Once upon a time there were two brothers. When their father died, they divided the land equally. Both worked hard, but the younger brother had a rich harvest and the older brother barely had enough to eat. "Let's swap the land," said the older brother. The younger brother agreed, but after a year, it was just like before: the younger brother had a rich harvest and the older brother had a poor harvest. So the older brother decided to steal the younger brother's grain. He waited until it got dark, took a donkey and an empty sack and went to his brother's field. He was just about to tamper with his brother's pile of grain when a stranger approached him and said: "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

The brother was startled, but composed himself and asked: "I'm not doing anything, and who are you?"

"Oh, I am your brother's luck. I'm here to make sure no one steals grain," said the stranger.

The older man was astonished and asked: "Where is my luck?"

"Your luck is there on the top of this mountain, but it's asleep. If you want to live a happy life, you have to go there and wake it up."

Thoughtfully, the older brother went home with the donkey. Then he gave all his possessions to his brother and set off on his journey.

He travelled for a long, long time until a hungry lion suddenly appeared on the path and threatened him. "Please let me live," the man begged. He begged and pleaded until the lion said: "I'll let you go, but tell me where you're going and why."

Then the man told his story and said: "Now I will go to my luck and wake it up."

"When you have awakened your luck, ask it why I never get full," the lion asked.

The man promised and wandered on. He came to a village and an old man entertained him. He asked: "Where are you going and why?"

The older brother told him everything and said: "Now I want to go to my luck and wake it up."

"When you have awakened luck, ask it why nothing grows in my field," the old man asked.

The old man promised and walked on until he came to a town. No sooner had he passed through the city gate than the guard seized him and brought him before the king.  He said: "Tell me, stranger, where are you going and why?"

The man told his whole story and said: "Now I am going to my luck to awaken it."

"When you have found your luck, ask it why my kingdom does not have the fame and prosperity it deserves," the king asked.

The man promised and wandered on. At last he came to the mountain. He climbed up and saw a tall man sleeping at the top. His snoring made the leaves tremble all around him. The older brother went to the sleeping man, gave him a push with his foot and shouted: "Get up, you've slept long enough!"

The big man rubbed his eyes and said: "What did you wake me up for?"

Then the older brother told him his whole story and asked him the questions he had been told to ask and his luck gave him an answer to everything. So the eldest set off home again. When he arrived in the city, he had himself taken to the king and said: "Send all the guards away and I will tell you the answer by my luck."

When the king and the man were alone, the man said: "Your city will only become famous and prosperous when you get married, because fortune says that you are not a man but a woman."

"Then marry me and become king at my side!" cried the queen, but the man said, "That won't do, because I have awakened my luck and now want to go home." So he left the castle and wandered until he reached the village, where the old man was waiting for him. "Have you awoken your luck?" the old man wanted to know.

"Yes, and it says that there is a treasure buried in your field. If you dig it up, everything will grow well again," said the eldest brother. The old man immediately went to his field and, with the help of his daughter, found the treasure. "Please stay with us. You can have the treasure and marry my daughter!" asked the old man.

But the man said: "That's not possible, I've awakened my luck and want to go home and bring in a good harvest." All the pleading was to no avail and the old man continued his journey home.

At last he came to the lion. "Have you awoken your luck?"

"Oh yes," said the man and told him everything he had experienced on the journey. The lion listened and asked: "And what answer did your luck give you to my question?"

"Well, it said that you won't be full until you've eaten the biggest fool you meet."

The lion thought for a moment and then said: "After hearing your story, it seems to me that you are the biggest fool I have ever met." He then opened his big mouth and swallowed his eldest brother in one gulp.

Märchen aus dem Iran. Fassung Djamila Jaenike, nach: D. L. R. und E. O. Lorimer, Persien Tales, London 1919, englische Fassung Lysander Jaenik ©Mutabor Märchenstiftung