There was a man who had three sons, two wise and one foolish. But this man was very poor. On what did he live? On fish. 

One day he went fishing and caught eight. The two following days he caught three each day. But on the fourth day he caught thirteen. So he had plenty to eat. 

On the fifth day he went fishing again. But this time he only got a very pretty stone. When he returned home his wife asked him if he had caught anything. “Only a Pebble,” he answered. Now it wasn’t a pebble but a diamond. But he in his ignorance did not know what this stone was worth, so he put it on the stove. That night the stone shone brightly. 

One day a King was passing that way. He said to his servant: “Get down from the coach, and go and see what is glittering over there.” The servant entered the hut, and when he returned, the King asked him: “Well, what is shining over there?” The man replied: “Some sort of stone', for he too did not know its value. 

The King alighted, himself, entered the hut and asked the fisherman if he would sell him the stone that sparkled so. The man, fool that he was, told the King he could have it for nothing. The King said: “Think again.” Then the fisherman, after some thought, said: “How much would you give me, Sire?” “As much as thou wantest” was the answer. “Oh! His Highness would never give me the sum I would ask him” “Come, tell me,” Replied the King, “and I will give thee as much as thou wantest.” “Well then,” said the fisherman, “give me a hundred florins.” “I will give thee a thousand for it.' 'Please, your Majesty, do not make a mock of me and my stone”, said the fisherman. “But, thou fool of a man, I am not making fun of thee”, replied the King. And he put his hand in his pocket, drew out a purse, and paid him a thousand florins. 

And now he is really wealthy, this fisherman. And he had a brother who also was rich when he himself was poor. So he said to his son, the foolish one: “Go to my brother and borrow a bushel of wheat from him.” Well, the boy went. And his uncle asked him: “What dost thou want?” “I have come to ask you to lend us a bushel of wheat.” The rich man's only reply was that he would like to give him a thrashing. The fool returned to his father, who asked him: “Well, what did he say to thee?” “He wanted to thrash me.” 'Never mind, my son one day he will come to me to ask me to lend him something.' 

So this poor man bought two beautiful houses, three fields, and some fine oxen and cows and horses, in short he became a man of wealth. One day the man's brother came to pay him a visit, and said to him: “Tell me, brother, how didst thou become so rich?” “It was the good God who gave me my property: thou hast been rich up to the present, and now behold! I am even as rich as thou!” Then the rich brother asks him to lend him a hundred florins. The man replied: “Once I sent my son to thee to ask thee to lend me a bushel of wheat, and thou wantedst to thrash him. So now I will lend thee nothing more.” So this brother had to take himself off because the other would not lend him anything. So he returned home.  

Nevertheless this foolish son began to steal from his father and took what he stole to his uncle. And one day his father noticed that he had stolen something, so when he returned to the house his father asked: “What didst thou take to my brother?” “Nothing at all”, replied the fool. The father took his stick and thrashed the lad till be bled, and then chased him out of the house. 

Well, this fool came to a forest, where he began to weep because he was hungry. He lay down and fell asleep. A fairy came to him and said: “Why dost thou weep, my boy?’ “Because my father thrashed me till I bled, and turned me out of his house.” “Hush! do not weep; I will give thee a ring with which thou wilt only have to strike this rock three times. But be sure to remember exactly what I tell thee.” 

The fairy disappeared, and the fool said to himself: “Why did she tell me to strike this rock thrice?” He struck three times, and out of the rock sprang a fine gentleman, who said to him: “What dost thou desire, my lord?” “I desire that a great feast be set before me.” Well, he ate and was satisfied, and he set forth, but before he left the forest he put a mark on this rock. 

He was on his way, when a lord passed him. Now the boy was on foot, and this lord, noticing how handsome he was said to him: “Where goest thou, my lad?” ‘I am trying to find a job somewhere.” “Wilt thou enter my service?” asks this lord. “With great pleasure, my lord.” This lord took him in his carriage and, when they reached his mansion, summoned his gardener: “Look here, I have brought thee an assistant; take care not to do him any harm.” “Very well, my lord.” 

