The Golden Lion facts for kids

The king brings in the golden lion to his daughter, illustration by Henry Justice Ford

The Golden Lion (in German: Vom goldnen Löwen) is a classic fairy tale from Italy. It was first collected by Laura Gonzenbach in her book Sicilianische Märchen. Later, the famous author Andrew Lang included this story in his well-known collection, The Pink Fairy Book. The tale is about a young man who uses a clever trick to find a hidden princess and win her hand in marriage.

The King's Tricky Challenge

The story begins with a wealthy merchant who had three sons. One day, the oldest son traveled to a city where the king had a very unusual challenge. The king announced that anyone who could find his daughter, who was hidden away, within eight days would get to marry her. However, if they tried and failed, they would lose their head. The oldest son bravely tried but could not find the princess. Sadly, he failed the king's test.

His second brother soon followed him to the city. He also attempted the challenge, hoping to succeed where his brother had not. But just like his older brother, he could not find the princess and also failed the king's difficult test.

A Mysterious Helper Appears

The youngest son, hearing about his brothers' sad fate, decided to go to the city himself. As he traveled, he met an old woman who asked him for help. At first, he didn't want to help her. But she asked if he was in trouble, and he explained the king's challenge and his brothers' failures.

The old woman, who seemed to know a lot, offered to help him. She told him he needed to buy a special statue. It was a golden lion that could play music! She advised him to hide inside this amazing statue.

The Secret of the Golden Lion

After the golden lion statue was finished, the young man carefully hid inside it. The old woman then took the musical lion to the king. The king was very impressed and wanted to own the beautiful statue. The old woman agreed to let him borrow it, but only for one night.

The king was so excited that he took the golden lion down a secret staircase. This led to a hidden room where twelve identical women were staying. During the night, the young man, still hidden inside the lion, spoke to the princess. He asked her to help him find her. She told him that when he came to look for her, she would wear a white sash so he could easily tell her apart from the others.

Finding the Hidden Princess

The next morning, the old woman came back and took the golden lion away. The young man then came out of his hiding place. He went to the king and asked for permission to search for the princess. The king agreed, not knowing the young man already had a secret clue.

The young man went to the hidden room where the twelve women were. Thanks to the princess's help, he easily spotted the woman wearing the white sash. He chose her, and it was indeed the king's daughter!

A Happy Ending

The king was surprised but kept his promise. He agreed to the wedding between his daughter and the merchant's youngest son. The prince and princess then sailed away together, taking with them the princess's dowry, which was a special gift of money or property. They also made sure to give the kind old woman enough money so she would be comfortable for the rest of her life. And so, the young man and the princess lived happily ever after.

Images for kids

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  The king brings in the golden lion to his daughter, illustration by Henry Justice Ford