Part 32 (1/2)
The next morning as he was leaving he said to the Poor Man:
”You must come sometime to my house and visit me and let me return the hospitality you have shown me.”
”Where do you live?” the Poor Man asked.
”You can always find me,” the Beggar said, ”by following the tracks of my cart. You will know them because they are broader than the tracks of any other cart. You will come, won't you?”
”Yes,” the Poor Man promised, ”I will if ever I have time.”
They bade each other good-by and the Beggar drove slowly off. Then the Poor Man went to the shed to get his own cart and the first thing he saw were two large silver bolts lying on the ground.
”They must have fallen from the Beggar's cart!” he thought to himself and he ran out to the road to see whether the Beggar were still in sight. But he and the cart had disappeared.
”I hope he has no accident on account of those bolts!” the Poor Man said.
When he went to the stable to get his donkey he found four golden horse-shoes where the Beggar's horse had been standing.
”Four golden horse-shoes!” he exclaimed. ”I ought to return them and the silver bolts at once! But I can't to-day, I'm too busy. Well, I'll hide them safely away and some afternoon when I have a few hours to spare I'll follow the tracks of the cart to the Beggar's house.”
That afternoon he met his two rich brothers and told them about the Beggar.
”Silver bolts!” cried one.
”Golden horse-shoes!” cried the other. ”Take us home with you and let us see them!”
So they went home with the Poor Man and saw for themselves the silver bolts and the golden horse-shoes.
”Brothers,” the Poor Man said, ”if either of you have time I wish you'd take these things and return them to the Beggar.”
They both said, no, no, they hadn't time, but they would like to know where the Beggar lived.
”He said I could always find him,” the Poor Man said, ”by following the tracks of his cart.”
”The tracks of his cart!” echoed the other two. ”Show us the tracks of his cart!”
They went to the shed where the cart had been and followed the tracks out to the road. Even on the road they were easy to see for besides being wider than any other cart tracks they shone white like glistening silver.
”H'm! H'm!” murmured the two rich brothers.
”You don't think either of you have time to follow them to the Beggar's house?” the Poor Man said.
”No! Of course not! Of course not!” they both answered.
But in his heart each had already decided to go at once and see for himself what kind of a Beggar this was who had silver bolts in his cart and golden shoes on his horse.
The oldest brother went the very next day driving a new wagon and a fine horse. The silver tracks led through woods and fields and over hills.
They came at last to a river which was spanned by a wooden bridge. It was cunningly constructed of timbers beautifully hewn. The rich man had never seen such wood used on a bridge.
By the roadside beyond the bridge there was a pigsty with one trough full of corn and another full of water. There were two sows in the sty and they were fighting each other and tearing at each other and paying no attention whatever to all the good food in the trough.