Page:Stories and story-telling (1915).djvu/244

 "I am as clever as he," said the second brother; "give me a krattle of the pears and let me take them to the Kaiser, and become a rich man too, only I won't keep it all for myself. I will send for you to share it with me."

"Well said, my son," answered the father; "I have worked hard for you all my life, and it is but meet that in my old age you should share your good fortune with me." And as the season for pears had just come around again, he plaited another krattle and lined it with fresh green leaves and laid in it a goodly heap of the golden fruit.

The second son took the basket and went his way, even in better spirits than his elder brother, for he had the supposed success of the first to give wings to his feet. The autumn sun was as hot through the midday as it had been the year before, so that when he had traveled three days and arrived at the way-*side fountain, he too stopped to drink and rest in its coolness. The doubled-up old woman was washing her rags at the fountain and singing her ditty all out of tune. She stopped her croaking as before, to ask him the same question as she had asked his brother.

"It's pigs' wash," said he; "I am taking it to see whether I may turn a penny by it."

"Pigs' wash," repeated she, as if she did not believe it. "Belike you don't mean that?"

"But I do mean it," retorted he, rudely.