The Crystal Ball (fairy tale) facts for kids

The Crystal Ball (which in German is Die Kristallkugel) is a classic fairy tale from Germany. It was collected by the famous Brothers Grimm, who gathered many well-known stories like "Cinderella" and "Little Red Riding Hood." This particular tale is number 197 in their collection. It tells the exciting adventure of a brave young prince who tries to save a princess from a magical castle.

Where the Story Came From

The Brothers Grimm found the story of The Crystal Ball in a book by Friedmund von Arnim. In his book, it was called "The Castle of the Golden Sun." This shows how old stories often get passed down and sometimes change a little as they are retold.

The Prince and the Sorceress

Once upon a time, there was a powerful sorceress who had three sons. She was very worried about them for some reason. Because of her fear, she used her magic to change her two oldest sons.

• She turned her oldest son into a mighty eagle.
• Her second son became a giant whale.

These two brothers could only turn back into their human form for two hours each day. The youngest son saw what happened to his brothers. He was very scared and quickly ran away before his mother could use her magic on him too.

The Quest for the Princess

The youngest prince decided to go on a grand adventure. He wanted to find and rescue a princess who was trapped by a spell. She was held prisoner in a mysterious place called the Castle of the Golden Sun.

On his journey, the prince saw two huge giants arguing. They were fighting over a special wishing cap. The giants asked the prince to help them settle their argument. The prince put on the cap, but he forgot he was wearing it! He then wished himself to the castle, and instantly, he was there.

Finding the Crystal Ball

Inside the Castle of the Golden Sun, the prince met the princess. She told him that only a special crystal ball could break the powerful spell holding her captive. The princess gave him important directions. She told him to go down the mountain and find a wild bull next to a spring.

• The prince had to fight the bull.
• If he defeated it, a bird would fly out of the bull.
• He then had to make the bird drop an egg it carried.
• The crystal ball was actually the yolk inside this egg!

However, there was a big danger: if the egg touched the ground, it would set everything around it on fire.

The Brothers' Help

The prince bravely fought the wild bull and defeated it. Just as the princess had said, a bird flew out of the bull. But then, his brother, the eagle, appeared! The eagle chased the bird until it dropped the egg.

The egg fell onto a fisherman's hut, and immediately, the hut burst into flames! But then, his other brother, the whale, came to the rescue. The whale created huge waves that drowned the burning hut, putting out the fire.

The youngest brother quickly grabbed the crystal ball. He took it to the enchanter who had cast the spell on the princess. The enchanter admitted that he was defeated. He also told the prince that the crystal ball would break the spells on his brothers too! The prince hurried back to the princess. They were both so happy and exchanged rings as a promise to each other.