t
the fountain, Fritz and Franz had been devising how they might rob him
of the flask of sparkling golden water.

"It is disgusting," they said to one another, "that this wretched
little Hans should beat us both. He will only waste the water in
buying things for his mother, while it would make us Count and
Burgomaster."

As soon, therefore, as they were out of sight of the unicorn, Fritz
and Franz begged and prayed Hans to allow one of them to carry the
flask.

"You've had all the trouble of getting the water," they said; "we
ought at least to be allowed the honour of helping you carry it.
Besides, are we not your servants now that you are so rich? It is not
suitable for you to do all the work." But Hans remembered the
unicorn's words, and held firmly to his flask.

"No," he said, "thank you; but I'll carry it myself." Then Fritz and
Franz pretended to get sulky and tried to drop behind, but Hans would
not allow this, either. The consequence was that the three made very
slow progress homeward. Toward the evening they came to a deep stream,
which they had to re-cross. It was only fordable at one point, as they
all knew, because they had, of course, already crossed it before. Hans
stood aside to allow Fritz and Franz to go on first, but each of them
went in a little way, and ran back, saying that they were afraid of
being drowned.

"What nonsense," said Hans, who was getting a little impatient at the
delay; "it's quite shallow," and, forgetting the unicorn's warning, he
entered the stream first. Fritz and Franz did not miss the
opportunity. Each took a large stone and struck Hans violently on the
head. Then as he fell back senseless into the water, Fritz snatched
the flask from off the belt to which it was attached, and Franz thrust
with his foot Hans's body farther into the river, so that the current
should carry it away, and, laughing at their own cleverness, the two
proceeded to cross the ford.

Now, naturally enough, lads like Fritz and Franz do not care to trust
each other very far. As soon, therefore, as they reached the other
side of the stream, Franz produced his bottle, and demanded of Fritz
his share of the sparkling golden water. Fritz, who intended to keep
it all to himself, proposed that they should put off sharing it till
later. Franz would not hear of this. He knew, only too well, what
Fritz intended. This led to a wrangle, which ended in a fight between
the two, in which the sparkling golden water