Once upon a time there was a man who was as poor as a church mouse. Every day he bound a bundle of brooms, which he carried to the city. And so from day to day he made a living as best he could for himself and his wife.
Close to the city Luck and Wealth were wandering about one day. They fell to disputing as to which of them was the more powerful, which could do the more good. Right in the midst of their dispute the poor man came up with a bundle of brooms.
Thereupon Wealth aid to Luck: "We will test this matter. Here comes a poor broom binder. I have only to wish it, and he will carry no more brooms to market, as you will see."
"Good!' said Luck: "when you are through I will try. And he shall b declared the more powerful who makes the poor man the richer. You will see that I shall win, because after your trial the poor man will bind brooms again, but after mine he will send a six-ox load of wheat to the city, while he rides proudly behind the wagon on his horse."
Wealth now stepped up to the poor man and said: "My poor fellow, you have carried brooms long enough. I pity your wretched life, so here are a hundred gold pieces for you. But don't let me ever again see you carrying brooms!"
The poor man gave many and hearty thanks for the gift, hastened to get rid of his brooms, and then set out on his homeward journey, full of joy over his large sum of money. When he reached home his wife was not there. As he had no good place in which to lock up his gold, he hid it in the bran pot. Then he ran out into the forest to fetch wood, so that his wife could heat some water.
Meantime the wife returned. But as she had nothing out of which she could make food, she measured out the bran quickly, ran to a neighboring grocer, and exchanged the bran for cornmeal. When her husband came home the broth was all ready. After he had eaten of this heartily, he went to the bran pot to take out his hundred clinking gold pieces. but there was neither bran nor bold! "Why, wife, where is the bran?" "I exchanged it at the grocer's for cornmeal."
"But what did you do with the hundred gold pieces then?"
"As if you ever had a hundred gold pieces, -- you or your whole tribe!" cried the wife.
Thereupon the two became angry and began to quarrel. The man hurried the woman off to the grocer's where they demanded the gold pieces. "Are you mad? cried the grocer. "You emptied the bran yourself into the bin.""
"What was to be done? Empty-handed and sad, they slunk off home, and the poor man went to work binding brooms again.
The next day he set out for the city with a bundle of brooms. Luck spied him while he was still far off, and called out merrily to Wealth: --
"Look, Wealth, look there! There come the poor man with his bundle of brooms!"
Wealth was very angry. He hastened to meet the poor man.
"How dare you carry brooms?" he cried. The poor man then told what ill luck he had had with the hundred gold pieces.
"Well," said Wealth, "I'll give you another hundred. But don't you ever again let me see you carrying brooms."
The poor man hastened home in great joy. But this time, his wife was not there. He quickly hid the money in the ash pot. Then he went out into the forest after wood. Meanwhile his wife returned from her journey to the village. There was not a grain of meal in the house. So she took the ash pot and ran with it to the tanner's where she exchanged it for cornmeal.
When the man had made a good meal on corn broth, he thought he would fetch the money, so that his wife too might see a great sum once in her life. But no ashes, no money, not a trace of them could be seen or heard! "Hullo, wife, where are the ashes?" called the man, in sudden fear and rage.
"Where?" stammered the wife, all in a tremble. "You have eaten them!"
"And the hundred gold pieces?" But of these the poor woman had really seen no trace.
Again these two quarreled all the way as they rushed off to the tanner's, of whom they demanded back the hundred gold pieces. But the tanner seized a big knife, and chased the poor man and his wife out of his house into the street.
What could be done ? The poor man got his string, went out into the forest, bound a bundle of brooms, and set out with them that very day for the city. Luck recognized him while he was still in the distance. And this time he called out to Wealth more merrily than before: --
""Just see there, Wealth! Here comes that poor man, and he is carrying brooms! Ha! ha!"
"I'll give the fellow nothing more," said Wealth, in disgust. "for I see that he lacks sense. Now you do with him what you will."
As the poor man came up, Luck addressed him: "Here, poor man, here is a penny, for I see that you have to struggle hard for your daily bread."
The poor man gave hearty thanks, then went on his way into the city. There he sold his brooms, and with the price bought meal, salt, and eggs. But with the penny he bought three nuts, and then set out for home.
On his way he came upon three children. They were quarreling over something, and almost scratching one another's eyes out.
"What are you quarreling about, my children?" asked the poor man.
"Just see this shiny thing, Mister?" one replied. "We found it together, and now we can't divide it."
The shiny thing was really a diamond. But this neither the children nor the poor man knew.
"Don't quarrel," said the poor man; "give it to me, and I will give each of you a nut for it." The children agreed to this gladly, and the poor man carried the treasure home and laid it on the mantel.
Evening came. Of a sudden it became as bright in the house as though a pound of candles had been lighted all at once! The poor man was rejoicing at the thought that he could now bind brooms at night without burning candles, and so earn more, when he heard a wagon stop before his house. A traveling merchant appeared at the door and asked to light his pipe.
"For," said the merchant, "I have seen no other house so brightly lighted as yours." The merchant recognized the glittering diamond at sight. Whereupon he asked the poor man for how much he would sell it. "That is just the kind of light I need in my travels," said he.
"Ah, my dear sir, that is a very precious thing," answered the poor man. "I'll give you a bushel of silver dollars for it." "Ah, sir, that is a very precious thing," insisted the man. "Well, then, I will give you two bushels."
"Not less than three bushels, sir; it is worth at least that much between brothers even."
They agreed. The merchant knew what he was buying, so he went quickly to his wagon and measured out three bushels of silver dollars. The poor man rejoiced over his bargain, for he did not know what he had sold. He thought so much money would do for candles and for something besides.
The next day e bought a farm, a field, and a meadow. And in the autumn he was quite overjoyed at the great piles of wheat which he harvested. He bought six fine oxen, two horses for his carriage, and a saddle horse. Then on St. Martin's day, he loaded his wagon with wheat, so much that six more oxen had to be hitched on to pull it up the hills. Now off he sent this load to the city, while he rode proudly behind on his saddle horse.
Luck and Wealth were standing near the market place when he came up. Thereupon Luck asked Wealth: -- "Do you recognize that fine gentleman, Wealth?" "I do not," answered Wealth. "I cannot recall him."
"But you should know him," said Luck, "for he is the former broom binder. Now see how with one penny I have made him a rich man."
