V
The three brothers walked on until they came to the king’s castle.
So many men had tried to cut down the tree that it was now very large.
At last the king said, “Every man who tries to cut the tree and can not do it must leave the country.”
The oldest brother tried to cut down the tree.
But when the tree grew larger they sent him out of the country.
Then the second brother tried.
He could not do it, so they sent him out of the country.
“Now it is my turn,” said the youngest brother.
He took his ax from the bag, and cut into the tree.
“My ax, cut for yourself,” he said.
The ax chopped and chopped.
Soon the great oak tree fell down.
Then he took his pick from the bag.
“My pick, dig for yourself,” he said.
You never saw such picking and digging.
Soon it had dug a great deep hole.
Next he took out his walnut.
He took the moss from the hole, then dropped the walnut far down into the well.
“Water, run,” he said.
Soon the well was full of water.
The youngest brother had cut down the tree and dug the well.
The king gave him half of his kingdom.