merve/folk-mythology-tales · Datasets at Hugging Face

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braid, and were so much alike that one could hardly tell one from
another.

The messengers asked: 'Who owns this field of golden maize?' And the
seven brothers answered: 'The field is ours.'

'And who are you?'

'We are King Archidej's labourers.'

These answers were repeated to the king, who ordered the brothers to
be brought before him at once. On being asked who they were, the eldest
said, bowing low:

'We, King Archidej, are your labourers, children of one father and
mother, and we all have the same name, for each of us is called Simon.
Our father taught us to be true to our king, and to till the ground,
and to be kind to our neighbours. He also taught each of us a different
trade which he thought might be useful to us, and he bade us not neglect
our mother earth, which would be sure amply to repay our labour.'

The king was pleased with the honest peasant, and said: 'You have done
well, good people, in planting your field, and now you have a golden
harvest. But I should like each of you to tell me what special trades
your father taught you.'

'My trade, O king!' said the first Simon, 'is not an easy one. If you
will give me some workmen and materials I will build you a great white
pillar that shall reach far above the clouds.'

'Very good,' replied the king. 'And you, Simon the second, what is your
trade?'

'Mine, your Majesty, needs no great cleverness. When my brother has
built the pillar I can mount it, and from the top, far above the clouds,
I can see what is happening: in every country under the sun.'

'Good,' said the king; 'and Simon the third?'

'My work is very simple, sire. You have many ships built by learned men,
with all sorts of new and clever improvements. If you wish it I will
build you quite a simple boat--one, two, three, and it's done! But my
plain little home-made ship is not grand enough for a king. Where other
ships take a year, mine makes the voyage in a day, and where they would
require ten years mine will do the distance in a week.'

'Good,' said the king again; 'and what has Simon the fourth learnt?'

'My trade, O king, is really of no importance. Should my brother build
you a ship, then let me embark in it. If we should be pursued by an
enemy I can seize our boat by the prow and sink it to the bottom of the
sea. When the enemy has sailed off, I can draw it up to the top again.'

'That is very clever of you,' answered the king; 'and what does Simon
the fifth do?'

'My work, your Majesty, is mere smith's work. Order me to build a smithy
and I will make you a cross-bow, but from which neither the eagle in the
sky nor the wild beast in the forest is safe. The bolt hits whatever the
eye sees.'

'That sounds very useful,' said the king. 'And now, Simon the sixth,
tell me your trade.'

'Sire, it is so simple I am almost ashamed to mention it. If my brother
hits any creature I catch it quicker than any dog can. If it falls into
the water I pick it up out of the greatest depths, and if it is in a
dark forest I can find it even at midnight.'

The king was much pleased with the trades and talk of the six brothers,
and said: 'Thank you, good people; your father did well to teach you all
these things. Now follow me to the town, as I want to see what you can
do. I need such people as you about me; but when harvest time comes I
will send you home with royal presents.'

The brothers bowed and said: 'As the king wills.' Suddenly the king
remembered that he had not questioned the seventh Simon, so he turned to
him and said: 'Why are you silent? What is your handicraft?'

And the seventh Simon answered: 'I have no handicraft, O king; I have
learnt nothing. I could not manage it. And if I do know how to do
anything it is not what might properly be called a real trade--it is
rather a sort of performance; but it is one which no one--not the king
himself--must watch me doing, and I doubt whether this performance of
mine would please your Majesty.'

'Come, come,' cried the king; 'I will have no excuses, what is this
trade?'

'First, sire, give me your royal word that you will not kill me when I
have told you. Then you shall hear.'

'So be it, then; I give you my royal word.'

Then the seventh Simon stepped back a little, cleared his throat, and
said: 'My trade, King Archidej, is of such a kind that the man who
follows it in your kingdom generally loses his life and has no hopes of
pardon. There is only one thing I can do really well, and that is--to
steal, and to hide the smallest scrap of anything I have stolen. Not
the deepest vault, even if its lock were enchanted, could prevent my

braid, and were so much alike that one could hardly tell one from

another.

