There was once a man who had three sons, and nothing else in the
world but the house in which he lived. Now each of the sons wished
to have the house after his father's death, but the father loved them
all alike, and did not know what to do, he did not wish to sell the
house, because it had belonged to his forefathers, else he might have
divided the money amongst them. At last he conceived a plan, and he
said to his sons, "Go into the world, and try each of you to learn a
trade, and, when you all come back, he who makes the best masterpiece
shall have the house."
The sons were well content with this, and the eldest determined to be
a blacksmith, the second a barber, and the third a fencing-master.
They fixed a time when they should all come home again, and then each
went his way.
It chanced that they all found skillful masters, who taught them
their trades well. The blacksmith had to shoe the king's horses, and
he thought to himself, "The house is mine, without doubt." The barber
shaved only distinguished people, and he too already looked upon the
house as his own. The fencing-master suffered many a blow, but he
grit his teeth, and let nothing vex him, for, said he to himself, "If
you are afraid of a blow, you'll never win the house."
When the appointed time had gone by, the three brothers came back
home to their father, but they did not know how to find the best
opportunity for showing their skill, so they sat down and consulted
together. As they were sitting thus, all at once a hare came running
across the field. Ah, ha, just in time, said the barber. So he took
his basin and soap, and lathered away until the hare drew near, then
he soaped and shaved off the hare's whiskers whilst he was running at
the top of his speed, and did not even cut his skin or injure a hair
on his body. "Well done," said the old man. "If the others do not
make a great effort, the house is yours."