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After a while, the king stopped and repeated

his questions. The hermit again gave no
answer, but rose, stretched out his hand for
the spade and said: “Now rest a while, let me

work a bit.”

The king did not give him the spade, and
continued to dig. One hour passed, and
another. The sun began to go down behind
the trees, and the king at last stuck the spade into the ground, and said:

“I came to you, wise man, for an answer to my questions. If you can give me none, tell me so,
and I will return home”.

“Here comes someone running,” said the hermit. “Let us see who it is.”

The king turned around and saw a bearded man come running out of the woods. The man
held his hands pressed against his stomach, and blood was flowing from under his hands.
He fell down on the ground and fainted. The king and the hermit took off the men’s clothing

gently. There was a large wound in stomach. The king cleaned the wound and bandaged it
with a handkerchief. But the bleeding did not stop.
The man opened his eyes and asked for something

to drink. The king gave him some water.
The sun had set by then and the air had become

cool. So the king, with the hermit’s help, carried
the wounded man into the hut and laid him on the
bed. Lying on the bed, the man closed his eyes and

was quiet.

But the king was so tired that he crouched down
on the threshold, and also fell asleep - so soundly
that he didn’t wake up till the next morning.

When he woke up in the morning , it was long before he could remember where he was, or
who the bearded man lying on the bed was. He noticed that the man was gazing intently at

him with shining eyes.

“Forgive me!” said the bearded man in a weak voice.

“I don’t know you, and have nothing to forgive you for,” said the king.

“You do not know me, but I know you. I am your enemy out here to avenge my brother’s
death.

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