The messengers asked: 'Who owns this field of golden maize?' And the

seven brothers answered: 'The field is ours.'

'And who are you?'

'We are King Archidej's labourers.'

These answers were repeated to the king, who ordered the brothers to

be brought before him at once. On being asked who they were, the eldest

said, bowing low:

'We, King Archidej, are your labourers, children of one father and

mother, and we all have the same name, for each of us is called Simon.

Our father taught us to be true to our king, and to till the ground,

and to be kind to our neighbours. He also taught each of us a different

trade which he thought might be useful to us, and he bade us not neglect

our mother earth, which would be sure amply to repay our labour.'

The king was pleased with the honest peasant, and said: 'You have done

well, good people, in planting your field, and now you have a golden

harvest. But I should like each of you to tell me what special trades

your father taught you.'

'My trade, O king!' said the first Simon, 'is not an easy one. If you

will give me some workmen and materials I will build you a great white

pillar that shall reach far above the clouds.'

'Very good,' replied the king. 'And you, Simon the second, what is your

trade?'

'Mine, your Majesty, needs no great cleverness. When my brother has

built the pillar I can mount it, and from the top, far above the clouds,

I can see what is happening: in every country under the sun.'

'Good,' said the king; 'and Simon the third?'

'My work is very simple, sire. You have many ships built by learned men,

with all sorts of new and clever improvements. If you wish it I will

build you quite a simple boat--one, two, three, and it's done! But my

plain little home-made ship is not grand enough for a king. Where other

ships take a year, mine makes the voyage in a day, and where they would

require ten years mine will do the distance in a week.'

'Good,' said the king again; 'and what has Simon the fourth learnt?'

'My trade, O king, is really of no importance. Should my brother build

you a ship, then let me embark in it. If we should be pursued by an

enemy I can seize our boat by the prow and sink it to the bottom of the

sea. When the enemy has sailed off, I can draw it up to the top again.'

'That is very clever of you,' answered the king; 'and what does Simon

the fifth do?'

'My work, your Majesty, is mere smith's work. Order me to build a smithy

and I will make you a cross-bow, but from which neither the eagle in the

sky nor the wild beast in the forest is safe. The bolt hits whatever the

eye sees.'

'That sounds very useful,' said the king. 'And now, Simon the sixth,

tell me your trade.'

'Sire, it is so simple I am almost ashamed to mention it. If my brother

hits any creature I catch it quicker than any dog can. If it falls into

the water I pick it up out of the greatest depths, and if it is in a

dark forest I can find it even at midnight.'

The king was much pleased with the trades and talk of the six brothers,

and said: 'Thank you, good people; your father did well to teach you all

these things. Now follow me to the town, as I want to see what you can

do. I need such people as you about me; but when harvest time comes I

will send you home with royal presents.'

The brothers bowed and said: 'As the king wills.' Suddenly the king

remembered that he had not questioned the seventh Simon, so he turned to

him and said: 'Why are you silent? What is your handicraft?'

And the seventh Simon answered: 'I have no handicraft, O king; I have

learnt nothing. I could not manage it. And if I do know how to do

anything it is not what might properly be called a real trade--it is

rather a sort of performance; but it is one which no one--not the king

himself--must watch me doing, and I doubt whether this performance of

mine would please your Majesty.'

'Come, come,' cried the king; 'I will have no excuses, what is this

trade?'

'First, sire, give me your royal word that you will not kill me when I

have told you. Then you shall hear.'

'So be it, then; I give you my royal word.'

Then the seventh Simon stepped back a little, cleared his throat, and

said: 'My trade, King Archidej, is of such a kind that the man who

follows it in your kingdom generally loses his life and has no hopes of

pardon. There is only one thing I can do really well, and that is--to

steal, and to hide the smallest scrap of anything I have stolen. Not

the deepest vault, even if its lock were enchanted, could prevent my