There were three brothers; two were wise, and one a fool. And their father died. Now their father said: “I am going to take to my bed.” When he dies, each brother is to come there to him. And the big brother said: “Do you go, foolish brother, to our father.” The foolish brother took a stick and put it on his shoulder, and went to his father. And his father got up, and gave him a black hair. Whenever he cuts it, there will come out of that hair a black horse.

Now the emperor said that whoever climbs up to his daughter in the house, on horseback, he will give her to that one. And the big-brother said: “Come along, brother, let us see who will climb up to the girl.” And the fool said: “Let me, brothers, see whether I, too, can get there.” And his brothers beat him; they did not let him. And the two brothers took the horses, and off they went. But the foolish brother took the hair, and there was made for him a horse from the hair, and off he went. He overtook his two brothers, he caught them up from behind; and they asked him: “Who are you, man?” He is a hero. And he beats them severely, his brothers; and off he went to the girl. And he climbed up into the house to the girl. And he took the girl for himself; and his father-in-law kissed him, the fool.

And his father-in-law sends his two sons-in-law (the wise sons-in-law) to kill birds. And the fool came to his father-in-law, the emperor, and the fool told him to give him a gun that he too may kill birds. And the fool broke the gun, and went off with his two brothers-in-law. He was the third. And his brothers-in-law walked about, whom he sought, and they did not kill any birds at all. But the fool killed many birds with the stick, without a gun. And his brothers-in-law came and saw the birds; and they say to themselves: “The fool has killed many birds, and we have killed none.” And they beg the birds from the fool, that he should give them to them. And the fool said: “When I cut your bellies with the knife, then will I give you the birds, and I will tell the emperor that you have killed the birds.” And when he has cut their bellies, he gives them the birds, and they went home.

And the emperor saw the many birds, and praises his two sons-in-law. And he asks the fool: “Have you killed none?” And the fool tells the emperor: “It was I who killed those birds. You do not believe me? I cut their bellies with the knife, and gave them the birds.” And the emperor pulled up their shirts, and looked at their bellies. The birds are very good. And the emperor said to his sons-in-law: “Silly fellows! why did they let him cut their bellies?”

I have no more.

THE END

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