er, who
as soon as he had seen him took pity on him, and said, weeping:

"Why hast thou hidden thyself from me for so long a time?"

Then seeing that he was in rags and barefooted he gave him a pair of
sandals and some money.

After having remained three days with his brother the poor fellow
departed to return home, but once arrived at the house he threw a
sack over his shoulders, put a morsel of bread in it, took a stick in
his hand, and set out into the world to seek his fortune.

Having travelled a long time he found himself at last in a deep forest
where he met a wretched old woman asleep in a thicket. He began to
beat the ground with his stick to wake up the old woman, and at last
gave her a blow on the back. However, she scarcely moved even then,
and half opening her drowsy eyes, said to him:

"Thou mayest thank God that I was asleep, for if I had been awake thou
wouldst not have had those sandals."

Then he said to her: "Who art thou then, who wouldst have hindered me
from having these sandals?"

The old hag answered him: "I am thy fortune."

Hearing these words he beat his breast, crying: "What! thou art my
fortune! May God exterminate thee! Who gave thee to me?"

And the old hag said to him: "It was Destiny."

"Where is Destiny?"

"Go and seek for him," she answered, going to sleep again.

Then he departed and went to seek for Destiny.

After a long, long journey he arrived at last at another wood, and in
this wood he found a hermit of whom he asked if he could not give him
some news of Destiny?

The hermit answered him: "Climb that mountain, and thou wilt arrive at
his castle, but when thou reachest Destiny be careful not to speak to
him. Do only what thou seest him do, until he speaks to thee."

The traveller thanked the hermit, took his way up the mountain, and
when he had arrived at the castle of Destiny what wonderful things he
saw!

The luxury was absolutely royal. There was a crowd of servants, always
in motion and doing nothing. As for Destiny, he was supping at a
magnificent table. When the stranger saw this he seated himself also
at table and ate with the master of the house. After supper Destiny
went to bed and the traveller did the same. Toward midnight terrible
noise was heard in the castle, and in the midst of the noise a voice
crying:

"Destiny, Destiny--so many souls have come into the world to-day. Give
them something at thy good pleasure."

And Destiny arose, opened a g