And his brothers and sister answered joyfully , ` Yes , we will all work ! ' So they fell to working with all their might , till at last they became rich , and were able to build themselves a beautiful palace ; and everyone came from miles round to see its wonders , and to say how splendid it was . No one thought of finding any faults , till at length an old woman , who had been walking through the rooms with a crowd of people , suddenly exclaimed , ` Yes , it is a splendid palace , but there is still something it needs ! ' ` And what may that be ? ' ' A church . ' When they heard this the brothers set to work again to earn some more money , and when they had got enough they set about building a church , which should be as large and beautiful as the palace itself . And after the church was finished greater numbers of people than ever flocked to see the palace and the church and vast gardens and magnificent halls . But one day , as the brothers were as usual doing the honours to their guests , an old man turned to them and said , ` Yes , it is all most beautiful , but there is still something it needs ! ' ` And what may that be ? ' ' A pitcher of the water of life , a branch of the tree the smell of whose flowers gives eternal beauty , and the talking bird . ' ` And where am I to find all those ? ' ` Go to the mountain that is far off yonder , and you will find what you seek . ' After the old man had bowed politely and taken farewell of them the eldest brother said to the rest , ' I will go in search of the water of life , and the talking bird , and the tree of beauty . ' ` But suppose some evil thing befalls you ? ' asked his sister . ` How shall we know ? ' ` You are right , ' he replied ; ' I had not thought of that ! ' Then they followed the old man , and said to him , ` My eldest brother wishes to seek for the water of life , and the tree of beauty , and the talking bird , that you tell him are needful to make our palace perfect . But how shall we know if any evil thing befall him ? ' So the old man took them a knife , and gave it to them , saying , ` Keep this carefully , and as long as the blade is bright all is well ; but if the blade is bloody , then know that evil has befallen him . '
The brothers thanked him , and departed , and went straight to the palace , where they found the young man making ready XXXXX set out for the mountain where the treasures he longed for lay hid .
After So about as day if of right that to