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who asks little shall obtain much.

There lived once three brothers whose only property in this bright world consisted of a pear-tree which they watched one after another; whilst one of them was left watching it the two others would go to their daily labour.

One day an angel from heaven was commanded to go and see how the brothers were living, and to provide them with better means of subsistence if they needed it. As soon as the angel had descended to the earth he assumed the shape of a beggar, and having come to the brother who was watching the tree, he begged him for a pear. The man plucked one of the pears which belonged to him, gave it to the angel and said,—

"Here you have one of my own pears; of those which belong to my brothers I cannot give you any."