As he went into the forest, a little old man bid him good
day, and said, "Give me a little bit of meat from your plate, and a
little wine out of your flask; I am very hungry and thirsty." But this
clever young man said, "Give you my meat and wine! No, I thank you;
there would not be enough left for me;" and he went on his way. He soon
began to chop down a tree; but he had not worked long before he missed
his stroke, and cut himself, and was obliged to go home and have the
wound bound up. Now, it was the little old man who caused him this
mischief.
Next the second son went out to work; and his mother gave him, too, a
meat pie and a bottle of wine. And the same little old man encountered
him also, and begged him for something to eat and drink. But he, too,
thought himself extremely clever, and said, "Whatever you get, I shall
be without; so go your way!" The little man made sure that he should
have his reward; and the second stroke that he struck at a tree, hit him
on the leg, so that he too was compelled to go home.
Then Dummerly said, "Father, I should like to go and cut fuel too." But
his father replied, "Your brothers have both maimed themselves; you had
better stop at home, for you know nothing of the job." But Dummerly was
very urgent; and at last his father said, "Go your way; you will be
wiser when you have suffered for your foolishness.
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