The Gnome (fairy tale) facts for kids

The Gnome is a classic German fairy tale. It was collected by the famous Brothers Grimm and published in their book, Grimm's Fairy Tales. This story is tale number 91 in their collection. It is a type of story known as "The Quest for the Vanished Princesses."

The Story of The Gnome

The Vanishing Princesses

Once upon a time, a king had a special tree. If anyone ate fruit from this tree, they would disappear underground. The king's three daughters wanted to know if this was true. The youngest daughter believed their father loved them too much for anything bad to happen. So, they all ate the fruit and vanished deep underground. The king became very worried about his missing daughters. He promised that whoever could save them would marry one of his daughters.

The Huntsmen's Journey

Three brave huntsmen decided to try and rescue the princesses. They found a large castle that seemed empty. Inside, there was food set out on a table. They waited for a while, then ate the food. They agreed to draw lots to decide who would stay at the castle to make camp. The other two would go out and search for the princesses.

The Gnome's Challenge

The eldest huntsman stayed behind. A small gnome appeared and begged him for bread. The huntsman gave him a small piece, but the gnome wanted the whole loaf. When the huntsman refused, the gnome suddenly attacked him. The gnome beat him until he was unconscious and took all the bread. The same thing happened to the second huntsman.

Later, the third huntsman returned and found his companions unconscious. He quickly figured out the gnome was responsible. He blamed the gnome for ambushing his friends. The gnome was forced to apologize for his actions. He promised to show the third huntsman how to rescue the king's daughters. The gnome led him to a deep, dry well. He warned the huntsman that his companions might betray him. He said the huntsman must go down alone. Then, the gnome vanished.

Rescuing the Princesses

The third huntsman told his two companions what the gnome had said. They all went to the well. The eldest and second huntsmen tried to be lowered into the well. However, they both panicked and were pulled back up. The youngest huntsman bravely went down alone. At the bottom, he found the king's daughters. They were being held captive by fearsome dragons. One princess was guarded by a nine-headed dragon. Another had a five-headed dragon. The last princess was with a four-headed dragon.

The youngest huntsman fought and killed all the dragons. He then sent the king's daughters up to the surface in a basket. After they were safe, he put a large rock in the basket. His older brothers, being dishonest, cut the rope. They left him at the bottom of the well. They then took the princesses back to the king, claiming they had rescued them.

Justice and Reward

The youngest huntsman was trapped. He found a magical flute. When he played it, elfs appeared. The elves helped him get back to the surface. Once he was back, the princesses told the king the truth. They explained how the youngest huntsman had saved them. They also revealed how his brothers had betrayed him. The king was very angry. He made sure the older brothers faced serious consequences for their dishonesty. The king then allowed the youngest huntsman to marry the youngest princess. This was his reward for being brave and doing the right thing.