
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the money amongst them. At last a plan came into his head, and he said
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to his sons, "Go into the world, and try each of you to learn a trade,
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and, when you all come back, he who makes the best masterpiece shall
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have the house."
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The sons were well content with this, and the eldest determined to be a
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blacksmith, the second a barber, and the third a fencing-master. They
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fixed a time when they should all come home again, and then each went
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his way.
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It chanced that they all found skilful masters, who taught them their
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trades well. The blacksmith had to shoe the King's horses, and he
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thought to himself, "The house is mine, without doubt." The barber only
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shaved great people, and he too already looked upon the house as his
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own. The fencing-master got many a blow, but he only bit his lip, and
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let nothing vex him; "for," said he to himself, "If you are afraid of a
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blow, you'll never win the house."
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When the appointed time had gone by, the three brothers came back home
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to their father; but they did not know how to find the best opportunity
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for showing their skill, so they sat down and consulted together. As
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they were sitting thus, all at once a hare came running across the
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field. "Ah, ha, just in time!" said the barber. So he took his basin
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and soap, and lathered away until the hare came up; then he soaped and
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shaved off the hare's whiskers whilst he was running at the top of his
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speed, and did not even cut his skin or injure a hair on his body.
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"Well done!" said the old man. "Your brothers will have to exert
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themselves wonderfully, or the house will be yours."
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Soon after, up came a nobleman in his coach, dashing along at full
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speed. "Now you shall see what I can do, father," said the blacksmith;
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so away he ran after the coach, took all four shoes off the feet of one
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of the horses whilst he was galloping, and put him on four new shoes
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without stopping him. "You are a fine fellow, and as clever as your
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brother," said his father; "I do not know to which I ought to give the
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house."
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Then the third son said, "Father, let me have my turn, if you please;"
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and, as it was beginning to rain, he drew his sword, and flourished it
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backwards and forwards above his head so fast that not a drop fell upon
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him. It rained still harder and harder, till at last it came down in
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torrents; but he only flourished his sword faster and faster, and
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remained as dry as if he were sitting in a house. When his father saw
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this he was amazed, and said, "This is the master-piece, the house is
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yours!"
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His brothers were satisfied with this, as was agreed beforehand; and,
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as they loved one another very much, they all three stayed together in
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the house, followed their trades, and, as they had learnt them so well
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and were so clever, they earned a great deal of money. Thus they lived
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together happily until they grew old; and at last, when one of them
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fell sick and died, the two others grieved so sorely about it that they
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also fell ill, and soon after died. And because they had been so
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clever, and had loved one another so much, they were all laid in the
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same grave.
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