Example Of Two Brothers In Action

The Two Brothers, trans. by Karl W Broberg from Hermann Hesse

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"  (1 John 3:17).

"If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever"  (1 Tim. 5:8).


Once upon a time, there was a father, who had two sons. The one was beautiful and strong, the other was small and crippled, for that reason the big one despised the small one. This didn't please the younger one at all, and he decided to wander into the wide, wide world. After some time had passed, he met a carrier [Wagoner], and as he asked him where he was going, the carrier said, he must lead his treasures to the dwarfs in a glass mountain. The small brother asked him, what the reward was. He got the answer that the reward would be diamonds. Then the small one wanted all the more to go to the dwarfs. Then he asked the carrier if he believed that the dwarfs would accept him. The carrier said that he didn't know, but he took him with. Finally, they got to the glass mountain, and the overseer of the dwarfs rewarded the carrier richly for his efforts and released him. Then he noticed the small brother and asked him what he wanted. He told him everything. The dwarf said he should only follow him. The dwarf accepted him gladly and lead him to a grand life.

Now we will see about the other brother. It went good at home for him for a long time. But as he became older, he came to the military and had to go to war. He got wounded in his right arm and had to beg. Then the poor guy happened upon the glass mountain and saw a cripple standing there, he didn't suspect that it was his brother. The small bro recognized him at once and asked him what he wished. "O, sir, I am eager and glad for any crumb of bread, I am so hungry!" "Come with me," the small one said, and went into the cave, whose walls were glistening from diamonds. "You can take a handful for yourself if you can bring down the stone without any help," said the cripple. The beggar tried to do it with his one healthy arm, but naturally, he couldn't. Then said the small brother, "Maybe you have a brother, that I would allow to help you." Then the beggar began to cry and said, "Once I had a brother, small and misshapen, like you, but so good-natured and friendly, and I haven't known of him for a long time." Then said the small brother: "I am your brother, you shall suffer no want, remain with me."