The Enchanted Princess facts for kids
The Enchanted Princess (in German: Die verzauberte Prinzessin) is a classic German fairy tale. It was first shared by Ludwig Bechstein in his book Deutsches Märchenbuch in 1845. This story is a type of tale known as "The Grateful Animals" (ATU tale type 554). It teaches us about kindness and how helping others can lead to great rewards.
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The Story of the Enchanted Princess
A long time ago, there lived a poor leather craftsman who had two sons. The father liked his older son, Hellmerich, more. Hellmerich was proud and thought only of himself. But his father believed he was brave. The younger son, Hans, was kind and good-hearted. However, his father thought Hans was not very smart.
One day, the craftsman heard some exciting news at an inn. He learned that a Princess had been taken and put under a magic spell in a castle. An evil sorcerer was holding her. Anyone who could complete three difficult tasks would marry the Princess. They would also win the sorcerer's treasures.
The craftsman rushed home and asked Hellmerich to try this challenge. Hellmerich agreed. His father spent all his last money to buy Hellmerich a horse and a sword. Hellmerich said goodbye to his family and rode off.
Hellmerich's Journey
Hellmerich rode through a forest that surrounded the sorcerer's castle. As he went, he was not kind to nature. He destroyed a beehive, leaving the bees without a home. He also trampled an anthill and killed some ducks near a pond.
He finally reached the castle and knocked loudly on the door. An old woman came out. She told him to return to the castle at nine o'clock. Hellmerich was angry and spent the night in the forest.
The next morning, he went back to the castle. The old woman appeared with a basket full of seeds. She scattered them all over the grass. She told Hellmerich that his first task was to pick up all the seeds. He had one hour to put them back in the basket. The woman left him. Hellmerich just laughed. He thought the task was silly and went for a walk instead.
When he came back, the woman was very upset. He had not even tried the task. Next, she took twelve golden keys and threw them into a pond. This was Hellmerich's second task. He had one hour to get all the keys back. Again, she left him. And again, Hellmerich did not try. He went for another walk. He returned in an hour, and the woman was angry with him once more.
She gave him one last chance. She took Hellmerich into the castle. They went up a big winding staircase to a room. In the room were three figures covered with veils. She warned him to think carefully before choosing. She left him, giving him one hour to decide. Hellmerich quickly chose the figure on the right. It turned out to be a huge fire-breathing dragon! The figure on the left was another dragon. The one in the middle was the Princess. The Sorcerer was very angry. He had the dragon remove Hellmerich from the castle for his failure.
Hans's Adventure
After some time, the father was still waiting for news of Hellmerich. Hans decided to try the challenge himself. His father was not sure, but Hans wanted to prove himself. Hans left without a horse or sword. His father had sold everything for Hellmerich.
Hans took the same path through the forest. But he was kind to everyone he met. He thanked the birds for their beautiful singing. He helped rebuild the anthill. He picked lovely pollen flowers for the bees to help their hive. He even shared his breakfast with some ducks.
He arrived at the castle and politely asked the woman if he could try the challenge. The woman asked him to come back at nine. The next morning, she gave him the task with the seeds. Hans tried his best, but it was very hard. After fifteen minutes, he almost gave up. Suddenly, a long line of ants appeared! They picked up every single seed and put them back in the basket. Hans was very thankful and thanked them. The old woman returned and was very happy with Hans's progress.
She then dropped the twelve keys into the pond. Hans had one hour to get them all back. Hans was worried because he was not a strong swimmer. He tried, but it seemed impossible. Just when all hope seemed lost, the ducks he had met in the forest came to help! They retrieved each one of the keys for him. Hans was again very grateful and thanked them.
The old woman returned and was very impressed. She took Hans to the room with the three veiled figures. The Sorcerer himself was there too. The woman warned Hans about the consequences if he chose the wrong one. She left him, giving him one hour to decide. Hans was still thinking when a swarm of bees flew through the window. They buzzed around the figure in the middle.
When the old woman came back, Hans told her and the Sorcerer that the middle one was the Princess. The veils fell, showing that Hans had made the right choice! Hans gratefully thanked the bees for their help.
The Happy Ending
With the spell broken, the Sorcerer and the two dragons were gone. The beautiful Princess took Hans back to her palace. He became her husband. Hans's father was invited to the wedding. Even though they had lost Hellmerich, he was very pleased for Hans. He gave Hans his blessing, feeling ashamed for thinking so little of him before.
Other Versions of the Story
- Some versions of this tale say that Hellmerich was called Elmerico. For failing the tasks, he was turned into stone or thrown into a dark pit forever. In these stories, Hans was called John. After he finished the tasks, his brother was changed back to normal. The Sorcerer and the evil dragons were thrown into the pit.
- This story was also made into a storybook and cassette in the Once Upon a Time Fairy Tale series. In that version, the craftsman is named Marcus. His two sons are Henry and John. The Princess is named Esmerelda, and the old woman is called the Sorcerer's assistant.
