To this the brothers agreed. First they gave him the sword, and the lad took it in his hand and aimed a blow at a rock near by, and the sword cut through the rock as smoothly and easily as though it had been a piece of cheese.
“Now give me the turban,” said the lad.
The brothers gave him the turban, and he placed it upon his head and at once became invisible!
“Now the carpet.”
The brothers spread out the carpet on the ground, and the lad seated himself upon it with the turban still upon his head and the sword in his hand! Then he wished himself far away in some place where the brothers would never find him.
Immediately he found himself in the outskirts of a large city. He stepped from the carpet and rolled it up and took the turban from his head and looked about him. He had no idea of going back to return the things to the brothers, and if they waited for him they waited a long time. “It will teach them not to quarrel but to live at peace with each other,” said the lad to himself. Then he made his way to the nearest house, for he was hungry and meant to ask for a bite to eat.
He knocked, and an old woman opened the door, and she was so old that her chin and her nose met.
“Good day, mother,” said the lad.
“Good day to you,” answered the crone.
“Will you give me a bite to eat, for the love of charity?”