Travelling Companion
John had just come out of the wood， when a strong man's voice called out behind him， "Halloo， comrade？ Whither are you journeying？"
"Into the wide world！" he replied. "I have neither father nor mother， and am but a poor lad； but Providence will help me."
"I am going out into the wide world， too，" said the strange man： "shall we two keep one another company？"
"Yes， certainly，" said John； and so they went on together. Soon they became very fond of each other， for they were both good souls. But John saw that the stranger was much more clever than himself. He had travelled through almost the whole world， and could tell of almost everything that existed.
The sun already stood high when they seated themselves under a great tree to eat their breakfast； and just then an old woman came up. Oh， she was very old， and walked quite bent， leaning upon a crutch； upon her back she carried a bundle of firewood which she had collected in the forest. Her apron was tucked up， and John saw that three great stalks of fern and some willow twigs stuck out of it. When she was close to them， her foot slipped； she fell and gave a loud scream， for she had broken her leg， the poor old woman！
John directly proposed that they should carry the old woman home to her dwelling； but the stranger opened his knapsack， took out a little jar， and said that he had a salve there which would immediately make her leg whole and strong， so that she could walk home herself， as if she had never broken her leg at all. But for that he required that she should give him the three rods which she carried in her apron.
"That would be paying well！" said the old woman， and she nodded her head in a strange way. She did not like to give away the rods， but then it was not agreeable to lie there with a broken leg. So she gave him the wands； and as soon as he had only rubbed the ointment on her leg， the old mother arose， and walked much better than before--such was the power of this ointment. But then it was not to be bought at the chemist's.
"What do you want with the rods？" John askedhistravelling companion.
"Theyarethree capital fern brooms，" replied he. "I like those very much， for I am a whimsical fellow."