The Bird of Truth facts for kids

The Bird of Truth is a classic fairy tale from Spain. It was first written down by Cecilia Böhl de Faber in her collection called Cuentos de encantamiento. Later, Andrew Lang also included this magical story in his famous book, The Orange Fairy Book. It's a tale about two special children, a talking bird, and a quest to uncover the truth.

The Story of the Bird of Truth

The Found Children

A kind fisherman found two beautiful children, a girl and a boy, floating in a crystal cradle on the river. He and his wife decided to raise them as their own. As the children grew, their older stepbrothers were often unkind to them. The boy and girl would often go to the riverbank. There, they would feed breadcrumbs to the birds. Because of their kindness, the birds taught them how to understand and speak their language.

A Journey for Answers

One day, the oldest stepbrother teased them about not knowing their real parents. This made the boy and girl decide to leave home and seek their own way in the world. While resting during their journey, they overheard some birds talking. One bird shared a secret: the king had married a tailor's youngest daughter, even though many nobles disagreed. The king then had to go to war.

When the king returned, he was told that his wife had given birth to twins who had died. People said the queen was very sad and had gone mad. She was kept in a tower in the mountains for her health. But the bird revealed the truth: the babies had not died! They were taken to a gardener's house. That night, a royal helper threw them into the river in a crystal cradle. The children listening immediately recognized this part of the story. It was exactly how the fisherman had found them!

The Quest for the Bird of Truth

The bird continued its story, saying that only the special Bird of Truth could tell the king what really happened. This magical bird was kept by a giant who lived in a castle called Come-and-never-go. The giant only slept for a short time each day. To find the castle, one needed help from a witch. But the witch would only help if she received water from the Fountain of Many Colours. Also, the Bird of Truth was surrounded by other birds that looked similar. Only a wise owl could tell which one was the real Bird of Truth.

The Brother's Brave Adventure

The children went to a city and asked for a place to stay for the night. They were so helpful that the innkeeper asked them to stay longer. The girl agreed, but her brother decided to continue his quest alone. A dove guided him to follow the wind. Following the wind led him to the witch's tower. He asked the witch for directions to the castle of Come-and-never-go. The witch tried to make him stay the night. When he refused, she demanded a jug of the many-colored water. If he didn't bring it, she threatened to turn him into a lizard. She then sent a dog to show him the way to the water.

At the castle, the boy heard the owl's cry and asked for its advice. The owl told him to fill his jug from a different fountain. It also told him to find the white bird in the corner, not the brightly colored ones. He had only fifteen minutes to complete these tasks. He succeeded! When he brought the water back, the witch threw it over him. She tried to turn him into a parrot. Instead, he became even more handsome! All the creatures around the hut then jumped into the water and turned back into humans. The witch quickly ran away.

The Truth Revealed

The royal helpers who had abandoned the children tried to stop the king from hearing about the boy and girl. But they talked so much about it that the king overheard their commotion. He became curious. When the Bird of Truth flew to him, the king listened to its story. The king immediately went to hug his children. Then, all three of them went to free his wife, their mother, from the tower. The courtiers who had done wrong were punished for their actions. The kind fisherman and his wife, who had raised the children, were given many riches and great honor.