“Now we are boys so fine to see,
Why should we longer cobblers be?”
Then they danced and skipped and leapt over chairs and benches. At last, they danced out of doors. From that time forth they came no more, but as long as the shoemaker lived all went well with him, and all his undertakings prospered.
THE THREE BROTHERS
There was once a man who had three sons, and nothing else in the world but the house in which he lived. Now each of the sons wished to have the house after his father’s death; but the father loved them all alike, and did not know what to do. He did not wish to sell the house, because it had belonged to his forefathers, else he might have divided the money amongst them.
At last a plan came into his head, and he said to his sons, “Go into the world, and try each of you to learn a trade. When you all come back, he who makes the best masterpiece shall have the house.”
The sons were well content with this, and the eldest determined to be a blacksmith, the second a barber, and the third a fencing-master. They fixed a time when they should all come home again, and then each went his way.
It chanced that they all found skilful masters, who taught them their trades well. The blacksmith had to shoe the King’s horses, and he thought to himself, “The house is mine, without doubt.” The barber shaved only great people, and he too already looked upon the house as his own. The fencing-master got many a blow, but he only bit his lip, and let nothing vex him; “for,” said he to himself, “if you are afraid of a blow, you’ll never win the house.”
When the appointed time had gone by, the three brothers came back home to their father. But they did not know how to find the best opportunity for showing their skill, so they sat down and consulted together.
As they were sitting thus, all at once a hare came running across the field. “Ah, ha, just in time!” said the barber. So he took his basin and soap, and lathered away until the hare came up. Then he soaped and shaved off the hare’s whiskers whilst he was running at the top of his speed, and did not even cut his skin or injure a hair on his body.
“Well done!” said the old man, “your brothers will have to exert themselves wonderfully, or the house will be yours.”
Soon after, up came a nobleman in his coach, dashing along at full speed. “Now you shall see what I can do, Father,” said the blacksmith. So away he ran after the coach, took all four shoes off the feet of one of the horses whilst he was galloping, and put on four new shoes without stopping him.
“You are a fine fellow, and as clever as your brother,” said his father. “I do not know to which I ought to give the house.”
Then the third son said, “Father, let me have my turn, if you please.” And, as it was beginning to rain, he drew his sword, and flourished it backward and forward above his head so fast that not a drop fell upon him. It rained still harder and harder, till at last it came down in torrents. But he only flourished his sword faster and faster, and remained as dry as if he were sitting in a house.
When his father saw this he was amazed, and said, “This is the masterpiece, the house is yours!”
His brothers were satisfied with this, as was agreed before-hand. And, as they loved one another very much, they all three stayed together in the house, followed their trades, and, as they had learnt them so well and were so clever, they earned a great deal of money.
Thus they lived together Happily, until they grew old. And at last, when one of them fell sick and died, the two others grieved so sorely about it that they also fell ill, and soon after died. And because they had been so clever, and had loved one another so much, they were all laid in the same grave.
LITTLE TABLE SET THYSELF, GOLD-ASS, AND CUDGEL OUT OF THE SACK
There was once upon a time, a tailor, who had three sons and only one goat. But as the goat supported the whole of them with her milk, she was obliged to have good food, and to be taken every day to pasture. The sons, therefore, did this, in turn.
Once, the eldest took her to the churchyard, where the finest herbs were to be found, and let her eat and run about there. At night, when it was time to go home, he asked, “Goat, have you had enough?”
The goat answered:
“I have eaten so much,
Not a leaf more I’ll touch,
Ma! Ma!”
“Come home, then,” said the youth, and took hold of the cord round her neck, led her into the stable and tied her up securely.
“Well,” said the old tailor, “has the goat had as much food as she ought?”
“Oh,” answered the son, “she has eaten so much, not a leaf more she’ll touch.”
But the father wished to satisfy himself, and went down to the stable, stroked the dear animal and asked, “Goat, are you satisfied?”
The goat answered:
“With what should I be satisfied?
Among the graves I leapt about,
And found no food, so went without,
Ma! Ma!”
“What do I hear?” cried the tailor, and ran up-stairs and said to the youth, “Hollo, you liar; you said the goat had had enough, and have let her go hungry!” and in his anger, he took the yard-measure from the wall, and drove him out with blows.
Next day, it was the turn of the second son, who looked out for a place in the fence of the garden, where nothing but good herbs grew. And the goat cleared them all off.
At night, when he wanted to go home, he asked, “Goat, are you satisfied?”
The goat answered:
“I have eaten so much,
Not a leaf more I’ll touch,
Ma! Ma!”
“Come home, then,” said the youth, and led her home and tied her up in the stable.
“Well,” said the old tailor, “has the goat had as much food as she ought?”
“Oh,” answered the son, “she has eaten so much, not a leaf more she’ll touch.”
The tailor would not rely on this, but went down to the stable and said, “Goat, have you had enough?”
The goat answered:
“With what should I be satisfied?
Among the graves I leapt about,
And found no food, so went without,
Ma! Ma!”
“The godless wretch!” cried the tailor, “to let such a good animal go hungry,” and he ran up and drove the youth out of doors with the yard-measure.
Now came the turn of the third son, who wanted to do the thing well, and sought out some bushes with the finest leaves, and let the goat devour them.
In the evening when he wanted to go home, he asked, “Goat, have you had enough?”
The goat answered:
“I have eaten so much,
Not a leaf more I’ll touch,
Ma! Ma!”
“Come home, then,” said the youth, and led her into the stable, and tied her up.
“Well,” said the old tailor, “has the goat had a proper amount of food?”
“She has eaten so much, not a leaf more she’ll touch.”
The