The Two BrothersLeo TolstoyTwo brothers set out on a journey together. At noon they laydown in a forest to rest. When they woke up they saw a stone lyingnext to them. There was something written on the stone, and theytried to make out what it was."Whoever finds this stone," they read, "let him go straight intothe forest at sunrise. In the forest a river will appear; let himswim across the river to the other side. There he will find ashe-bear and her cubs. Let him take the cubs from her and run upthe mountain with them, without once looking back. On the top ofthe mountain he will see a house, and in that house will he findhappiness."When they had read what was written on the stone, the youngerbrother said: "Let us go together. We can swim across the river,carry off the bear cubs, take them to the house on the mountain,and together find happiness.""I am not going into the forest after bear cubs," said the elderbrother, "and I advise you not to go. In the first place, no onecan know whether what is written on this stone is thetruth--perhaps it was written in jest.In the second place, even if what is written here is thetruth--suppose we go into the forest and night comes, and we cannotfind the river. We shall be lost. And if we do find the river, howare we going to swim across it? It may be broad and swift.In the third place, even if we swim across the river, do youthink it is an easy thing to take her cubs away from a she-bear?She will seize us, and, instead of finding happiness, we shallperish, and all for nothing.In the fourth place, even if we succeeded in carrying off thebear cubs, we could not run up a mountain without stopping torest.And, most important of all, the stone does not tell us what kindof happiness we should find in that house. It may be that thehappiness awaiting us there is not at all the sort of happiness wewould want.""In my opinion," said the younger brother, "you are wrong. Whatis written on the stone could not have been put there withoutreason. And it is all perfectly clear. In the first place, no harmwill come to us if we try. In the second place, if we do not go,someone else will read the inscription on the stone and findhappiness, and we shall have lost it all. In the third place: ifyou do not make an effort and try hard, nothing in the world willsucceed. In the fourth place: I should not want it thought that Iwas afraid of anything."The elder brother answered him by saying: "The proverb says: 'Inseeking great happiness small pleasures may be lost.' And also: 'Abird in the hand is worth two in the bush.'"The younger brother replied: "I have heard: 'He who is afraid ofthe leaves must not go into the forest.' And also: 'Beneath a stoneno water flows.'" Then the younger brother set off, and the elderremained behind. No sooner had the younger brother gone into theforest than he found the river, swam across it, and there on theother side was the she-bear, fast asleep. He took her cubs, and ranup the mountain without looking back. When he reached the top ofthe mountain the people came out to meet him with a carriage totake him into the city, where they made him their king.He ruled for five years. In the sixth year, another king, whowas stronger than he, waged war against him. The city wasconquered, and he was driven out. Again the younger brother becamea wanderer, and he arrived one day at the house of the elderbrother. The elder brother was living in a village and had grownneither rich nor poor. The two brothers rejoiced at seeing eachother, and at once began telling of all that had happened tothem."You see," said the elder brother, "I was right. Here I havelived quietly and well, while you, though you may have been a king,have seen a great deal of trouble.""I do not regret having gone into the forest and up themountain," replied the younger brother. "I may have nothing now,but I shall always have something to remember, while you have nomemories at all."