Ileana Simziana facts for kids
The story of Ileana Simziana (pronounced Ee-lay-ah-na Sin-zee-ah-na) is a famous Romanian fairy tale. It was written down by Petre Ispirescu between 1872 and 1886. This magical tale is also known by other names like The Princess Who Would be a Prince or Helena Goldengarland. It tells the exciting adventure of a brave young princess. She disguises herself as a man to help another emperor. Her journey leads her to rescue the beautiful Princess Ileana. Along the way, something truly amazing happens: a special curse turns her into a man, who then becomes the famous Făt-Frumos (a Romanian Prince Charming). In the end, he marries Ileana, and they live happily ever after.
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Story of Ileana Simziana
This tale begins with an emperor who has three daughters. He is very sad because he wanted a son. His oldest daughter bravely asks him what is wrong. She offers to serve another emperor as a soldier to make him happy.
The Emperor's Test
To test her, the emperor creates a copper bridge. He then turns himself into a fierce wolf. The oldest daughter gets scared and runs back to the palace. The same thing happens with the middle daughter. She also gets frightened by the wolf and returns home.
The Youngest Daughter's Journey
Finally, the youngest daughter decides to go on the journey. She rides her father's old horse. She faces her father on three different bridges. First, he appears as a wolf, then as a lion, and finally as a scary twelve-headed dragon. Each time, the brave girl defeats him.
Rescuing Princess Ileana
The girl arrives at the court of a "great and strong emperor." He asks her to rescue his daughter, Ileana Simziana. A giant had kidnapped the princess. The girl bravely rescues Ileana. After this, the emperor asks her to find his special herd of enchanted mares. The girl succeeds in this task too.
The Holy Water Quest
Then, Princess Ileana Simziana asks the emperor's daughter for one more thing. She wants her to bring the Holy Water. This water is kept in a small church above the Jordan River. It is guarded by nuns who never sleep. The girl manages to get the Holy Water.
A Magical Transformation
However, the monk who looks after the church prays to God. He asks that if the thief is a man, they become a woman, and if a woman, they become a man. Because of this prayer, the princess suddenly turns into a prince! He is now Făt-Frumos, the charming prince. He marries Ileana Simziana, and they live happily ever after.
Different Versions of the Story
Fairy tales often have many different versions. These are called "variants."
The Violet Fairy Book
One version of Ileana Simziana is called The Girl Who Pretended to be a Boy. It was published in 1901 by Andrew Lang in his book, The Violet Fairy Book. This English version came from a Romanian collection called Sept Contes Roumains (Seven Romanian Stories), edited by Jules Brun and Leo Bachelin in 1894.
Armenian Variant
There is also an Armenian version of the story. It is called The Girl who Changed into a Boy. In this tale, the king's daughter, who is married to the hero, orders her father to send the knight (who is disguised as a boy) on dangerous quests. She hopes these quests will get rid of "him."
