was spilled, partly over
Fritz's right hand, and the remainder over Franz's left foot. The
brothers first realized what had happened to them by Fritz finding
that he could not close his fist to strike, and Franz finding that he
could not raise his foot to kick. The discovery sobered them in an
instant. There they stood, one with a hand and the other with a foot
of solid gold, and the golden flask with them; but the water, the
precious sparkling golden water, lost forever. Fritz was the first to
recover himself.

"Well," he said, "thank goodness I have a couple of feet left me. I
shall be off, I can't wait for you. You must hobble on as best you
can, or stay here and starve," and he was on the point of leaving
Franz to his fate, when the latter caught him by the collar.

"If I've only one foot, I have two hands," cried he, "and I don't
intend to let you leave me behind. No, no; we must go together or not
at all."

Fritz was obliged to submit, as it was a case of two hands against
one; and he and Franz, arm in arm as though they were the most
affectionate brothers, made their way slowly to the nearest town.
There they had to submit to have hand and foot cut off. The operation
hurt them very much indeed, but they sold the gold for a good sum of
money to the goldsmith. With that, and with what they got for the
flask, Fritz was able to buy his Countship, although he could never
hunt owing to the loss of his right hand, and Franz was able to buy
his Burgomastership, although the loss of his foot prevented his
walking properly in processions. Neither of them, of course, gave a
thought to their mother.

Now we must return to poor Hans, whom we left floating down the
stream--senseless, and to all appearance dead. He was not dead,
however, although the blows which his brothers had inflicted were very
severe ones. He was only stunned, and fortunately he did not float far
enough to be drowned. His body came into a back eddy of the stream
and drifted gently on to a shelving bank of white sand. The cold water
soon had the effect of bringing him to his senses so far as to enable
him to crawl on to the land. It was, however, some hours before he was
able to recall the past events. When he remembered them he gave way to
despair. All the pains he had taken to win the sparkling golden water
were thrown away. He might not return to get more--the unicorn had
told him that. His mother would be as badly off as ever. Above all, he
had t