ONCE THERE WAS A KING WHO LOST ALL HIS WEALTH. HE
CALLED HIS TWIN SONS TO HIM AND TOLD THEM THEY HAD
TO GO OUT AND SEEK THEIR FORTUNE TOGETHER, BECAUSE
THEY WERE POOR. SO HE GAVE THEM TWO IDENTICAL RINGS
AND HE SAID, "SONS, THESE ARE MAGICAL RINGS; SHOULD
ONE NEED THE OTHER, ALL HE WOULD DO IS TWIST THE RING
ON HIS FINGER AND IF THE RING TURNS BLACK, IT MEANS
THE OTHER IS IN TROUBLE AND YOU MUST GO AND HELP HIM."
THE BROTHERS LEFT THE REALM AND ROSE ALONG THE ROAD
UNTIL THEY CAME TO A FORK. AT THE FORK THEY SAID
TO EACH OTHER, "THIS IS WHERE WE PART; WHICH ONE
SHOULD TAKE WHICH WAY?" THEY FLIPPED A COIN AND THE
ONE CALLED PETER WENT TO THE RIGHT AND THE OTHER
CALLED PAUL TOOK THE LEFT. BEFORE THEY LEFT, THEY
REMINDED EACH OTHER OF THE MAGICAL RINGS AND
PROMISED THAT AT 5:00 P.M. THEY WOULD TWIST THEIR
RINGS AND IF THE RING WOULD REMAIN GOLD, THEY WOULD
CONTINUE ON THEIR GOALS. PETER CONTINUED ON AND
FINALLY CAME TO ANOTHER KINGDOM. THERE HE FOUND THE
PEOPLE ALL IN MOURNING. UPON INQUIRING, HE FOUND
THERE WAS A GIANT MONSTER THAT DEMANDED A YOUNG GIRL
FROM THE VILLAGE EVERY DAY FOR SACRIFICE. THEY WERE
ALL ESPECIALLY SAD BECAUSE TODAY WAS THE KING'S
DAUGHTER'S TURN. PETER TOLD THE KING, "NEVER FEAR; I WILL
GO SLAY THIS MONSTER. DON'T SEND YOUR DAUGHTER."
SO HE WENT AND THROUGH GREAT BRAVERY, SLEW THE MONSTER.
UPON RETURNING TO THE VILLAGE, THE KING WAS OVERJOYED
AND GAVE HIS DAUGHTER'S HAND IN MARRIAGE. THERE WAS
JOY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. ONE DAY PETER WAS OUT ON
A HUNTING TRIP AND WAS CAPTURED BY A WICKED WITCH AND
WAS PLACED IN A DUNGEON; THEN HE WAS TURNED TO STONE.
HIS BROTHER, PAUL, AT THE USUAL TIME, TWISTED HIS MAGIC
RING, AND WHEN IT TURNED BLACK, HE SAID, "MY BROTHER
IS IN TROUBLE; I MUST GO HELP HIM." SO PAUL WENT
BACK TO THE FORK IN THE ROAD AND HEADED IN THIS
BROTHER'S DIRECTION AND CAME UPON THE VILLAGE WHERE
HIS BROTHER'S WIFE AND FAMILY WRE. UPON ARRIVING IN
THE VILLAGE, HE WAS GREETED WITH GREAT JOY AND MISTAKEN
FOR HIS BROTHER, PETER. PAUL SAID NOTHING ABOUT THE
MISTAKE, BECAUSE HE WANTED TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED
TO HIS BROTHER. HE WAS TAKEN TO THE PALACE AND WAS
GREETED AS THE LONG-LOST HUSBAND AND SON-IN-LAW. THAT
EVENING, WHEN IT WAS TIME TO RETIRE, PAUL STILL HADN'T
REVEALED HIS IDENTITY, SO HE SLEPT WITH HIS SISTER-IN-
LAW, BUT PUT A SWORD BETWEEN THEM. HIS SISTER-IN-LAW
WONDERED WHY HE DID THIS. HE SAID THAT THAT WAS HOW
HE MUST SLEEP NOW BECAUSE OF A PROMISE HE HAD MADE.
THE NEXT MORNING, HE SET OUT TO FIND HIS BROTHER
ALONG THE SAME ROUTE HIS BROTHER HAD TAKEN. HE CAME
UPON A GREAT PALACE AND INSIDE HE FOUND A WHOLE
ROOM FULL OF STATUES, WHICH IN REALITY WERE PEOPLE
WHO HAD BEEN TURNED TO STONE BY THE WICKED WITCH. HE
RECOGNIZED HIS BROTHER AND REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED.
HE HID HIMSELF, UNTIL THE WITCH CAME TO THE ROOM. AS
SOON AS SHE RETURNED, BEFORE SHE HAD A CHANCE TO WORK HER
SPELL ON HIM, HE TOOK HER SWORD AND SLEW HER.
IMMEDIATELY, SHE TURNED TO SMOKE AND DISAPPEARED.
AT THAT MOMENT ALL THE STATUES CAME BACK TO LIFE. THE
BROTHERS EMBRACED AND RETURNED TO PETER'S KINGDOM.
ON THE WAY BACK HE TOLD HIS BROTHER WHAT HAD
HAPPENED WHEN HE CAME TO HIS KINGDOM--HOW HE HAD
BEEN TAKEN FOR HIM. AND HE TOLD HIM THE EPISODE
ABOUT THE SWORD. PETER REFUSED TO BELIEVE HIM AND
THOUGHT HIS BROTHER HAD BETRAYED HIM. PETER BECAME
FURIOUS AND KILLED PAUL. THAT NIGHT, WHEN HE WAS
GOING TO BED, HIS WIFE SAID TO HIM, "WHY, PETER,
WHERE'S YOUR SWORD? YOU SAID YOU MUST SLEEP WITH THE
SWORD BETWEEN US." AT THAT MOMENT, PETER REALIZED
THAT HIS BROTHER WAS TELLING THE TRUTH. WITH GREAT
PAIN AND ANGUISH, HE TOOK HIS SWORD AND SLEW HIMSELF.

Submitter comment: INFORMANT GOD THIS STORY FROM HER MOTHER

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; ROSEVILLE

James Callow Keyword(s): TWINS

Date learned: 03-06-1970