to go into the
forest to cut wood, and before he went his mother gave him a delicious
pancake and a flask of wine, that he might not suffer from hunger or
thirst. When he came into the forest a little old grey man met him, who
wished him good day, and said,

"Give me a bit of cake out of your pocket, and let me have a drink of
your wine; I am so hungry and thirsty."

But the prudent youth answered,

"Give you my cake and my wine? I haven't got any; be off with you."

And leaving the little man standing there, he went off. Then he began to
fell a tree, but he had not been at it long before he made a wrong
stroke, and the hatchet hit him in the arm, so that he was obliged to go
home and get it bound up. That was what came of the little grey man.

Afterwards the second son went into the wood, and the mother gave to
him, as to the eldest, a pancake and a flask of wine. The little old
grey man met him also, and begged for a little bit of cake and a drink
of wine. But the second son spoke out plainly, saying,

"What I give you I lose myself, so be off with you."

And leaving the little man standing there, he went off. The punishment
followed; as he was chopping away at the tree, he hit himself in the leg
so severely that he had to be carried home.

Then said the Simpleton,

"Father, let me go for once into the forest to cut wood;" and the father
answered, "Your brothers have hurt themselves by so doing; give it up,
you understand nothing about it."

But the Simpleton went on begging so long, that the father said at last,

"Well, be off with you; you will only learn by experience."

The mother gave him a cake (it was only made with water, and baked in
the ashes), and with it a flask of sour beer. When he came into the
forest the little old grey man met him, and greeted him, saying,

"Give me a bit of your cake, and a drink from your flask; I am so hungry
and thirsty."

And the Simpleton answered, "I have only a flour and water cake and sour
beer; but if that is good enough for you, let us sit down together and
eat." Then they sat down, and as the Simpleton took out his flour and
water cake it became a rich pancake, and his sour beer became good wine;
then they ate and drank, and afterwards the little man said,

"As you have such a kind heart, and share what you have so willingly, I
will bestow good luck upon you. Yonder stands an old tree; cut it down,
and at its roots you will find some thing," and thereupon