Once upon a time there were two brothers who lived together in the same household. One attended to everything, while the other was an indolent fellow, who occupied himself only with eating and drinking. Their harvests were always magnificent; they had cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, bees, and all other things in great abundance.  
The elder, who did everything about the estate, said to himself one day:
 
"Why should I toil for this lazy fellow? It would be better that we should separate. I will work for myself alone, and he can do whatever he pleases." So he said to his brother:
 
"Brother, it is unjust that I should take charge of all whilst thou wilt aid me in nothing, and thinkest only of eating and drinking. It is better that we should part."
 
The other tried to turn him from his project, saying:
 
"Brother, do not do this. We get on so well together. Thou hast all in thy hands—not only what is thine, but what is mine, and thou knowest that I am always contented with what thou doest, and with what thou orderest."
 
But the elder persisted in his resolution so firmly that the younger was obliged to give up, and said:
 
"Since it is so I have no ill-will toward thee. Make the division as seemeth good to thee."
 
The division made, each one ordered his life as he thought good. The indolent brother took a herder for his cattle and horses, a shepherd for his sheep, a goatherd for his goats, a swineherd for his pigs, a keeper for his bees, and said to each of them:
 
"I confide my goods to thee, and may God watch over thee."
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And he continued to live in his house without any more care he had ever done.
 
The elder on the contrary laboured for his half of the property as much as he had ever done for the common good. He kept his herds himself, having an eye on everything, but in spite of all his care he had ill success on every side.
 
From day to day everything turned out badly with him, so that at last he became so poor that he had not even a pair of sandals, and was obliged to go barefooted. Then he said to himself:
 
"I will go to my brother's, and see how the world wags with him."
 
His way led him across a meadow where a flock of sheep was grazing, and as he drew near he saw that the sheep had no shepherd. Near them, however, a beautiful young girl was seated, spinning a thread of gold.
 
After having saluted the maiden with a "God protect thee," he asked her whose were the sheep, and she answered:
 
"To whom I belong, belong the sheep also."
 
"And who art thou?" he continued.
 
"I am thy brother's fortune," she answered.
 
Then the traveller was seized with wrath and envy, and cried out:
 
"And where is my fortune?"
 
The maiden answered him: "Ah, she is far from thee."
 
"Can I find her?" he asked.
 
She answered: "Thou canst find her—only look for her."
 
When he had heard these words, and saw that the sheep were so beautiful that nothing finer could be imagined, he did not care to go farther to see the other flocks, but went direct to his brother, who as soon as he had seen him took pity on him, and said, weeping:
 
"Why hast thou hidden thyself from me for so long a time?"
 
Then seeing that he was in rags and barefooted he gave him a pair of sandals and some money.
 
After having remained three days with his brother the poor fellow departed to return home, but once arrived at the house
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he threw a sack over his shoulders, put a morsel of bread in it, took a stick in his hand, and set out into the world to seek his fortune.
 
Having travelled a long time he found himself at last in a deep forest where he met a wretched old woman asleep in a thicket. He began to beat the ground with his stick to wake up the old woman, and at last gave her a blow on the back. However, she scarcely moved even then, and half opening her drowsy eyes, said to him:
 
"Thou mayest thank God that I was asleep, for if I had been awake thou wouldst not have had those sandals."
 
Then he said to her: "Who art thou then, who wouldst have hindered me from having these sandals?"
 
The old hag answered him: "I am thy fortune."
 
Hearing these words he beat his breast, crying: "What! thou art my fortune! May God exterminate thee! Who gave thee to me?"
 
And the old hag said to him: "It was Destiny."
 
"Where is Destiny?"
 
"Go and seek for him," she answered, going to sleep again.
 
Then he departed and went to seek for Destiny.
 
After a long, long journey he arrived at last at another wood, and in this wood he found a hermit of whom he asked if he could not give him some news of Destiny?
 
The hermit answered him: "............