He led the boy into the garden. This lord gave him a becoming cap, a good pair of trousers, some good boots and a good shirt. He then had all the appearance of a very handsome young man. 

Well, he had now been three weeks working under this gardener. And, one Sunday, the gardener gave him some bouquets to take to the lord's daughters. That was good! Having received the bouquets from the gardener he went off to an apple-tree and beneath it made two bouquets of copper for the two eldest daughters, and a bouquet of silver for the youngest. Well, he presented these bouquets to each of them. He returned to the gardener, who asked him: ‘Hast thou delivered those bouquets to the young ladies?” “I have delivered them.” 

Then that morning the gardener went to church and the fool ran off. He went to the forest, he struck the rock three times with the ring, and a fine gentleman sprang out of the rock and stood before him. “What does my lord desire?” “I desire a suit of silver and a horse of silver.” Well, the silver suit and the silver horse were brought to him. The boy reached the church and he gave this same gardener a franc to look after his horse. In the church he seated himself beside the youngest lady. She asked him: “Whence has my lord. come?” “From not very far away.” He gave her his golden ring and she gave him hers with her name engraved on it. 

Immediately he quitted the church, mounted his• horse and soon reached the forest, where he struck the rock thrice. The fine gentleman sprang out. “What dost thou desire my lord?” “I desire that my horse should be hidden.' 

He put on his ordinary clothes, did this boy, and returned to the house and the garden. The gardener said to him: “Oh! if thou couldst but have seen what a grand prince was at church to-day! He gave me a franc for looking after his horse.” The boy begged him to take him to church with him the next Sunday. “Most willingly will I do so.”    

The lord's daughters say to their father: “Oh, we saw such a handsome prince, his raiment was of silver and he had a silver horse.”  The lord asked his daughters: “Did you have any talk with him?” The eldest daughter answered: “I did not speak to him.” But the youngest stood up and said: “Father, if you will not whip me, I will confess everything.” “I will not whip thee, my daughter, so just confess.”  “The prince gave me his ring, and I too gave him mine.”  “That is all right, my girl, we will easily find him.” 

The next Sunday the gardener, as before, gave the boy three bouquets to deliver. And again he took them, went off to the apple-tree, and beneath it made two bouquets of silver for the two eldest daughters, and for his own (the youngest) girl a bouquet of gold. Well, he took these bouquets to the lord's mansion. The three young ladies appeared, and to the two eldest he gave bouquets of silver, but to his own girl a bouquet of gold. This youngest daughter who had received the golden bouquet presented him with a franc. He returned to the gardener, who asked him: “Hast thou delivered the bouquets?” “I have delivered them.” “Good!” 

Then once more he ran off to the forest, struck the rock three times with his ring, and a fine gentleman sprang out. “What does my lord desire?”  “I desire a suit of gold and a horse of gold.” Well, the horse was brought to him, and the boy mounted it and reached the church. He handed his horse to the gardener to take care of and rewarded him with a ducat. He entered the church and seated himself beside his young lady. Everyone in the church and all the lords were lost in wonder at this prince arrayed in such splendid clothes. The youngest daughter gave him her handkerchief on which was embroidered her own and her father's names. The boy, in his turn gave his handkerchief which also bore his name. He kissed the young lady and quitted the church. 

He reached the forest, struck the rock three times with his and a fine gentleman sprang out. “What does my Lord desire?” “I desire that my horse and my raiment be hidden.” They were taken from him and hidden away. 

He put on his ordinary clothes again and returned to the garden. The gardener asked him: “Didst thou go to church?” “No, I wasn't there.” “Oh! if thou couldst but have seen the prince who was there! He had a suit of gold and a horse of gold. And it was I who looked after his horse, and he gave me a ducat.” “Well and good!” 

Then this lord said to his three daughters: “Well, my daughters, what did you see in church?” “Oh! father, we saw such a sight.” “What then did you see?” “We saw a prince in a suit of gold, and his horse also was of gold.” “Did you talk to him?” “We did not speak to him at all', answered the two eldest girls. But the youngest said: “Yes, I spoke to him.” “What didst thou say to him?” 'I invited him to come to dinner with us, and he replied he could not come until the third Sunday.” 

