The Man of Stone facts for kids

The Man of Stone (Omul de piatră) is a classic Romanian fairy tale. It was collected by the famous storyteller Petre Ispirescu in his book Legende sau basmele românilor, which means "Legends or Romanian Fairy Tales." This story tells about loyalty, sacrifice, and magic.

The King, the Queen, and a Special Potion

Once upon a time, there was a king and queen who really wanted to have children, but they couldn't. One day, a mysterious stranger came to the king. He offered a special potion that would help the queen become pregnant.

The king's cook was asked to prepare this magical drink. The cook didn't know how powerful it was. He accidentally tasted a little bit of the potion before giving it to the queen. Because of this, both the queen and the cook became pregnant! Soon after, each of them gave birth to a son.

The Prince's Forbidden Discovery

Years passed, and the prince grew up. One day, the king had to go away to war. He gave the prince all the castle keys. He warned him not to open the door locked with the golden key.

But, as often happens in fairy tales, the prince was curious. He went into the forbidden room. Inside, he found a magical spyglass. When he looked through it, he saw the most beautiful Princess Kiralina. The prince fell deeply in love with her. He became so sad and unwell because he longed to meet her.

The king sent messengers to Princess Kiralina's father, asking for her hand in marriage. But her father refused. The prince decided he had to go himself. His foster brother, the cook's son, bravely decided to go with him.

A Journey with the Winds

The two brothers began their long journey. They first came to a small hut where an old woman lived. She couldn't help them find the princess. She warned them that her son, the North Wind, might turn them into ice! So, she sent them to the Wild Wind.

They couldn't stay with the Wild Wind either. Finally, they reached the home of the Spring Wind. The Spring Wind's mother, a tall and graceful woman, hid them. She worried her son might harm them.

When the Spring Wind arrived, his mother asked him how to reach Princess Kiralina. The wind explained it would take ten years to get there normally. He then revealed a secret: a magical log from a black forest, by a river of pitch, could take anyone there instantly. But, he warned, whoever shared this secret would turn to stone up to their knees.

The wind also shared another secret. Once there, the person had to make a golden stag. They could hide inside it to sneak into the princess's room. But whoever knew this secret would turn to stone up to their waist.

Finally, the wind mentioned one more thing. If the princess married, the North Wind's mother might send her a dress made of cobwebs out of spite. Unless the princess washed in the tears of doves, the dress would harm her. The prince slept through all these warnings, but the cook's son heard every word.

The Cook's Son's Sacrifice

The cook's son told the prince to trust him completely. Using the magical log, he instantly carried the prince to the princess's kingdom. The princess immediately fell in love with the prince when she saw him. She also became unwell with longing.

An old wise woman told the king that a golden stag, placed in the princess's room, would cure her. The cook's son bravely used the magical log to create a beautiful golden stag. He then hid the prince inside it.

The cook's son agreed to "rent" the golden stag to the king. The king brought it to the princess's room. At night, the prince secretly came out of the stag and kissed the princess. The next night, the princess pretended to be asleep and caught him!

When the cook's son came to take the stag back, the princess came along. The cook's son then magically changed the stag into a chariot. It carried all three of them away! The prince and princess soon married.

The Man of Stone and a New Beginning

Later, when the princess became queen, she bought a beautiful gown made of cobwebs. Secretly, the cook's son sprinkled her with the tears of doves. This protected her from the dress's magic. However, he was seen doing this and was wrongly accused of kissing the queen.

The prince, now a king, was very angry. He ordered the cook's son to be beheaded. But before this could happen, the cook's son explained everything he had heard from the Spring Wind. As he spoke the secrets, he slowly turned to stone. He became a statue up to his waist, just as the wind had warned.

Later, the king and queen had a child. They had a strange dream that if they sacrificed their child and put its blood on the stone statue, the cook's son would come back to life. They did this, and the statue indeed came to life! The cook's son then pricked his own finger and put his blood on the child. Miraculously, the child came back to life too!