Făt-Frumos with the Golden Hair facts for kids

Făt-Frumos with the Golden Hair (which means Făt-Frumos with the Golden Hair in Romanian) is a popular fairy tale from Romania. It was collected by Petre Ispirescu and published in his book Legende sau basmele românilor (Legends or Romanian Fairy Tales). The story is also sometimes called The Foundling Prince. It tells the adventures of a special young hero who overcomes challenges and finds his true place.

The Mysterious Beginning of Făt-Frumos

The story begins with a hermit, a person who lives alone, far from others. One day, a small box floated down the river to his quiet home. Inside the box, the hermit found a beautiful baby boy. There was also a letter explaining that the baby's mother was a king's daughter. She had sent him away because she was afraid of her parents.

A magical grape vine soon grew inside the hermit's hut. Its delicious fruit provided all the food the hermit and the baby needed. The hermit named the boy Făt-Frumos, which means "Handsome Prince" or "Brave Youth" in Romanian.

A Special Horse and a New Journey

As Făt-Frumos grew up, the old hermit eventually passed away. Before he died, the hermit told Făt-Frumos about a special secret. A lion would come to dig his grave, and Făt-Frumos should look in the attic. There, he would find some old horse reins. If he shook these reins, a powerful horse would appear.

Făt-Frumos followed his foster father's instructions. The horse appeared and gave him wonderful clothes. With his new companion, Făt-Frumos rode off to begin his own adventures.

Adventures with the Fairies

The magical horse guided Făt-Frumos to a new place. It told him to take a job working for three fairies. The horse also shared a secret about the fairies' bathroom. Every seven years, a flow of pure gold would fill it. Anyone who bathed in this gold would have their hair turn golden. There was also a chest with three amazing suits of clothing hidden there.

One day, the fairies went to a party. They told Făt-Frumos to call them back if the gold started to flow. It did! The horse told Făt-Frumos to bathe in the golden flow himself and take the special clothes. He did as he was told, and his hair turned golden. With the magical suits, they quickly escaped from the fairies.

The Gardener's Assistant

To keep his golden hair a secret, Făt-Frumos hid it. He then found a job working for a gardener at a king's palace. He became an undergardener, doing simple tasks.

The Princesses and the Melons

The king had three daughters. One day, the oldest princess decided to bring melons to her father. Her melon was overripe. Her middle sister brought a perfectly ripe melon. The youngest princess brought a melon that was almost ripe.

The king's advisors explained what this meant. The oldest princess was ready for marriage. The middle sister was also ready. Even the youngest princess was nearly ready for marriage. Soon, many princes and nobles came to the palace, hoping to marry the princesses.

The First Wedding and the Golden-Haired Rider

The oldest princess married a prince. As the wedding parade left the castle, only the youngest princess stayed behind. This was Făt-Frumos's chance! He let his golden hair flow free and put on one of his magical suits. This suit looked like a beautiful flowering meadow. He rode his powerful horse through the garden, causing a lot of damage.

The youngest princess was amazed by the mysterious rider. The gardener was very angry about the ruined garden. But the princess gave him gold and told him not to punish Făt-Frumos.

The Second Wedding and the Starry Night

When the second sister married, the youngest princess again stayed behind. Făt-Frumos once more let his golden hair shine. This time, he wore a suit that looked like the starry night sky. He rode his horse, ruining the garden again. The youngest princess gave the gardener two handfuls of gold to protect Făt-Frumos.

The King's Feast and the Sun, Moon, and Stars

Later, the king held a big feast at his hunting lodge. The youngest princess chose not to go. Făt-Frumos took this opportunity to reveal himself again. He let his golden hair loose and wore his most magnificent suit, which showed the sun, the moon, and the stars. He rode his horse through the garden, damaging it so badly that it took weeks to recover. The youngest princess gave the gardener three handfuls of gold to keep Făt-Frumos safe.

The Golden Apple Test

The king noticed that his youngest daughter was always sad. His advisors suggested a special test to find her husband. All the princes and nobles would walk under a gate. The princess would drop a golden apple to the person she wanted to marry.

Many important people walked under the gate, but the princess did not drop the apple. Finally, all the servants walked by. Last of all came the "bald" undergardener, who was Făt-Frumos in disguise. The princess immediately dropped the golden apple to him.

The king was very upset. He refused to let his daughter marry a simple gardener. But the princess dropped the apple to Făt-Frumos three times in a row. Because of this, the king finally agreed. They married quietly, and the king gave them a small hut in a distant part of his courtyard.

The War and the Secret Hero

The princes who had wanted to marry the youngest princess were very angry. They joined forces and attacked the king, her father. The king's other sons-in-law, who were princes, gathered their armies to help him.

Făt-Frumos said he would also help, but his father-in-law made fun of him. He only allowed Făt-Frumos to come along as a water carrier. However, when no one was looking, Făt-Frumos changed into his magical clothes from the fairies. He then secretly joined the king's army and helped them fight.

The enemy forces attacked three times. During the third attack, Făt-Frumos was wounded. The king gave him a handkerchief to tie around his wound.

The Cure for the King's Blindness

Later, the king started to lose his eyesight. It was discovered that only the milk of rare red wild goats could cure him. His sons-in-law set out to find this special milk.

Făt-Frumos also went to find the goats. He succeeded in getting the milk. He offered to sell some to his brothers-in-law. But there was a condition: they had to let him brand them, like marking them as his servants. They agreed, thinking they could escape later. However, only Făt-Frumos's milk truly restored the king's sight.

Făt-Frumos Reveals Himself

At a grand banquet, Făt-Frumos finally revealed his true identity. He announced that he had branded the other two kings as his servants. He also told everyone that he was the secret hero who had helped the king's army win the war.

The king asked Făt-Frumos to appear as he had during the battle. When Făt-Frumos did so, the king was so impressed that he gave up his throne to him. The first thing Făt-Frumos did as the new king was to free his brothers-in-law.