They had not gone far before they came to a fir-wood, and up along one side of it rose a steep hillside, and as they went they heard something hewing and hacking away up on the hill among the trees.
"I wonder now what it is that is hewing away up yonder?" said Youngling.
"You are always so clever with your wonderings," said Peter and Paul, both at once. "What wonder is it, pray, that a wood-cutter should stand and hack up on a hillside?"
"Still, I'd like to see what it is, after all," said Youngling, and up he went.
"Oh, if you're such a child, 't will do you good to go and take a lesson," cried out his brothers after him.
But Youngling didn't care for what they said; he climbed the steep hillside toward where the noise came, and when he reached the place, what do you think he saw?
Why, an axe that stood there hacking and hewing, all of itself, at the trunk of a fir.
"Good day," said Youngling. "So you stand here all alone and hew, do you?"
"Yes, here I've stood and hewed and hacked a long, long time, waiting for you, my lad," said the Axe.
"Well, here I am at last," said Youngling, as he took the Axe, pulled it off its haft, and stuffed both head and haft into his wallet.