The oldest son heard the ogre whenever he approached, and each of his brothers put up an obstacle:  one washed his hands and produced a sea of soapsuds, one transformed a piece of iron into a field of razors, one turned a little stick into a forest, and one turned a little bit of water into a river.
The eldest son detected the ogre's presence as he drew near, and each of his brothers erected an impediment:  one purified himself to unleash a soap-filled flood, one transmuted metal into a treacherous terrain, one transformed a slender stick into a dense woodland, and one converted a minuscule amount of water into a raging current.