Once upon a time, there was a man with twelve sons. The first eleven were big and strong, but the twelfth, named Esben, was just a little guy. The eleven older brothers went out with their father to work in the fields and forests, but Esben preferred to stay home with his mother. Because of this, his brothers didn't really consider him part of the group and treated him like an outsider.

When the eleven brothers grew up, they decided to go out into the world to seek their fortunes. They begged their father to give them what they needed for the journey. The father didn't like the idea much because he was old and weak and needed their help, but eventually, he agreed. Each of the eleven got a fine white horse and money for the journey. They said goodbye to their father and home and rode away.

No one thought about Esben, and his brothers didn't even say goodbye to him. After they left, Esben went to his father and said, "Father, give me a horse and some money too; I want to see the world."

"You little fool," said his father. "If I could have kept your eleven brothers home and let you go, it would have been better for me in my old age."