"The Two Brothers" is a tale of ancient Palestine.

Once upon a time there lived two brothers who loved each other dearly. When their father died, he left his land to the brothers with instructions to divide it equally. This they did, and for many years they lived and worked side by side.

When the older brother married, his younger brother celebrated with him, and when the older brother and his wife had a child, and then another, and finally six altogether, the younger brother also was happy.

The younger brother decided not to marry, and lived alone. But one night as he lay in bed, after a long day harvesting his fields, he felt a sharp pain in his heart. He thought of his brother and his family, and he thought of the fields of wheat. "It isn't fair that I keep all my harvest," he said to himself. "I have no one but myself to feed, but my brother must care for seven others besides himself."

For a while he worried about this, and then he decided what to do. He dressed and walked to his barn, and there he gathered several sheaves of wheat. Carrying these, he climbed the hill between his house and his brother's, and he left the sheaves in his brother's barn.

When the younger brother returned home, he felt satisfied. "Now my brother's load will be lightened a little," he thought, and that night he slept in peace.

Meanwhile, just before dawn, the older brother awoke suddenly. He tossed and turned, thinking of his poor lonely brother. "How sad that my brother is alone. What will happen when he is old? I have a wife, and children to care for us, but my brother will have no one."

And with this thought in mind, he slipped out of bed and walked to his silo, where he gathered several sheaves of wheat. He climbed the hill toward his brother's fields. "If he has more wheat, he can earn enough to care for himself in dignity in his old age." The older brother left the wheat in his brother's barn and returned home, pleased with his deed.

The next morning when the younger brother walked to his barn, he was startled to see his pile of wheat; the stack seemed just as high as it had been the day before. "Perhaps I dreamed that I gave wheat to my brother," he said, scratching his head. "Tonight I will make sure."

At that same moment the older brother stood and stared at his pile of wheat, thinking the very same thoughts.

That night each brother went to his store of wheat and gathered as many sheaves as he could carry. Then each brother walked over the hill and placed his own wheat on the other's stack.

They could not believe their eyes the next morning when each brother saw he had the same amount of wheat that he had had the previous night.

"This is impossible!" said the older brother, and the younger brother once more scratched his head.

"Tonight I will be sure," said the younger brother. "I'll take every last bit of wheat from this corner of my barn to my brother's, and then I shall be sure I was not merely dreaming."

And the older brother decided the very same thing. Both brothers decided that this time they would carry wheat in their carts.

And so the third night came, and each brother gathered wheat from his own stores. Each pulling his loaded cart, they began to walk over the hill.

That night a bright moon shone upon the hill, and as the brothers approached the hilltop, each brother saw, under the spotlight of that harvest moon, a figure in the distance.

They moved toward each other, and when they recognized each other and understood what had happened, they let go of their carts and ran to each other.

"You are a most generous man," the older brother said.

"Ah, you are more generous still," said the younger brother.

And each understood how blessed he was to possess such friendship, and when the Creator saw this, he blessed that place as a land of peace and brotherhood.