The Three Brothers

The Three Brothers

Translated from the German of the Brothers Grimm.

There was once a man who had three sons, and no other possessions

beyond the house in which he lived. Now the father loved his three sons

equally, so that he could not make up his mind which of them should have

the house after his death, because he did not wish to favour any one

more than the others. And he did not want to sell the house, because

it had belonged to his family for generations; otherwise he could have

divided the money equally amongst them. At last an idea struck him, and

he said to his sons: ‘You must all go out into the world, and look about

you, and each learn a trade, and then, when you return, whoever can

produce the best masterpiece shall have the house.’

The sons were quite satisfied. The eldest wished to be a blacksmith, the

second a barber, and the third a fencing-master. They appointed a time

when they were to return home, and then they all set out.

It so happened that each found a good master, where he learnt all that

was necessary for his trade in the best possible way. The blacksmith had

to shoe the king’s horses, and thought to himself, ‘Without doubt the

house will be yours!’ The barber shaved the best men in the kingdom,

and he, too, made sure that the house would be his. The fencing-master

received many a blow, but he set his teeth, and would not allow himself

to be troubled by them, for he thought to himself, ‘If you are afraid of

a blow you will never get the house.’

When the appointed time had come the three brothers met once more, and

they sat down and discussed the best opportunity of showing off their

skill. Just then a hare came running across the field towards them.

‘Look!’ said the barber, ‘here comes something in the nick of time!’

seized basin and soap, made a lather whilst the hare was approaching,

and then, as it ran at full tilt, shaved its moustaches, without cutting

it or injuring a single hair on its body.

‘I like that very much indeed,’ said the father. ‘Unless the others

exert themselves to the utmost, the house will be yours.’

Soon after they saw a man driving a carriage furiously towards them.

‘Now, father, you shall see what I can do!’ said the blacksmith, and he

sprang after the carriage, tore off the four shoes of the horse as

it was going at the top of its speed, and shod it with four new ones

without checking its pace.

‘You are a clever fellow!’ said the father, ‘and know your trade as well

as your brother. I really don’t know to which of you I shall give the

house.’

Then the third son said, ‘Father, let me also show you something;’ and,

as it was beginning to rain, he drew his sword and swung it in cross

cuts above his head, so that not a drop fell on him, and the rain fell

heavier and heavier, till at last it was coming down like a waterspout,

but he swung his sword faster and faster, and kept as dry as if he were

under cover.

When the father saw this he was astonished, and said, ‘You have produced

the greatest masterpiece: the house is yours.’

Both the other brothers were quite satisfied, and praised him too, and

as they were so fond of each other they all three remained at home and

plied their trades: and as they were so experienced and skilful they

earned a great deal of money. So they lived happily together till they

were quite old, and when one was taken ill and died the two others were

so deeply grieved that they were also taken ill and died too. And so,

because they had all been so clever, and so fond of each other, they

were all laid in one grave.