The Golden Branch facts for kids

The Golden Branch is a classic fairy tale from France. It was written by Madame d'Aulnoy. This story was also included in The Red Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, which is a famous collection of fairy tales.

The Story of The Golden Branch

This tale is about a prince and a princess who go on amazing adventures. They both learn important lessons about inner beauty and true love.

The Prince's Magical Journey

Once, there was a king who was not very kind. He had a son who was not handsome but had a good heart. The king wanted his son to marry an equally plain princess to form an alliance. However, the prince did not want to marry someone just because they looked like him.

The king was angry and locked his son in a tall tower. While imprisoned, the prince found a secret room. It had beautiful stained-glass windows. These windows showed scenes of a man who looked like him. Then, the man in the windows suddenly became tall and handsome! The prince was surprised.

He also found a magical book that showed the same scenes coming to life. A voice from the book told him to find a queen for the people in the story. The prince then found a hidden cabinet and a key, just like in the windows. Inside, he found a man's hand, which scared him. But a voice told him he could help restore the hand to its owner. It guided him to a bright spot in a gallery.

There, he found a painting. Behind it was a secret room where a lady was sleeping. She was sad even in her sleep, dreaming of her lost love. An eagle flew in, bringing a branch from a cherry tree. The prince gently touched the sleeping lady with the branch. She immediately woke up! She asked the eagle to stay, but it flew away. The prince asked if he could help her beloved. She said no, but offered to grant him a wish for himself. He wished to look less plain. Instantly, she turned him into a tall, handsome young man and magically moved him out of the tower.

The Princess's Own Adventure

Back at the castle, the guards tried to hide the prince's disappearance. They told the king he was sick. This made the king think the prince might finally agree to marry. Meanwhile, the princess arrived, but she still refused to marry the prince. Then, the guards reported that the prince had died. The king, still angry, locked the princess in the same tower.

The princess also discovered the secret room with stained-glass windows. Some windows showed her, and others showed a lovely shepherdess. She felt the shepherdess was there to make her look worse. An old woman appeared and offered her a choice: goodness or virtue. The princess chose goodness.

She found the same cabinet and key as the prince. Inside was the box with the man's hand. She was told to give it to an eagle as soon as she saw one. She did, and the eagle instantly turned into a man! He explained that a mean enchanter had changed him into an eagle. This was because they both loved the same fairy, and she preferred him. He offered to make the princess beautiful, and she agreed. He transformed her and transported her out of the tower.

Finding Love and Facing Challenges

Outside the tower, the transformed princess met the transformed prince. He was now living as a shepherd. They quickly fell in love. However, the princess could not forget that she was a royal princess. She felt she could not marry a simple shepherd, even though she loved him. She decided to ask an enchanter for advice.

She found the enchanter's house. Inside, she saw twelve cats being teased by mice just out of reach. The mice were also being teased by a piece of bacon they couldn't quite get. The enchanter appeared, and the princess tried to run away. But sticky spiderwebs caught her! The enchanter asked her to marry him. He told her that the cats and mice were once princes and princesses who had angered him. The princess still refused to marry him. So, he turned her into a grasshopper! She quickly hopped away, sad about her pride that had stopped her from marrying the shepherd.

The prince went looking for her. But a strange phantom tricked him into going to a castle. There, a very old and ugly fairy asked him to marry her. When he said no, she sent goblins to attack him. He fought so bravely that she stopped them. She showed him the phantom and threatened to kill it if he still refused her. The prince called out to the fairy he had saved earlier. He heard a voice telling him to be strong and to find the Golden Branch. He refused the ugly fairy again, and she turned him into a cricket!

The Golden Branch's Power

The cricket (prince) and the grasshopper (princess) met. They were amazed to find they could both speak! They explained to each other that they were actually a prince and a princess. Two talking mice then arrived at their hiding place. One of the mice knew the way to the Golden Branch.

They all went together and found the Golden Branch. As soon as they touched it, they were restored to their human forms! The fairy whom the prince had saved, and her beloved, arrived. They quickly arranged for the prince and princess to marry. The princesses who had been turned into mice also asked for help. The fairy, happy about the wedding, agreed to help them. She transformed them all back into their human forms. She then gave the prince and princess the beautiful castle and garden of the Golden Branch to live in happily ever after.

The Tale's Impact

A translation of this story from the late 18th century was called The Golden Bough. The tale was also used by James Planché for his play The Golden Branch, which was part of his Fairy Extravaganza stage shows.