He now resumed his journey, and at last arrived in a city where, as it happened, his two brothers were in service. Here he also was lucky enough to hire himself out as shepherd.
The brothers recognized him, and one day, when he was out in the fields, they lied to their master, telling him that the shepherd had boasted that he was able to reap all the cuckoo-corn[1] in a single night. This pleased the master much, and he commanded the youth to do this thing or it would cost him his head.
Weeping, he went out and threw himself down upon the grass. Then came the little Mouse and comforted him, telling him to go to sleep and the work should all be done. And there came a great number of mice and gnawed down the whole crop of cuckoo-corn, so that when the youth awoke in the morning he found all done. And he showed it to the master, who was greatly pleased.
Then the brothers came to his master and accused him of having said that he could build a church in a single night. In the morning when he came home he was told that he must accomplish this work or it would cost him his head. So he threw himself down again, weeping, in the grass.
Then the Bee flew by and bade him go peacefully to sleep and she and her friends would do all the work without troubling him. And there came thousands of swarms of bees and built a church out of wax. It was still night when the master woke and saw a bright light over everything. He was frightened and called his body-servant to go with him into the church, which was already finished, even to the altars and everything else.
Then the brothers told their master another lie—how the shepherd had said that he would give a string of pearls to the daughter of the house, and that next morning the master’s little son should play with a golden apple. When he came home he was told that he must do what he had boasted that he could do, on pain of death.
Weeping, he threw himself down in the grass, when the Dove came flying to him and said, “Dry your tears and go to rest; all shall be done.” In the morning the youth found a beautiful string of pearls and a golden apple by his side, and he gave them to his master’s daughter and little son.
Then the master called the youth into his room and asked him how he had managed to do all these things. So the youth told him how his brothers had taken away his bread, put out his eyes, abandoned him in the mountains, and everything else that had happened. Then the master had the two brothers called into his presence and caused them to be beheaded. But the youth he rewarded and gave him his daughter to wife.
Whoever believes this will be blessed.