Well, these three young ladies went out for a stroll in the garden, and sat down in an arbour and began to talk about the prince. The boy heard them and laughed aloud. Then they came out and asked him at what he was laughing. “I am laughing at my own name.” Well, these ladies went away, and he was left by himself. 

On the third Sunday the gardener told the boy he was going to church. The boy replied: “Very good, sir, I will go there too.” “But don't go and sit where the prince does.” Said the boy: “I will sit in the belfry.” Well, he told the youth to take the bouquets to the young ladies. He took them, went off to the apple-tree and beneath it he made two bouquets of gold for the two eldest daughters, and for his own (the youngest) girl a bouquet of diamonds. He returned to the mansion, and gave the golden bouquets to the two eldest daughters, and the diamond bouquet to his own, the youngest, girl. She presented him with a crown for it, and returned to the garden. The gardener asked him: “Didst thou deliver the bouquets?” “Yes, sir, I did.” “Good!” 

The gardener set out for church, and the boy ran off to the forest. He struck the roe thrice with his ring, and a fine gentleman sprang out. “What does my lord desire?” “I desire a suit of diamonds and a horse of diamonds.” Well, the horse was brought to him and the boy mounted and set off for the 

church. He gave his horse to the gardener to look after and rewarded him with a handful of silver. He entered the church, and his raiment shone with a brilliant light. He sat down beside the youngest daughter. She asked him: “Is your Highness coming to dinner with us?” And he answered: “Yes, I will come.” 

They all four left the church together, he on horseback and they in a carriage. They reached the lord's mansion, and the lord was gratified. They served him with food and drink, and they intoxicated him, but he kept control of his senses. “I beg you to excuse me, my lord and ladies,” he said, “but I have far to travel; I will return to-morrow and then we can converse freely together.” All three young ladies escorted him to the door, but he was very intoxicated. “Well,” said he,” remain with God.” “And do thou go with God”, they replied. 'I will not return until to-morrow.' 

Well, the young ladies went back to their house and he returned to the forest. He struck the rock with his ring thrice, and a fine gentleman appeared before him. “What does my lord desire?” “I desire you to hide my horse and my raiment.”  

He dressed himself in his ordinary clothes and returned to the mansion, but deadly drunk. The gardener asked him: “Where didst thou get so intoxicated?” “What business is that of thine?' replied the boy. He put his ring on his finger and covered his face with the handkerchief that the youngest daughter had given him, and lay down in the arbour  to have a sleep. 

And who comes to the spot? This lord with the three daughters happens to be strolling in the garden and the gardener complains to him that the boy is drunk and he would like to give him a thrashing. The lord enquires were he sleeping. “In the arbour.” The Lord makes his way there with his three daughters, looks at the youth and recognises on the boy’s finger his daughter’s ring with the name engraved on it. He calls his youngest girl and asks her: “Is that thy ring my girl?” She looks at it. “Yes father, it is mine.” “Oh! then this is the young man who was so cunning.” He examines the kerchief and finds his own and his daughter's names on it. 

Well, they arouse the youth, but he is unable to lift up his head. The lord called gardener: “Take this boy and carry him to my room.” The youngest girl says to the gardener: “'Was it thou who took care of this prince's horse?” “Yes, my lady, it was I.” “Didst thou not recognize him?” “No, my lady.” It was not until he had carried him into the room that he perceived that it was the same youth, and he was dumbfounded. 

Well, the next morning the boy arose. “Is it thou, then, who hast been so cunning?” enquired the lord. “I know nothing, my lord. How did you recognize that I was the man?” The lord pointed to the ring that was still on his finger and to the handkerchief: both handkerchief and ring belonged to the youngest daughter. “Well, which of my daughters dost thou wish to take in marriage?” the lord asked him. “Choose her.” The boy said: '” will take this, the youngest one.” And so he married her. The lord gave him his whole fortune. And they both lived with God.