There once was a man who married two women, and both of his wives gave birth to two brothers who looked exactly alike – not just twins, but exact replicas of each other. They had the same blonde hair, blue eyes, and even the same voice pitch. They both bore the name John.
One day, one of the wives died, leaving her son to be with his brother. However, the other wife wanted to give her child better treatment and to ignore the deceased wife's son.
Due to how identical the twins looked, she wasn't able to favor one as she wished. As the days passed, the brothers received the same treatment. But one day, the wife got an idea. While the brothers were out playing, she pretended to be sick on the floor with a sewing needle. When the brothers entered the house, her son rushed to her aid, allowing the mother to mark him by striking the needle in his ear, enabling her to distinguish her son.
The next day, the father died, leaving the two brothers alone with their mom. The mother now treated her son much better than the deceased wife's son, which became evident. She gave her son the fresh bread while the other received the stale bread, and the larger portion of meat always went to her son. Her son didn't notice, as the treatment was good, and he forgot about his brother. One day, while the brothers were out fetching water, John, the son of the deceased wife, told his brother, "You can see that our mom is treating you better than me, and I've had enough of it." He went silent for a few moments and then said, "I'll be leaving the house," he told his brother. The brother felt shocked and didn't know how to react, just saying, "How will I even know what's going on in your life?" He questioned, fearing that his brother might die after leaving the house.
John, the son of the deceased wife, said, "I'll plant a tree, and if that tree stays green, it means I am alright, but if it dies down, it means I am in danger." The next day, John took what he could – his sword, a horse, and food that would last him a while – and went on his journey.
After a few days, he met a farmer who was feeding his sheep but there were two areas – one lively and green, the other seemingly dead. The farmer was feeding in the dead area. John asked him in confusion, "Why aren't you feeding them on the green side?"
"It's a home for the great goblin; even the king couldn't kill him" said the farmer.
Feeling courageous, John took out his sword and entered the goblin's area. Right after doing so, he started feeling the ground shaking. He dismounted his horse and continued on foot. The further he went, the stronger the shaking became, until he laid eyes on a huge creature surrounded by human skulls.
John felt the great danger he was in, but it was already too late to go back. The goblin sensed him and started looking for him. John started thinking of a way to kill the goblin. He thought if he jumped on its neck and sliced it open, it would be a fatal blow. He waited for the right moment and jumped. The goblin caught him in the middle of the air, shocking him. John felt he was dying.
The goblin opened its mouth and said, "I'll keep you for later. My tank is full now, haha!"
John felt both relieved and scared. He might have a second chance, but he also might be at the end of his journey. Meanwhile, the tree that John planted seemed to be dead. The brother saw it and got scared for his brother's life, packing his things and going after him to save him from what had happened.
After riding the horse at the fastest speed possible, he arrived where the farmers fed their sheep, and they told him that their father said a guy went into the green area to defeat the great goblin but never came out. He knew it was his brother, and without a second thought, he went inside. He found his brother's horse, but it was eaten. The only thing there were the bones. He knew the danger was at its limits, so he slowly proceeded. The goblin jumped him, but he shot with his gun and killed the goblin, leaving it to bleed everywhere until its certain death.
Upon reaching his brother, he seemed to be ten years younger. He tried to wake up his brother, giving him water and some food. The brother's life was saved. After leaving the green area, children started jumping around the brothers, screaming, "The legend was true! My grandma was right; the heroes are back, everyone!" The brothers were confused. Why were these kids saying such things? And a legend, the brother said. "I just spent a few hours there," he thought to himself.
After a while, a few people from the village arrived and told the brothers that they were legends. They mentioned that their great-grandparents had met both of them when they went to the green area. They now understood why the brother seemed younger. Time was not the same on both sides.
After hearing that, they looked at each other and said, "Our home!" They started running to their house. When they arrived, they saw a whole city built on top of their home. They had nowhere to go, but at that moment, a king's guard called for them, asking both brothers to come with him.
They had to obey and go with the guard. Upon arriving, a great festival was waiting for the heroes, with kids shouting their names, women trying to flirt with them, and men clapping and cheering them up. It was heaven for the brothers, but that wasn't everything. After kneeling before the king, he said, "I grant you any wish you want. For decades, we tried to kill the goblin, but none of us succeeded. You, the brothers, were able to do it. Therefore, along with the huge gift of gold, you will get any wish you want."
John and John were happy and asked the king for eternal happiness and to live in peace inside the castle. The king agreed, and the brothers spent the rest of their lives in the dreams of their childhood.
