There were once three brothers who had fallen deeper and deeper into poverty, and at last their need was so great that they decided to go out into the world to seek their fortune. On the road they met an old woman who told them their fortune.

Good luck will come to you in your own way,
If your heart is pure and you watch what you say.
Wishes are powerful at the fork in the road,
Be careful what you wish for, and don’t kiss a toad!

On they walked, wondering what the old woman meant. They had already gone quite a distance, but had not yet met with any good luck. Later that day they entered a great forest, and just inside it, they came to a “y” in the road, with one path heading off to the right, and the other path heading off to the left. The three brothers stopped to consider which path to take, and while they were thinking, they sat down to rest their tired feet.

“I would give anything,” said one brother, “to have enough silver to build a new house. It would be so grand, and we could all live there together!” Just then he looked down the road to the right and saw a mound that appeared to be silver. He ran to it, and silver it was! He filled his pockets with as much as he could manage to carry, saying, “Now I have found the good luck I wished for, and I desire nothing more.” He then turned back and went home.

But the other two brothers said, “We want something more from life than silver,” and hurried on down the road to the left.

After they had walked for two days, they came to another “y” in the road. While they stopped to consider which path to take, one of them said, “Our brother was happy with his pockets full of silver. I would only be happy if my pockets were filled with gold! Why, I would buy beautiful furnishings for the house our brother is building with his silver!” Just then he spotted a shiny mound down the road to the right. He ran to it, and sure enough, it was gold! He cried, “Now I have found what will bring me good luck in my life!” He filled his pockets with as much gold as he could carry, said good-bye to his brother, and went home.

The last brother thought to himself, “Silver and gold do not make me happy, but I will not give up the search.” And off he went down the path to the left.

When he had walked for three days, he came to a forest which was larger than the one before, and it seemed endless. He was exhausted and getting very hungry. Soon he found himself at another “y” in the road. He decided to climb up a tree to see if he could tell what was down each road, but all he could see was trees, trees, and more trees. As he was descending from the tree, hunger overtook him and he said to himself, “I wish I could eat my fill at a table fit for a king!” When he climbed down, he saw with astonishment, a table beneath the tree, covered with a lovely, white tablecloth and richly spread with food. The wonderful smells drifted up to greet his nose.

“My wish has been fulfilled at just the right moment!” he said. Without caring where it had come from, he sat down and ate and ate and ate, until his hunger was gone. He was very grateful.

As he was preparing to leave, he thought to himself, “It would not be right to leave this pretty tablecloth here in the forest to get spoiled,” so he folded it up and put it in his pocket. Then he headed homeward. When evening approached and his hunger once again returned, he decided to test the little tablecloth again. He spread it out on the ground, and said, “I wish you to be covered with good food once again.” Scarely had the wish crossed his lips than many dishes with the most wonderful food in them appeared on the tablecloth. “Now I see,” said he, “in what kitchen my cooking is done. You shall be dearer to me than the mountains of silver and gold.”

When the last brother returned home, he discovered that his brothers were in dire straits once again. The first brother had used all his silver to build a house, and the second brother had furnished it grandly with all the finest objects his gold could buy. But after the gold and silver had been spent, they had nothing with which to buy food, so they were very hungry. When the third brother arrived home, he led them to the dining room, where he spread out the little white tablecloth. He requested that a feast fit for a king be laid out, and lo, there appeared the most magnificent array of food that any of them had ever seen! They fell upon it eagerly and ate until they could eat no more. Now the brothers had everything they wished for and were content all the rest of their days.

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