<P> Hans and Schwartz desire to take the challenge, duel each other with the result that Schwartz is thrown into jail for disturbing the peace . Hans, who had the good sense to hide from the constable, steals holy water from the church and climbs up the mountains to the Golden River . He has a hard time of it on a glacier and gets away without his provisions and only his flask of holy water . Overcome with thirst Hans is forced to drink from this flask, knowing that only three drops are all that's needed . Along the path, Hans comes across three prostrate individuals dying of thirst, a puppy, a fair child, and an old man . Hans satisfies his own thirst while denying the three needy individuals . </P> <P> The "demeanor" of the surroundings of his journey turns bleak and inauspicious, climaxing in Hans being transformed into a black stone once he has hurled the holy water flask into the Golden River . Gluck secures the release of his brother Schwartz, who, buying his holy water from a "bad priest", eventually fares likewise, spurning in his turn the fair child, the old man, and his brother Hans lying prostrate in his path . The Golden River then acquires another black stone around which to rush and wail . </P> <P> Gluck takes a turn at climbing the mountain . He encounters first an old man walking down the mountain trail who begs water from the flask . Gluck allows him to drink, leaving only a third of the holy water . He then encounters a fair child, lying by the road, whom he allows to drink all but a few drops . Following these unselfish acts, Gluck's path is made bright and pleasant making him feel better than he had in his whole life--no doubt, due to his kindness . He then comes across the prostrate puppy, whom he gives the final drops of the holy water . The puppy turns into the King of the Golden River, who tells Gluck the fate of his two brothers and, thereupon, shakes three drops of dew from a lily into Gluck's flask to throw into the river . Gluck does this, and the Golden River forms a whirlpool where it travels underground and emerges in the Treasure Valley, which then becomes lush and fertile once more . Gluck the new owner is a wealthy man, who never turns away the needy from his door . Ever afterward, though, the people show and tell travellers the tale of the two black stones in the Golden River, known as The Black Brothers . </P> <Ul> <Li> Schwartz--(his name means "black" in German), one of the two "Black Brothers". He and his brother Hans are described as very ugly men with overhanging eybrows and small, "dull" eyes, which they kept half closed . </Li> <Li> Hans--(his name is the common "John" in German), the other of the two "Black Brothers". Both are cruel to both animals and people, and they enjoy nothing better than drinking out their last penny at the neighbouring alehouse . </Li> <Li> Gluck--(should be Glück; his name means "luck" or "happiness" in German; the name is a wish of "good luck": "G' Luck!"), the twelve - year - old kid brother of the "Black Brothers". In striking contrast to his elder brothers, he is blond - haired and blue - eyed and kindly disposed to all living things . </Li> <Li> Southwest Wind, Esquire--a personified wind, who visits the three brothers in the Treasure Valley . He stands about four feet, six inches, has a brass coloured nose and red cheeks that look like he had been blowing a refractory fire for 48 hours, silky eyelashes, and a moustache that curls twice around on each side of his face . He wears a conical hat that is almost as tall as he is, and a cloak that stretches about four times his height when blown by the wind. After his ill treatment by Hans & Schwartz, he--and the other winds--avoid Treasure Valley and cause it to become barren . </Li> <Li> The King of the Golden River--a golden dwarf entrapped by "a stronger king" as a golden heirloom mug in Gluck's possession, freed through the melting of the mug, king of the river that cascades from the cataracts surrounding the Treasure Valley . </Li> </Ul>

The story of the king of the golden river