es." So he said to his brother:

"Brother, it is unjust that I should take charge of all whilst thou
wilt aid me in nothing, and thinkest only of eating and drinking. It
is better that we should part."

The other tried to turn him from his project, saying:

"Brother, do not do this. We get on so well together. Thou hast all in
thy hands--not only what is thine, but what is mine, and thou knowest
that I am always contented with what thou doest, and with what thou
orderest."

But the elder persisted in his resolution so firmly that the younger
was obliged to give up, and said:

"Since it is so I have no ill-will toward thee. Make the division as
seemeth good to thee."

The division made, each one ordered his life as he thought good. The
indolent brother took a herder for his cattle and horses, a shepherd
for his sheep, a goatherd for his goats, a swineherd for his pigs, a
keeper for his bees, and said to each of them:

"I confide my goods to thee, and may God watch over thee."

And he continued to live in his house without any more care he had
ever done.

The elder on the contrary laboured for his half of the property as
much as he had ever done for the common good. He kept his herds
himself, having an eye on everything, but in spite of all his care he
had ill success on every side.

From day to day everything turned out badly with him, so that at last
he became so poor that he had not even a pair of sandals, and was
obliged to go barefooted. Then he said to himself:

"I will go to my brother's, and see how the world wags with him."

His way led him across a meadow where a flock of sheep was grazing,
and as he drew near he saw that the sheep had no shepherd. Near them,
however, a beautiful young girl was seated, spinning a thread of gold.

After having saluted the maiden with a "God protect thee," he asked
her whose were the sheep, and she answered:

"To whom I belong, belong the sheep also."

"And who art thou?" he continued.

"I am thy brother's fortune," she answered.

Then the traveller was seized with wrath and envy, and cried out:

"And where is _my_ fortune?"

The maiden answered him: "Ah, she is far from thee."

"Can I find her?" he asked.

She answered: "Thou canst find her--only look for her."

When he had heard these words, and saw that the sheep were so
beautiful that nothing finer could be imagined, he did not care to go
farther to see the other flocks, but went direct to his broth