The boys talked about this many times until finally they decided to take a chance and see what the world had to offer. Secretly, they packed bundles for themselves, sneaked out early in the morning, and met at a place on the outskirts of the hamlet. After taking one last look at their miserable little cottages in the distance, they headed off. This was it! There was no turning back!

     It didn't matter which direction they chose. Any one would do.

     After several hours, they found themselves deep in a forest they had never been in before. The trees were so tall they blocked out the sun, making the forest dark and spooky even in the daytime. There was no path to follow. The boys just walked straight ahead.

     "I think we're lost," said Willy.

     "We're not lost, we're exploring," said Moe. "There's a difference."

     So the boys continued ever deeper into the mysterious forest.

     As they approached a large tree, a lovely young woman stepped out from behind it. She had long, golden hair and was dressed in a beautiful blue gown. The boys were startled.

     "Who are you?" asked Moe hesitantly.

     The young woman replied, "My name is Ella. I'm a fairy."

     The boys looked at each other in amazement. Zink said to Ella, "We've heard of fairies...but we never met one before. I sure hope you're friendly."

     Ella smiled. "All fairies are friendly. Here, I have a surprise for you." She held out her hand. In it lay three golden pills. "These are for you...if you want them."

     "What are they for?" asked Willy.

     The fairy replied, "These are very special pills. One will make you very rich. One will make you very strong...And one will kill you."

     The three boys stared in fascination. "Which one is which?" asked Moe. "They all look alike."

     "Yes," said the fairy. "That's the point. You can't tell one from another...until you take it, of course. Now, since there are three of you, you may each take a pill and hope for the best."

     "Do we have to?" asked Zink nervously.

     "You don't have to do anything," said Ella. "You can go back home for all I care."

     Well, that sounded like a dare if ever there was one. For three peasant boys in search of adventure, it would be hard to refuse three magic pills from a fairy, even if one of them would kill you.

     Willy asked the fairy, "What are the rules? Do we have to swallow them now? Can we trade them? Can we throw them away if we don't want to take them?"

     "You can do whatever you like," replied the fairy.

     Moe got up his courage and took one of the pills from Ella's hand. "I'll take this one. But I'm going to save it for later."

     Zink reached out and took another. "I guess I'll take this one." He compared his with Moe's and wondered if he should trade. But since they looked the same, what difference would it make?

     Willy reached out and took the last pill from the fairy's hand. "I might as well go along," he said. "After all, I can change my mind later."

     "Of course, you can," said Ella. "Good luck, boys." And with those words, she stepped behind the tree and disappeared.

     The boys stood there for a while trying to grasp what had happened. They knew they weren't dreaming because three people can't have the same dream. They looked at their pills. If they all took them, one would become very rich, one would be very strong...and one would end up very dead. It was a lot to think about. They put their pills in their pockets to save them for later.

     As they continued walking, they wondered if there were any more fairies lurking in the forest, waiting to give them golden pills or other mysterious things. However, they didn't meet any.

     "Maybe it's all a joke," said Willy. "Maybe the pills don't do anything."

     "Don't be silly. Fairies don't play jokes," said Zink, as if he knew what he was talking about.

     "Well, then, why don't you take your pill and find out?" said Willy.

     "I'd rather not, if you don't mind," said Zink. "At least not now."

     The boys stopped for a while to eat some food and drink some water. After a short rest, they continued on their way.

     "I'd like to be rich," remarked Moe as they walked. "Rich is best." The others agreed. The rich pill was definitely the best.

     "Of course, the strong pill would be good, too," said Zink, who was not very strong. "Being strong is certainly good if you can't be rich." And the others agreed.

     No one wanted to speak of the third pill, which was the death pill.

     Sometime in the afternoon, the boys emerged from the forest and found themselves facing a ridge of high, rocky hills. They did not look particularly safe for climbing. In fact, the whole place looked barren and not very nice at all. And to make things worse, dark storm clouds were brewing. Far away, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. It was heading their way.

     "This looks pretty bad," said Willy. "We'd better find some shelter."

     The boys walked along the base of the hills, looking for any place to take cover, when they saw a huge boulder. "What a strange place for a boulder," said Moe. "Right up against the hillside."

     "Look! I think there's a cave behind it!" said Zink.

     The boys looked closer. Yes, the boulder was indeed blocking the entrance to a cave!

     "If we could only get inside!" said Willy. He leaned against the boulder, but it didn't budge. All three of them tried, but it was no use. It would take the strength of a giant to move it. They looked at each other. They were all thinking the same thing: whoever had the strong pill could probably move the boulder.

     They all took out their pills and looked at them and wondered.

     "I assume the strong pill makes you strong for the rest of your life, not just for one time," said Moe.

     "Of course," said Zink and Willy, only because it seemed logical.

     The rain began to fall. It came down harder and harder, driven by a fierce wind. Lightning flashed many times, filling the air with terrifying thunder.

     "We can't wait around wondering! We have to get inside the cave!" said Zink urgently. "Come on, Moe, you're the brave one! Take your pill!"

     "But I wanted the rich pill!" said Moe.

     "Never mind that," said Zink. "Whoever gets the rich pill will reward you. Take your pill and see if it's the strong one."

     "Please, Moe, hurry!" exclaimed Willy.