There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight. In time, the brothers reached a river too treacherous to pass, but being learned in the magical arts, the three brothers simply waved their wands and made a bridge. Before they could cross, however, they found their path blocked by a hooded figure. It was Death, and he felt cheated. Cheated because travelers would normally drown in the river. But Death was cunning.
從前有三兄弟，在暮色中沿著一條孤寂、蜿蜒的道路行走。最後，三兄弟到達一條險詐難渡的河，不過他們深諳魔法，於是三兄弟就揮揮魔杖變出一座橋。然而，在渡河前，他們發現一個戴兜帽的人影擋住去路。那是死神，死神覺得被三兄弟矇騙了。因為途經的旅客通常會溺死在河中。不過死神是很狡詐的。
He pretended to congratulate the three brothers on their magic, and said that each should earn a prize for having been clever enough to evade him. The oldest asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence, so Death fashioned him one from an elder tree that stood nearby. The second brother decided he wanted to humiliate Death even further, and asked for the power to recall loved ones from the grave. So Death plucked a stone from the river and offered it to him. Finally, Death turned to the third brother. A humble man, he asked for something that would allow him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And so it was that Death reluctantly handed over his own cloak of invisibility.
他假裝向三兄弟道賀他們高明的魔法，並說他們每個人都該為聰明到能躲過他而得到一項獎勵。大哥討了一根世上最有威力的魔杖，於是死神便用附近的一株接骨木做一根魔杖給他。二哥決定他要更進一步羞辱死神，便要求能從墳墓喚醒所愛的能力。死神從河中撿出一顆石頭交給他。最後，死神轉向最小的弟弟。小弟是個謙遜的人，他要求一樣能讓他從此地繼續前進，且不被死神跟隨的物品。於是死神不情願地交出自己的隱形斗篷。
The first brother traveled to a distant village, while with the Elder Wand in hand, he killed a wizard with whom he had once quarrelled. Drunk with the power that the Elder Wand had given him, he bragged of his invincibility. But that night, another wizard stole the wand and slit the brother's throat for good measure. And so Death took the first brother for his own.
大哥去到一座遙遠的村莊，有了接骨木魔杖在手，他殺死曾和他有過節的一位巫師。陶醉在接骨木魔杖賦予他的力量中，他吹噓自己的所向無敵。但那夜，另一個巫師偷走魔杖而且還劃破大哥的喉嚨以絕後患。於是死神得到大哥。
The second brother journeyed to his home, where he took the stone and turned it thrice in hand. To his delight, the girl he'd once hoped to marry before her untimely death appeared before him. Yet soon she turned sad and cold, for she did not belong in the mortal world. Driven mad with hopeless longing, the second brother killed himself so as to join her. And so Death took the second brother.
二哥回到家中，他拿出石頭並在手中轉三次。令他喜出望外的是，曾想迎娶卻不幸早逝的那女孩出現在他面前。然而不久後她變得憂傷且冰冷，因為她並不屬於人世。被不可能的想望給逼瘋，二哥自殺好和女孩相守。於是死神得到二哥。
As for the third brother, Death searched for many years but was never able to find him. Only when he attained a great age did the youngest brother shed the cloak of invisibility and give it to his son. He then greeted Death as an old friend and went with him gladly, departing this life as equals.
至於三弟，死神尋找多年，但從沒能找到他。只有到他十分年邁時，他才脫下隱形斗篷並將其交給兒子。他後來像是個多年好友般向死神打招呼，並欣然地和死神一起走，以同等地位之姿離開人世。
