The Tale of the Three Brothers

The Tale of the Three Brothers is a fairy tale told to wizard children. Supposedly written by Beedle the Bard, it is published as part of a series of works that collectively are called The Tales of Beedle the Bard. While most wizards view this story as one that teaches children morals (e.g. humility, wisdom, etc.), some believe that the story refers to the Deathly Hallows, three highly powerful magical artefacts coveted by generations of wizards, and the three Peverell brothers who first obtained them. 'The Tale of the Three Brothers' also has a different variation, referring to twilight as midnight to make it more suspenseful for the entertainment of children, but in Dumbledore's original copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard it refers to the journey taking place at twilight.

Story " The tale of the three brothers"
“There were once three brothers who were travelling along a lonely, winding road at twilight. In time, the brothers reached a river too treacherousto pass. However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved their wands and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water. They were halfway across when they found their path blocked by a hooded figure.

And Death spoke to them. He felt cheated for travellers usually drowned in the waters. But Death was cunning. He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon their magic, and said that each had earned a prize for having been clever enough to evade him.

So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of the wizard who had conquered death! So Death crossed to an Elder Tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that hung there, and gave it to the oldest brother.

Then the second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided he wanted to humiliate Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death. So Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him the stone would have the power to bring back the dead.

And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. The youngest brother was a humble man asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death. And Death, reluctantly, handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility.

Then Death stood aside and allowed the three brothers to continue on their way, and they did so, talking with wonder of the adventure they had had, and admiring Death's gifts.

In due course the brothers separated, each for his own destination.

The first brother traveled on for a week or more, and reaching a distant village, sought out a fellow wizard with whom he had a quarrel. Naturally, with the Elder Wand as his weapon, he could not fail to win the duel that followed. Leaving his enemy dead upon the floor, the oldest brother proceeded to an inn.Drunk with the power of the elder wand he boasted that he was invincible.

That very night, another wizard crept upon the oldest brother as he lay, wine-sodden, upon his bed. The thief took the wand, and slit the oldest brother's throat for good measures.So death took the first brother for his own.

Meanwhile, the second brother journeyed to his own home, where he lived alone. Here he took out the stone that had the power to recall the dead, and turned it thrice in his hand. To his amazement and delight, the figure of the girl he once hoped to marry, before her untimely death, appeared before him.

Yet she was sad and cold, separated from him as by a veil. Though she had returned to the mortal world, she did not truly belong there and suffered. Finally the second brother, driven mad with hopeless longing, killed himself so as to truly join her. So death took the second brother.

But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him. It was only when he attained a great age that the youngest brother finally shed the Cloak of Invisibility and give it to his son. And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, as equals, they departed this life.”

The Deathly Hallows


The three objects mentioned during the tale are meant to be the Deathly Hallows, the most powerful magical objects in existence. The Elder Wand is the unbeatable wand of the oldest brother, the Resurrection Stone is the stone given to the second brother, and the Cloak of Invisibility is the cloak given to the third brother that could hide the wearer even from Death. It is believed that whoever succeeds in uniting all three of the Hallows would become the Master of Death. Xenophilius Lovegood, Gellert Grindelwald, and Albus Dumbledore were among those who believed in these items and their continued existence.

The Peverell Brothers
The story is believed to refer to three actual brothers. These three men are Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus Peverell. Antioch was the oldest brother and possessed the Elder Wand, which was not passed down in any true order. It became the property of whoever took from its previous master. It held a long and bloody history, until it came into the hands of Albus Dumbledore, who sought to change its infamous reputation and use it for the good of others. Cadmus was the middle brother and possessed the Resurrection Stone, which passed down until it came into the Gaunt family. Marvolo Gaunt was known to have possession of it, and then it changed hands to his son Morfin, and then to his grandson Tom Riddle. Ignotus was the youngest and possessed the Cloak of Invisibility. This Cloak was passed down through his family, and was eventually given to James Potter. Before James died, Albus Dumbledore had asked to see the Cloak, and still had possession of it until he passed it to Harry Potter on Christmas Day during Harry's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Behind the scenes

 * In the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the scene where Hermione Granger reads this story is replaced with an animated shadow-play sequence which Hermione narrates. In the video game it is the same but the figures in the shadow play interprets differently with characters giving more flesh, and death representing as a skeleton.
 * The story itself also may had been based off the fairy tale, "Three Billy Goats Gruff", in which the characters were depicted as animals who managed to systematically outsmart the danger that lurked beneath the bridge, a troll, by exploiting its inherent stupidity. The only difference is, while the goats managed to avert the danger by cooperating as one, the Peverells took down their own path of life. It also takes some inspiration from the "Three Little Pigs", where it depicts what happened afterwards upon the siblings after what happened on the encounter over the bridge and how they fared after it.
 * According to J. K. Rowling, The Tale of the Three Brothers is loosely based on Geoffrey Chaucer's The Pardoner's Tale.
 * It is possible that this story's moral is that if you are greedy you will die early, as the power-hungry Antioch Peverell asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence and he was the first to die. Cadmus was also greedy but not as much as Antioch, he was the second brother to die. But the youngest brother who was a humble man asked for a thing that he could use to live a long and happy life. And thus because of this he attained a great age and passed The Cloak of Invisibility to his son.
 * There have been some speculations that the 3 brothers correspond to Harry Potter, Severus Snape, and Lord Voldemort, with Harry corresponding to Ignotus (who lives to an old age), Severus corresponding to Cadmus (whose loved one dies), and Lord Voldemort corresponding to Antioch (Power hungry). This also corresponds with the order of the ages of the brothers. Although another possible interpretation may be that the role of Snape as Cadmus is replaced by Albus Dumbledore, whose death was caused by attempting to use the Stone, especially since ultimately it was his choice to end his life.

Appearances

 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
 * Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (video game)
 * The Tales of Beedle the Bard (real)

Notes and references
Le Conte des trois frères Сказка о трёх братьях