The Princess Who Was Hidden Underground facts for kids
The Princess Who Was Hidden Underground is a German fairy tale. It was collected by Andrew Lang and can be found in his book The Violet Fairy Book. This story is about a clever young man who tries to find a hidden princess.
The Story of the Hidden Princess
Once, in a faraway kingdom, there lived a king with three sons. The king divided his wealth among them. The two older sons quickly spent all their money and had nothing left. But the youngest son was very smart with his money. He saved and invested wisely, and soon he became very rich.
The Secret Castle
The youngest son decided to build a special castle. This castle was built entirely underground! After it was finished, he did something very strange. He imprisoned the architect's daughter inside the castle. He then made a rule: anyone who could find her would get to marry her. But if someone tried and failed, they would die. Many people tried to find the princess, and many sadly lost their lives.
A Clever Plan
A handsome and clever young man heard about the hidden princess. He came up with a smart plan. He asked a shepherd to sew him inside a golden sheep's fleece. Then, the shepherd took this special "golden sheep" to the king. The king was very impressed and wanted to buy the sheep.
The shepherd told the king he could only lend the sheep for three days. The king agreed and took the sheep to the princess's secret underground castle. He used a magic charm to open the castle door.
Finding the Princess
During the night, the young man secretly took off the sheepskin. The princess was surprised but quickly fell in love with him. She told him about another challenge the king would set. The king would turn her and all her maids into ducks. The young man would then have to pick out the real princess from the group of ducks. The princess told him a secret: she would preen (clean her feathers) to show him who she was.
After three days, the shepherd returned to the king to get his sheep back. The young man then found the princess in her hidden castle, just as the king had done. The king was surprised but still wanted to test the young man. He turned the princess and all her maids into ducks. The young man remembered the princess's secret. He watched carefully and saw one duck preening. He pointed to her, and it was indeed the princess! The king had to keep his promise, and the young man married the princess.
