wish to favour any one more than the others. And he did not want
to sell the house, because it had belonged to his family for
generations; otherwise he could have divided the money equally
amongst them. At last an idea struck him, and he said to his
sons: 'You must all go out into the owrld, and look about you,
and each learn a trade, and then, when you return, whoever can
produce the best masterpiece shall have the house.'

The sons were quite satisfied. The eldest wished to be a
blacksmith, the second a barber, and the third a fencing-master.
They appointed a time when they were to return home, and then
they all set out.

It so happened that each found a good master, where he learnt all
that was necessary for his trade in the best possible way. The
blacksmith had to shoe the king's horses, and thought to himself,
'Without doubt the house will be yours!' The barber shaved the
best men in the kingdom, and he, too, made sure that the house
would be his. The fencing-master received many a blow, but he
set his teeth, and would not allow himself to be troubled by
them, for he thought to himself, 'If you are afraid of a blow you
will never get the house.'

When the appointed time had come the three brothers met once
more, and they sat down and discussed the best opportunity of
showing off their skill. Just then a hare came running across
the field towards them. 'Look!' said the barber, 'here comes
something in the nick of time!' seized basin and soap, made a
lather whilst the hare was approaching, and then, as it ran at
full tilt, shaved its moustaches, without cutting it or injuring