The Two Brothers by Leo Tolstoy Two brothers set out on a journey together. At noon they lay down in a forest to rest. When they woke up, they saw a stone lying next to them. There was something written on the stone, and they tried to make out what it was. "Whoever f ined this stone," they read, "let him go straight into the forest at sunrise. In the forest a river will appear; let him swim across the river to the other side. There he will f ind a she-bear and her cubs. Let him take the cubs from her and run up the mountain with them, without once looking back. On the top of the mountain, he will see a house, and in that house, he will f ind happiness. “When they had read what was written on the stone, the younger brother said: "Let us go together. We can swim across the river, carry off the bear cubs, take them to the house on the mountain, and together f ind happiness. "I am not going into the forest after bear cubs," said the elder brother, ...