They told him all that had happened to them, and that each had mastered a trade. They were sitting in front of the house under a big tree, and their Father said—
‘Now, I will put you to the test, and see what you can do.’
Then he looked up and said to his second son—
‘There is a chaffinch’s nest in the topmost branch of this tree; tell me how many eggs there are in it?’
The Star-gazer took his glass and said: ‘There are five.’
His Father said to the eldest: ‘Bring the eggs down without disturbing the bird sitting on them.’
The cunning Thief climbed up and took the five eggs from under the bird so cleverly that it never noticed they were gone, and he gave them to his Father. His Father took them, and put them one on each corner of the table, and one in the middle, and said to the Sportsman—
‘You must shoot the five eggs through the middle at one shot.’
The Sportsman levelled his gun, and divided each egg in half at one shot, as his Father desired. He certainly must have had some of the powder which shoots round the corner.
‘Now it is your turn,’ said his Father to the fourth son. ‘You will sew the eggs together again, the shells and the young birds inside them; and you will do it in such a manner that they will be none the worse for the shot.’
The Tailor produced his needle, and stitched away as his Father ordered. When he had finished, the Thief had to climb up the tree again, and put the eggs back under the bird without her noticing it. The bird spread herself over the eggs, and a few days later the fledglings crept out of the shell, and they all had a red line round their throats where the Tailor had sewn them together.
‘Yes,’ said the old man to his sons ; ‘I can certainly praise your skill. You have learnt something worth knowing, and made the most of your time. I don’t know which of you to give the palm to. I only hope you may soon have a chance of showing your skill so that it may be settled.’
