Brother

There was once upon a time a family of hunters of good nature, whose land was incorporated into part of the Lord's estate, and since the day of confiscation they found themselves tilting the farms like most other farmers within the boundaries of land. Adalbert was the name of the only begotten son of Gundahar the hunter. This young man of long, sleek golden hair, sooner or later, befriended Theodore, son of a farmer whose life was to serve God through raising cattle.

Everyday Theodore drove the cows to the other side of the farm, where he could see Adalbert tilting and watering the crops, and by the barn he checked whether the cows were dry before milking them. The milk always flowed in abundance, and the herds used the surplus to make cream, butter, and cheese. The two families soon found themselves in amiable terms; the aging, dry cows were sent as gifts to help the farmers, while grain were exchanged instead for the better nourishment of the cattle.

Orphaned both in a young age, Adalbert inherited from his father large plots of land and a true passion for beauty, while Theodore was left with an abundance of cattle from his father and a doctrine of diligence. The hunter’s son decided to take responsibility to offer company for the younger herder. In the morning the two worked side by side, and in the afternoon they had meals with each other, and played jollily in the woods. And in the evening they picked seeds and mushrooms together to complete the rest of their work, and at night they ate supper together, and rested in each other’s arms.

They loved each other with all their hearts, as there was no other living soul, other than God, that occupied their souls. They were often seen throwing arms around each other’s’ necks, emb...

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...e jumped into the lake to save the boy, bringing him back to the forest and shaking him awake.

At last Theodore regained consciousness and his tears fell when noticing Adalbert had saved him. Grateful that Adalbert risked his life in order to rescue him, Theodore looked into the older boy’s eyes solemnly, and made a resolution.

“You have risked yours to save me, therefore I owe you my life,” Theodore said with tears flowing from his eyes, “and I shall return my gratitude, so that under no circumstance should you lose your life for the sake of others. This is a covenant between you and me – that you will live.”

Adalbert dismissed the promise, for he considered that the rescue was out of his obligation and love for the younger boy. Nevertheless he kept the promise in mind and nodded to him, and afterwards they embraced and kissed each other to express their joy.