provoked the king against Vanek. When afterwards. Vanek and the king's daughter rode together from the wedding, Wisdom stood somewhere on the road, and seeing that she must needs meet with Fortune, she bent down her head and ran away aside, as if sprinkled with water. From that moment Wisdom, whenever about to meet with Fortune, passes her at a distance.

THE THREE BROTHERS.

(FROM THE SERVIAN.)

He who asks little shall obtain much.

There lived once three brothers whose only property in this bright world consisted of a pear-tree which they watched one after another; whilst one of them was left watching it the two others would go to their daily labour.

One day an angel from heaven was commanded to go and see how the brothers were living, and to provide them with better means of subsistence if they needed it. As soon as the angel had descended to the earth he assumed the shape of a beggar, and having come to the brother who was watching the tree, he begged him for a pear. The man plucked one of the pears which belonged to him, gave it to the angel and said,

"Here you have one of my own pears; of those which belong to my brothers I cannot give you any."

The angel thanked him and went away. On the following day the second brother stopped at home to watch the tree; the angel came also to him and asked for a pear. The second brother likewise plucked one of the pears which belonged to him, and gave it to the angel, and said,—、

"Here you have one of my own pears; of those which belong to my brothers I cannot give you any."

The angel thanked him and went away. When the turn came for the third brother to watch the tree, the angel came to him also and asked for a pear. The youngest brother, in like manner, plucked one of those which belonged to him, gave it to the angel, and said,―

"Here you have one of my own pears; of those which belong to my brothers I cannot give you any."

On the fourth day the angel took the form of a monk, and having come early in the morning he found the brothers still at home, to whom he said,

"Come with me, and I will give you something better to do."

The brothers followed the angel without any hesitation. When they had come to a broad, rapid stream, they all rested there, and the angel said to the eldest brother,

"What would you like to have?"

And he answered, "I should like this water to be turned into wine and belong to me."

The angel made the sign of the cross with his staff, and lo-instead of water, there flowed wine in the stream. Casks were being made, wine was being poured into them; people were seen working, and a village arose. The angel left the eldest brother there and said, "Now you have what you wished for, stop and live here."

Then the angel took the two younger brothers, and went with them farther on. They soon came to a field in which an enormous number of pigeons were feeding. There the angel asked the second brother,

"What would you like to have ?"

And he answered, "I should like all these pigeons to be changed into sheep and belong to me."

The angel made the sign of the cross with his staff over the field, and in an instant all the pigeons became sheep. A dairy appeared in which some women were milking the ewes, others were measuring the milk, collecting cream, making cheeses, and melting fat; there was also a slaughter-house in which meat was dressed, weighed, and money received; people were busy everywhere, and a village sprang up on the spot. Hereupon the angel said

to the second brother, "Here you have what you wished

for."

Then the angel went away with the youngest brother, and whilst walking through a field he asked him,—

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'And what would you like to have?"

So the youngest brother answered, "May Heaven grant me a truly pious wife; I do not ask for anything else."

"Ah," said the angel, "it is very difficult to find a truly pious woman. In the whole world there are only three such, two of them are already married, but the third is still a maiden; there are, however, already two suitors for her."

Then they started again, and having walked for a long time they reached a town where a king lived who had a truly pious daughter. Having entered into the town, they went immediately to the king to ask for his daughter.

There they found that two kings had arrived before them, had asked for the princess, and had already put their apples on the table. Hereupon they also put their apples on the table by the side of the other apples.

When the king saw them he said to those who stood around,

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'What shall we do? The first two suitors are kings, and these men are mere beggars in comparison with them."

Then the angel said, "I will tell you what to do. Let the princess take three branches of vine, plant them in the garden, and name each one after her lovers;