Ferdinand the Faithful and Ferdinand the Unfaithful facts for kids

Ferdinand the Faithful and Ferdinand the Unfaithful is a German fairy tale collected by the famous Brothers Grimm. It's tale number 126 in their collection. This story is a classic example of a hero's journey, where a good-hearted person faces challenges and trickery but wins in the end.

This tale belongs to a group of stories called Aarne-Thompson type 531. Other similar tales include The Firebird and Princess Vasilisa and The Story of Pretty Goldilocks. These stories often feature a hero who gets magical help and outsmarts a dishonest rival.

The Mysterious Godfather

Once upon a time, a rich couple lost all their money. Even though they were poor, they had a baby boy. The father looked everywhere for a godfather, but he could only find a beggar.

The beggar agreed to be the godfather. He named the boy Ferdinand the Faithful. The beggar didn't give the boy any gifts or take anything. Instead, he gave the nurse a special key. He told her that when Ferdinand turned fourteen, he should go to a castle on the heath and use the key. Everything inside would then belong to him.

Ferdinand's Discovery

When Ferdinand was seven, other boys bragged about gifts from their godfathers. Ferdinand asked his father about his gift. His father told him about the key, but there was no castle on the heath.

Seven years later, when Ferdinand was fourteen, he went to the heath again. This time, a castle appeared! Inside, there was only a beautiful white horse. Ferdinand took the horse home and decided to travel.

Magical Helpers

On his journey, Ferdinand saw a pen on the road. He passed it by, but a voice told him to pick it up. So, he did. Later, he saved a fish that was stuck on the shore. The grateful fish gave him a magical flute. It promised to help him by bringing back anything he dropped in the water.

Meeting the Unfaithful Ferdinand

Soon, Ferdinand the Faithful met another man. This man was named Ferdinand the Unfaithful. He had learned all about Ferdinand the Faithful's magical items using dark magic. They decided to travel together and stopped at an inn.

A girl at the inn quickly fell in love with Ferdinand the Faithful. She told him he should stay and work for the king. She helped him get a job as a postilion, someone who rides the lead horse of a carriage. Ferdinand the Unfaithful also convinced her to get him a job. She agreed because she didn't trust him and wanted to keep an eye on him.

The King's Impossible Quests

The king was very sad because he couldn't be with the person he loved. Ferdinand the Unfaithful saw his chance to cause trouble. He tricked the king into sending Ferdinand the Faithful to bring back the king's love.

Ferdinand the Faithful felt hopeless. He thought he couldn't do it. But his magical horse spoke to him. It said he needed two ships: one full of bread and one full of meat. The king provided these ships.

Journey for the Princess

Ferdinand the Faithful and his horse set out. Along the way, they met hungry birds. Ferdinand fed them with the bread. Then they met huge giants. He appeased them with the meat. With the giants' help, he was able to carry the sleeping princess back to the king.

The princess, however, declared she couldn't live without her magical writings. These writings were kept in her castle. So, the king sent Ferdinand the Faithful to get them. With the horse's help, he got the writings in the same way.

The Lost Pen

On the way back, Ferdinand accidentally dropped his special pen into the water. The horse sadly told him it could no longer help him. But Ferdinand remembered the fish! He played the magical flute, and the fish came. The fish quickly brought back his lost pen.

A Clever Queen and a Happy Ending

The princess married the king and became queen. But she did not truly love the king. One day, she announced that she knew magical arts. She claimed she could cut off someone's head and put it back on again.

Ferdinand the Unfaithful, always looking for trouble, suggested she try it on Ferdinand the Faithful. The queen did, and she successfully put his head back on. Then, the king wanted to try it too. The queen cut off his head, but this time, she pretended she couldn't put it back on.

With the king gone, the queen married Ferdinand the Faithful. He was now king!

The Horse's Secret Revealed

Finally, the horse told Ferdinand the Faithful to take it back to the castle where they first met. It asked him to ride around the castle three times. As Ferdinand did this, the horse changed back into a handsome king's son. He had been under a spell!