Forester's Sons

         There once was an old forester that lived in a house on some hills near the woods with his three sons. One day the eldest son went to his father and said, "Father! I wish to set out on a journey and explore! I want to find my own life!" The father agreed with the eldest son and gave him a cloth bundle which consisted of a loaf of bread, a bottle of water, and some soup.

         With bundle in hand, the eldest brother set out on his journey. He started across the forest to the first town that lay to the west. Not even half way through, he stopped in the middle of a glade due to the hot weather and sat on a stump. The eldest brother, thinking it was a good time to take a rest and eat, pulled out the loaf of bread and bottle of water. When he was just about to take his first bite, a voice from behind startled him. "Hello, I see that you have some good bread and water there. Could you see to sharing some of them with a poor old man?"

         Being the gormandizing type of person he was, the elder brother told the old man off saying, "Old man I only brought enough bread and water for one and still have a long journey a head. What do you expect me to part with? Maybe you could lick my fingers clean when I'm done and if I am feeling generous."

         "Very well," the old man whispered as he turned away. Without warning the eldest brother turns into a tree.

         Days pass and eventually the second oldest brother goes to his father. "Father! I would like to do as my eldest brother has. I would like to leave this place and find my own path."

         "You are of that age and you may go. I shall pack a few things for you." The father set about picking various food from the kitchen and an okay knapsack. "Here are your provisions. Good luck, son."

         The second eldest brother set out upon his journey taking the exact same path that his older brother took. Eventually after a bit of walking he came across a glade which had a lone tree sitting in the middle of it next to a stump. Having the same idea the eldest brother had, he sat down on the stump and unpacked his knapsack. Bread, water, a tiny bit of bacon were all that he was given. He sits down and starts with the bread and water, saving the bacon for later. Once again the old man approaches the boy and says, "Son, could you please spare some food for an old man with nothing to his name?"

         "Hello there. I could definitely spare some of this food!" The middle brother said as he secretly tucked away the bacon trying to hide it. "Here, take half of this bread and water!" Said the middle brother as he ripped the bread in half handing the old man the already chewed on part. "It's a wonderful day outside, isn't it?"

         "Yes, yes it is. I think this tree is getting in the way of the sun. Could you see it in your heart to help me cut this old tree down?" The old man questioned as he pointed to the tree next to the stump.

         Now the middle brother was all for sharing what he wanted and keeping stuff but when it came to work he was the laziest man in the kingdom. He wouldn't even lift a finger to get the doctor if his father had both legs broken. "I'm sorry I have a bad back and am not able to lift many things." Said the brother as he stood up. He begins to circle the tree looking at it from all side when suddenly a large branch from the tree falls on him pinning him to the ground. He looks at the branch and using his strength picks it up and throws it off.

         "Very disappointing." The old man says as he turns away. Just like the eldest brother, the middle brother turns into a tree.

         Months pass before it is finally the youngest brother's turn to head out into the world. The youngest brother asks his father, "Father, I too would like to go out into the world."

         "Very well my son. Good luck!" The father says before turning away and fetching a tiny bit of food from the kitchen and a ripped up dirty tablecloth from the closet.

         The youngest brother set out upon his journey just like the other two had and not before long he came across a glade with two trees sit next to a stump. The youngest brother starts walking through and when he gets to the stump and two trees he hears a voice behind him. "I have been wondering for days through this forest without food. Could you please spare some?"

         The younger brother looked into the ratty tablecloth bag and drew out the bread which he was given. The bread was but the size of your palm. The water he was given was also meager in portion. "Here you go, you can have this bread and water. I will find food later." Said the younger brother, which was a lie as he was getting hungry and thirsty. The brother gave the man the food and sat down next to the trees so that the old man may have the stump. "This is such a wonderful day, isn't it? I love when the sun is bright."

         "Indeed it is. Such a shame these trees are blocking our beautiful sun out. Would you mind cutting them down? It would be so wonderful to eat in the bright sun's rays."

         The younger brother was always the most helpful around the house, taking orders and helping everyone with their daily chores. "I can definitely do that for you, but I don't have an axe"

         "Wells that's just fine, there is an axe behind those two trees."

- Two different endings -

-Ending 1-

         With that said the younger brother went around to the other sides and got the axe. He swung away at the first tree, chipping away at the bark and wood. Eventually he got half way through before the inside started to glow a bright yellow. "What's this?" The brother peered into the tiny slit that he had cut and found that the inner of the tree was made out of nothing but pure gold. He went around the tree to talk to the old man about his discovery but he had disappeared. Not a trace of the man could be found. The younger brother thinking that the other tree might contain gold started chopping it down. To his surprise he found not only gold but a single strip of bacon in the middle. Indeed he was happy with what had happened. He finished cutting down the trees and tied them up and went into town to sell them for coin. He was from then on remembered as the richest man in the kingdom.

-Ending 2-

         Upon hearing of the axe behind the tree he walks around to it and gets to cutting down the first tree. He starts by chipping away the bark revealing a deep dark red colored wood underneath. As he hit deeper, red liquid started to pour out of the tree's openings. He eventually got through the whole tree before looking inside. Upon looking inside he found bits and parts of a body. At the top of the tree was a small hole with his brother's head inside. Terrified he might find the same in the other tree he cuts that down only to reveal a bloody strip of bacon. Knowing that his brothers had been turned into trees for whatever reason he went around to trees to find nothing but the empty stump with a single coal on top. From then on he would forever be afraid of trees and lived the life of a hermit in the deserts regions of the kingdom where not a single tree existed.