And now the two children ran about the forest, and sought the way home again, but could not find it, and only lost themselves more and more. At length they met with a huntsman, who asked, to whom do you children belong. We are the poor broom-maker's boys, they replied, and they told him that their father would not keep them any longer in the house because a piece of gold lay every morning under their pillows. Come, said the huntsman, that is nothing so very bad, if at the same time you remain honest, and are not idle. As the good man liked the children, and had none of his own, he took them home with him and said, I will be your father, and bring you up till you are big. They learnt huntsmanship from him, and the piece of gold which each of them found when he awoke, was kept for them by him in case they should need it in the future.
When they were grown up, their foster-father one day took them into the forest with him, and said, to-day shall you make your trial shot, so that I may release you from your apprenticeship, and make you huntsmen. They went with him to lie in wait and stayed there a long time, but no game appeared. The huntsman, however, looked above him and saw a covey of wild geese flying in the form of a triangle, and said to one of them, shoot me down one from each corner. He did it, and thus accomplished his trial shot.
Soon after another covey came flying by in the form of the figure two, and the huntsman bade the other also bring down one from each corner, and his trial shot was likewise successful. Now, said the foster-father, I pronounce you out of your apprenticeship. You are skilled huntsmen. Thereupon the two brothers went forth together into the forest, and took counsel with each other and planned something. And in the evening when they had sat down to supper, they said to their foster-father, we will not touch food, or take one mouthful, until you have granted us a request. Said he, what, then, is your request. They replied, we have now finished learning, and we must prove ourselves in the world, so allow us to go away and travel.
Then spoke the old man joyfully, you talk like brave huntsmen, that which you desire has been my wish. Go forth, all will go well with you. Thereupon they ate and drank joyously together.
When the appointed day came, their foster-father presented each of them with a good gun and a dog, and let each of them take as many of his saved-up gold pieces as he chose. Then he accompanied them a part of the way, and when taking leave, he gave them a bright knife, and said, if ever you separate, stick this knife into a tree at the place where you part, and when one of you returns, he will will be able to see how his absent brother is faring, for the side of the knife which is turned in the direction by which he went, will rust if he dies, but will remain bright as long as he is alive. The two brothers went still farther onwards, and came to a forest which was so large that it was impossible for them to get out of it in one day.
So they passed the night in it, and ate what they had put in their hunting-pouches, but they walked all the second day likewise, and still did not get out. As they had nothing to eat, one of them said, we must shoot something for ourselves or we shall suffer from hunger, and loaded his gun, and looked about him. And when an old hare came running up towards them, he laid his gun on his shoulder, but the hare cried, dear huntsman, do but let me live, two little ones to thee I'll give, and sprang instantly into the thicket, and brought two young ones.
But the little creatures played so merrily, and were so pretty, that the huntsmen could not find it in their hearts to kill them. They therefore kept them with them, and the little hares followed on foot.
Soon after this, a fox crept past. They were just going to shoot it, but the fox cried, dear hunstman, do but let me live, two little ones to thee I'll give.
He, too, brought two little foxes, and the huntsmen did not like to kill them either, but gave them to the hares for company, and they followed behind. It was not long before a wolf strode out of the thicket. The huntsmen made ready to shoot him, but the wolf cried, dear huntsman, do but let me live, two little ones to thee I'll give.
The huntsman put the two wolves beside the other animals, and they followed behind them. Then a bear came who wanted to trot about a little longer, and cried, dear huntsman, do but let me live, two little ones to thee I'll give.
The two young bears were added to the others, and there were already eight of them. Then who should come. A lion came, and tossed his mane. But the huntsmen did not let themselves be frightened and aimed at him likewise, but the lion also said, dear huntsman, do but let me live, two little ones to thee I'll give.
And he brought his little ones to them, and now the huntsmen had two lions, two bears, two wolves, two foxes, and two hares, who followed them and served them. In the meantime their hunger was not appeased by this, and they said to the foxes, listen you sneakers, provide us with something to eat. You are crafty and cunning. They replied, not far from here lies a village, from which we have already brought many a fowl. We will show you the way there. So they went into the village, bought themselves something to eat, had some food given to their beasts, and then traveled onwards. The foxes knew their way very well about the district and where the poultry-yards were, and were were able to guide the huntsmen.
Now they traveled about for a while, but could find no situation where they could remain together, so they said, there is nothing else for it, we must part. They divided the animals, so that each of them had a lion, a bear, a wolf, a fox, and a hare, then they took leave of each other, promised to love each other like brothers till their death, and stuck the knife which their foster-father had given them, into a tree, after which one went east and the other went west.
