There was once a widow. She had three sons.
The first two sons were very lazy.
Though initially many people of the village, where the widow and her sons lived, tried to employ the first two sons, the two sons did not work well.
Soon no one was willing to employ them. The third son was small and did not look as strong as his hefty brothers. The third son helped around in the house. So the first two sons made fun of him and called him Pinkle or the little one.
Soon the widow was tired of the first two boys who did not work at all. She ordered them to leave the place and make their own living.
Unfortunately for the old widow, Pinkle saw this as an opportunity for himself to make his own living. He told his mother that he would also accompany his brothers.
Though the widow did not want Pinkle to leave home she had no choice and the three brothers were soon off.
For many days the three brothers roamed around looking for jobs. However no one was willing to employ them. The first two brothers looked lazy and incompetent. Though the last brother was small and nimble, people thought that the last brother could not work as hard as the stronger-looking elder brothers and did not employ him too.
The three brothers survived off fruits and nuts in the forests but were perpetually hungry.
Soon the three brothers came onto a huge lake with an island in the middle.
The three brothers rowed a boat to the island.
On the way in the waters, they saw a golden light reflecting in the waters. They saw that the light came from a huge golden lantern there. Just near the lantern, inside the house, there was a goat with golden horns and there was a chain of tinkling bells around the goat’s neck. The bells made the most beautiful music in the quiet evening.
Beyond the golden lantern they saw a huge door leading to a bigger house. Outside the house they found a woman.
The light from the golden lantern was sufficient for the brothers to see that the woman there wore a golden cloak.
Near the woman, cooking on a fire, in a huge pot, was a younger woman, who looked like the daughter of the older woman.
The three brothers hesitated as they rowed towards the island. The three brothers somehow felt that the woman on the island was a witch.
When they were close enough to the island one of the brothers shouted. "We are tired and hungry. Can we get some food and shelter on your island?"
The woman was indeed a witch; she looked at the three brothers. "You will not get any food and shelter on my island. However if you row further you will find a kingdom where you can find good work for yourself and be able to feed yourself and find a place to live."
The woman studied the youngest brother again. “However, you can leave the youngest one here on the island. He is quick and intelligent and there is a chance that he can harm me.”
Pinkle was surprised and did not know what to say.
The three brothers steered clear of the island and found the kingdom that the witch had told them about.
The king of the kingdom was a very wise man and as a hobby the king loved collecting rare items.
When the three brothers reached the kingdom, the king spoke with the three brothers and immediately assigned them work in his kingdom.
The two older brothers were given the job in the stables in the kingdom.
The king found Pinkle to be very smart and clever.
The king appointed the younger brother as a page to the prince of the kingdom. Over time the king himself began to take the advice of the youngest brother and Pinkle's popularity in the kingdom grew.
Naturally the two older brothers were jealous of their younger brother.
They decided to make sure that the younger brother did not become so powerful and they devised a perfect way for it.
Adapted from the Folktales of High Westland
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