The Sons each take a different path at the crossroads, agreeing to meet again in one year to see what had become of each other.
The oldest wandered into the city and fell in with a band of theives, becoming a master jewel theif. He was given a magical power of speed and nibleness.
The second oldest met a scientist on the road, and studied with him in hopes of following in his footsteps. He was given a magical telescope, which could see through objects.
The Third oldest son was taken in by the Kings hunters, and became a master marksman and hunter.
The youngest son Apprenticed himself to a tailor, who gave him a magical needle which would sew anything together seamlessly.
The year passes and they return home. To see what they have learned, the father sets them a simple task to find a birds nest hidden in a tree.
The second oldest locates the nest with his magic telescope, and sees five eggs under the bird. Not beleiving him, the other's want proof that he can really see through the nest.
The oldest son, the jewel theif, uses his gifts to snatch the eggs from under the bird and replace them with acorns before the bird notices they're gone.
The third son, the hunter, proves his abilities by lining the tiny eggs up on a fence and shooting a hole through all five with just one buttet.
The youngest son then uses his magic needle to sew the eggs back together again, adn the theif replaces them in the birds' nest.
When it was time for them to leave, the men began arguing about which of them would be the most successful. Their father, begging them to stop, makes them promise to work together in whatever they do. They agree, and start off toward the city.
The arrive in the city to find that a dragon has attacked and stolen the Princess. The brothers set out to rescue the Princess, sailing for weeks in the direction they had last seen the dragon.
Eventually, the second brother sees the dragon and the princess with his telescope. The oldest steals her from the dragon, replacing her with a chunk of rock.
The third brother shoots the dragon between the eyes, wounding it, and they run for their ship.
The angry dragon chases them down and attacks their ship. The mast is broken, and the dragon dissapears into the water.
After several hours, the dragon reappears, capsizing the boat and ripping it to shreds, and then dies from previous wounds.
The brothers wake up next morning to find the boat in shreds, but everyone unharmed. The youngest brother sews the boat back together, and they sail home.
Upon arriving, with the princess safe and sound, they are welcomed warmly by the king, who offers the one who saved his daughter her hand in marriage.
The four brothers start arguing over her, and then it degenerates into a fistfight.
Their father walks in, having come up from the farm to welcome them home, and makes them quit fighting. The King decides that, instead of his daughter, he will divide his kingdom in half and give one part to the four brothers to govern.
The brothers worked together to govern their mini-kingdom, and the land prospered.
And everyone lived happily ever after.