But she spoke to no purpose, for the boy begged and prayed until he had
got some old rags and a bundle of provisions, and then he set out
manfully into the world to find his twin brother.
When the younger had walked for some time he caught sight of his
brother a short distance in front of him, and called to him and bade
him to stop.
‘Wait a minute,’ he said; ‘you are walking as if for a wager, but you
ought to have stayed to see your younger brother before you hurried off
into the world.’
So the elder stood still and looked back, and when the younger had got
up to him, and had told him that he was his brother, he said: ‘But now,
let us sit down and see what kind of food our mother has given us,’ and
that they did.
When they had walked on a little farther they came to a brook which ran
through a green meadow, and there the younger said that they ought to
christen each other. ‘As we had to make such haste, and had no time to
do it at home, we may as well do it here,’ said he.
‘What will you be called?’ asked the elder.
‘I will be called Minnikin,’ answered the second; ‘and you, what will
you be called?’
‘I will be called King Pippin,’ answered the elder.
They christened each other and then went onwards. When they had walked
for some time they came to a crossway, and there they agreed to part,
and each take his own road. This they did, but no sooner had they
walked a short distance than they met again. So they parted once more,
and each took his own road, but in a very short time the same thing
happened again—they met each other before they were at all aware, and
so it happened the third time also. Then they arranged with each other
that each should choose his own quarter, and one should go east and the
other west.
‘But if ever you fall into any need or trouble,’ said the elder, ‘call
me thrice, and I will come and help you; only you must not call me
until you are in the utmost need.’
‘In that case we shall not see each other for some time,’ said
Minnikin; so they bade farewell to each other, and Minnikin went east
and King Pippin went west.
When Minnikin had walked a long way alone, he met an old, old
crook-backed hag, who had only one eye. Minnikin stole it.
‘Oh! oh!’ cried the old hag, ‘what has become of my eye?’
‘What will you give me to get your eye back?’ said Minnikin.
‘I will give thee a sword which is such a sword that it can conquer a
whole army, let it be ever so great,’ replied the woman.
‘Let me have it, then,’ said Minnikin.
The old hag gave him the sword, so she got her eye back. Then Minnikin
went onwards, and when he had wandered on for some time he again met an
old, old crook-backed hag, who had only one eye. Minnikin stole it
before she was aware.
‘Oh! oh! what has become of my eye?’ cried the old hag.
‘What will you give me to get your eye back?’ said Minnikin.
‘I will give thee a ship which can sail over fresh water and salt
water, over high hills and deep dales,’ answered the old woman.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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