d
to himself, "I will go to my brother's house and see how affairs are
prospering with him."

His road lay through a pasture in which a flock of sheep was feeding.
On approaching them he saw that they had no shepherd. A beautiful
young girl was seated near them, with her distaff, spinning gold
thread.

He saluted the young girl and asked her to whom the flock belonged.

"To him to whom I belong belong also these sheep," answered she.

"And who are you?" said he.

"I am your brother's fortune?" she replied.

"And where is my fortune?" he exclaimed, seized with anger and envy.

"Ah! she is far from you," said the young girl.

"Can I find her?" asked he.

"You can," she replied, "if you only look yonder."

On hearing these words, and seeing that the sheep were the finest that
could be imagined, he had no wish to see the other flocks, but went
straight to his brother, who, as soon as he saw him, burst into tears,
moved with pity.

"Where have you been so long?" asked he. And, seeing him clothed in
rags and barefooted, he gave him a pair of shoes and some money.

After staying three days in his brother's house, the poor man set out
for home. No sooner had he reached his house than he threw a bag
across his shoulder, with a piece of bread in it, took a staff in his
hand, and set out to seek his fortune.

After walking for some time he found himself in a great forest, where
he saw a wretched old hag asleep under a tree. He gave her a blow on
the back with his staff to awaken her. She moved with difficulty, and,
half opening her bleared eyes, said to him, "Thank God that I was
asleep, for if I had been awake you would not have had those shoes."

"Who are you, then," asked he, "that would have prevented my having
these shoes?"

"I am your fortune," answered the old woman.

"What! are you my fortune?" cried he, striking his breast. "May God
exterminate you! Who gave you to me?"

"It was Destiny," replied the old woman.

"Where is Destiny?" he asked.

"Go and find him," said the old woman, lying down to sleep again.

He set out in search of Destiny. After a long, long journey, at length
he reached a wood, where he found a hermit, of whom he asked the way
to the abode of Destiny.

"Go straight up yonder mountain and you will find his castle,"
answered the hermit; "but when you find him take care not to speak to
him, but only do all that you see him do."

The traveler thanked the hermit and took his way