him.

The fencing master got many blows, but he set his teeth, and would not
let himself be put out, because he thought, "If I am afraid of a blow,
I shall never get the house."

Now, when the given time had passed, they all went home together to
their father; but they did not know how to get a good opportunity of
showing off their powers, and sat down to discuss the matter.

Suddenly a hare came running over the field.

"Ah!" cried the barber, "she comes just in the nick of time."

He took up his bowl and his soap, and got his lather by the time the
hare came quite close, then he soaped her and shaved her as she raced
along, without giving her a cut or missing a single hair. His father,
astonished, said: "If the others don't look out, the house will be
yours."

Before long a gentleman came along in his carriage at full gallop.

"Now, father, you shall see what I can do," said the farrier and he
ran after the carriage and tore the four shoes off the horse as he
galloped along, then, without stopping a second, shod him with new
ones.

"You are a fine fellow, indeed," said his father. "You know your
business as well as your brother. I don't know which I shall give the
house to at this rate."

Then the third one said: "Let me have a chance, too, father."

As it was beginning to rain, he drew his sword and swirled it round
and round his head, so that not a drop fell on him. Even when the rain
grew heavier, so heavy that it seemed as if it were being poured from
the sky out of buckets, he swung the sword faster and faster, and
remained as dry as if he had been under a roof.

His father was amazed, and said: "You have done the best; the house is
yours."

Both the other brothers were quite satisfied with this decision, and
as they were all so devoted to one another, they lived together in
the house, and carried on their trades, by which they made plenty of
money, since they were so perfect in them.

They lived happily together to a good old age, and when one fell ill
and died, the others grieved so much over him that they pined away and
soon after departed this life.

Then, as they had been so fond of one another, they were all buried in
one grave.

* * * * *

THE WREN AND THE BEAR

One summer's day the bear and the wolf were walking in the forest, and
the bear heard a bird singing very sweetly, and said: "Brother Wolf,
what kind of bird is that which is singing so