ier--for Peter and
Paul were their names, you must know!

So they took Paul and cut three red stripes out of his back, put salt
into them, and sent him home again.

Well, the youngest brother thought he would have a try next. His name
was Hans. But the brothers laughed and made fun of him, and showed him
their sore backs. Besides, the father would not give him leave to go,
for he said it was no use his trying, who had so little sense; all he
could do was to sit in a corner on the hearth, like a cat, rooting about
in the ashes and cutting chips. But Hans would not give in--he begged
and prayed so long, till they got tired of his whimpering, and so he got
leave to go to the king's palace and try his luck.

When he arrived at the palace he did not say he had come to try to make
the princess laugh, but asked if he could get a situation there. No,
they had no situation for him; but Hans was not so easily put off--they
might want one to carry wood and water for the kitchenmaid in such a big
place as that, he said. Yes, the king thought so too, and to get rid of
the lad he gave him leave to remain there and carry wood and water for
the kitchenmaid.

One day, when he was going to fetch water from the brook, he saw a big
fish in the water just under an old root of a fir-tree, which the
current had carried all the soil away from. He put his bucket quietly
under the fish and caught it. As he was going home to the palace, he met
an old woman leading a golden goose.

"Good day, grandmother!" said Hans. "That's a fine bird you have got
there; and such splendid feathers too! he shines a long way off. If one
had such feathers, one needn't be chopping firewood."

The woman thought just as much of the fish which Hans had in the bucket,
and said if Hans would give her the fish he should have the golden
goose; and this goose was such that if any one touched it he would be
sticking fast to it if he only said: "If you'll come along, then hang
on."

Yes, Hans would willingly exchange on those terms. "A bird is as good as
a fish any day," he said to himself. "If it is as you say, I might use
it instead of a fish-hook," he said to the woman, and felt greatly
pleased with the possession of the goose.

He had not gone far before he met another old woman. When she saw the
splendid golden goose, she must go and stroke it. She made herself so
friendly and spoke so nicely to Hans, and asked him to let her stroke
that lovely golden goose of