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His punishment, however, was not long delayed. After a few blows at the tree, he hit his own leg, and had to be carried home.

Then Simpleton said, ‘Let me go to cut the wood, father.’

But his father said, ‘Your brothers have only come to harm by it; you had better leave it alone. You know nothing

There stands an old tree; cut it down, and you will find something at the roots.

about it.’ But Simpleton begged so hard to be allowed to go that at last his father said, ‘ Well, off you go then. You will be wiser when you have hurt yourself.’

His mother gave him a cake which was only mixed with water and baked in the ashes, and a bottle of sour beer. When he reached the forest, like the others, he met the little grey