Part 7 (1/2)
THE GOOD FERRYMAN AND THE WATER NYMPHS
There was once an old man, very poor, with three sons. They lived chiefly by ferrying people over a river; but he had had nothing but ill-luck all his life. And to crown all, on the night he died, there was a great storm, and in it the crazy old ferry-boat, on which his sons depended for a living, was sunk.
As they were lamenting both their father and their poverty, an old man came by, and learning the reason of their sorrow said:
”Never mind; all will come right in time. Look! there is your boat as good as new.”
And there was a fine new ferry-boat on the water, in place of the old one, and a number of people waiting to be ferried over.
The three brothers arranged to take turns with the boat, and divide the fares they took.
They were however very different in disposition. The two elder brothers were greedy and avaricious, and would never take anyone over the river, without being handsomely paid for it.
But the youngest brother took over poor people, who had no money, for nothing; and moreover frequently relieved their wants out of his own pocket.
One day, at sunset, when the eldest brother was at the ferry the same old man, who had visited them on the night their father died, came, and asked for a pa.s.sage.
”I have nothing to pay you with, but this empty purse,” he said.
”Go and get something to put in it then first,” replied the ferry-man; ”and be off with you now!”
Next day it was the second brother's turn; and the same old man came, and offered his empty purse as his fare. But he met with a like reply.
The third day it was the youngest brother's turn; and when the old man arrived, and asked to be ferried over for charity, he answered:
”Yes, get in, old man.”
”And what is the fare?” asked the old man.
”That depends upon whether you can pay or not,” was the reply; ”but if you cannot, it is all the same to me.”
”A good deed is never without its reward,” said the old man: ”but in the meantime take this empty purse; though it is very worn, and looks worth nothing. But if you shake it, and say:
'For his sake who gave it, this purse I hold, I wish may always be full of gold;'
it will always afford you as much gold as you wish for.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE PURSE THAT WAS EVER FULL]
The youngest brother came home, and his brothers, who were sitting over a good supper, laughed at him, because he had taken only a few copper coins that day, and they told him he should have no supper. But when he began to shake his purse and scatter gold coins all about, they jumped up from the table, and began picking them up eagerly.
And as it was share and share alike, they all grew rich very quickly.
The youngest brother made good use of his riches, for he gave away money freely to the poor. But the greedy elder brothers envied him the possession of the wonderful purse, and contrived to steal it from him.
Then they left their old home; and the one bought a s.h.i.+p, laded it with all sorts of merchandize, for a trading voyage. But the s.h.i.+p ran upon a rock, and every one on board was drowned. The second brother was no more fortunate, for as he was travelling through a forest, with an enormous treasure of precious stones, in which he had laid out his wealth, to sell at a profit, he was waylaid by robbers, who murdered him, and shared the spoil among them.
The youngest brother, who remained at home, having lost his purse, became as poor as before. But he still did as formerly, took pay from pa.s.sengers who could afford it, ferried over poor folks for nothing, and helped those who were poorer than himself so far as he could.
One day the same old man with the long white beard came by; the ferry-man welcomed him as an old friend, and while rowing him over the river, told him all that had happened since he last saw him.
”Your brothers did very wrong, and they have paid for it,” said the old man; ”but you were in fault yourself. Still, I will give you one more chance. Take this hook and line; and whatever you catch, mind you hold fast, and not let it escape you; or you will bitterly repent it.”