The Magic Book facts for kids

The Magic Book is a classic Danish fairy tale. It was first collected by Ewald Tang Kristensen in his book Eventyr fra Jylland. Later, Andrew Lang included it in The Orange Fairy Book, where it was translated by Mrs. Skavgaard-Pedersen. This story is about a clever boy who discovers a special book that changes his life!

The Boy and the Mysterious Old Man

Once upon a time, a young boy left home to find work. On his journey, he met an old man. The boy was a bit rude to the old man, but surprisingly, he ended up working for him.

The old man gave the boy some simple rules. He had to keep certain rooms clean and sprinkle sand on the floors. The old man also told him where to find food and clothes. But there was one very important rule: the boy was strictly forbidden from entering one specific room.

Being a curious boy, he didn't clean much of the house, only his own room. After a few days, his curiosity got the better of him. He just had to see what was in that forbidden room!

A Magical Discovery

When the boy finally entered the forbidden room, he found a pile of bones and several books. He picked up one of the books and quickly realized it was no ordinary book. It was a magical book! From its pages, he learned how to change his shape, a power called shapeshifting.

Excited by his new abilities, the boy decided to run away and go back home. However, when he arrived, his father didn't believe his story. His father thought the boy had stolen the fancy clothes he was wearing and sent him away again.

Clever Escapes and Family Troubles

The boy, now very clever, told his father to sell a dog that would appear by their door the next day. He warned his father to make sure he kept the dog's strap. The dog appeared, and his mother convinced his father to sell it. His father remembered to keep the strap. Soon after, the boy reappeared, but his father still wouldn't let him stay.

The next day, the boy told his father to sell a cow that would appear. He said to sell it to the king, but to take its halter and return through the forest. The cow appeared, and the man sold it. But when the butcher tried to kill the cow, it suddenly turned into a dove and flew away! The king sent his men to catch the man, but he had followed his son's advice and gone through the forest, so they couldn't find him.

The Princess and the Golden Ring

Even after these amazing events, the father still refused to accept his son. The next day, the boy appeared as a horse. A buyer offered as much money for the horse's bridle as for the horse itself, so the father sold both. The old man from the beginning of the story, who was still looking for the boy, led the horse away to have its shoes put on.

At the blacksmith's, the smith offered the old man a drink. The horse, who was really the boy, cleverly persuaded a servant girl to set him free. He quickly turned into a dove and flew off. The old man, still chasing him, turned into a hawk and followed.

The boy, in his dove form, then turned into a beautiful gold ring and fell right in front of the princess. She picked up the ring, and when she was alone, the boy turned back into a man. They fell in love and met often in secret.

A Royal Wedding

One day, the king saw the boy with his daughter. He was very angry that his daughter was seeing a simple peasant. He had his daughter locked away in a tall tower. But the princess and the boy found a secret tunnel in the tower that led them to a beautiful golden castle.

When the king opened the tower for what he thought would be a sad event, he found no one there! He sent a soldier down the tunnel. The soldier told the boy and princess that the king was very sorry for what he had done.

The boy, disguised as a powerful king, went back to the real king. He asked the king what should happen to a ruler who had treated his own daughter so badly for loving someone. The king said such a ruler should be burned and their ashes scattered. The boy then revealed who he was but quickly pardoned the king. After this, a grand wedding was held, and the boy and princess lived happily ever after!