The Three Brothers and the Enchanted Fruit

Three brothers, each gifted with a different magical object by a wandering sage, set out together to find a cure for a princess who had fallen into a wasting illness no physician could treat. The eldest possessed a magic carpet that could travel any distance instantly. The second possessed a magic telescope that could see across any distance. The third possessed a single enchanted fruit said to cure any illness, however severe.

Using the telescope, the second brother spotted the princess from thousands of miles away and confirmed she was still alive but fading quickly. Using the carpet, the eldest brother flew all three of them to her side within moments. The youngest brother then gave her the enchanted fruit, and she was cured instantly, restored to full health.

A dispute arose immediately over which brother deserved to marry the grateful princess, since each insisted his own gift had been essential to the rescue. When brought before a wise judge, he ruled in favor of the youngest brother alone, explaining: "The telescope only showed a danger that already existed. The carpet only carried you to it faster. But the fruit is now gone, spent entirely and irreplaceable, while the telescope and carpet remain exactly as valuable as they were before this rescue and can be used again a thousand times. Only one of you gave up something that can never be recovered — and that sacrifice, not mere convenience, is what a marriage should be built upon."