The Red Ettin facts for kids
"The Red Ettin" is an old fairy tale, a type of story passed down through many years. It was collected by a famous storyteller named Joseph Jacobs. Another well-known author, Andrew Lang, also included it in his book, The Blue Fairy Book. This tale is about a brave young hero who faces a scary monster to save a princess.
The Story of the Red Ettin
The First Brother's Journey
A long time ago, a mother lived with her sons. One day, she told her oldest son it was time for him to go out and find his own way in the world. She asked him to get water to bake a special cake for his journey.
The can he used was broken, so he could not bring back much water. Because of this, the cake was very small. His mother offered him a choice: he could have the whole cake with her bad luck, or half the cake with her good luck. He chose to take the whole cake. As he left, he left behind a knife. He told his family that if the knife blade turned rusty, it meant he was in trouble.
On his journey, he met a shepherd, a swineherd (who looks after pigs), and a goatherd (who looks after goats). Each of them warned him about a monster called the Red Ettin from Ireland. They said the Red Ettin had taken the king of Scotland's daughter. They also told him he was not strong enough to rescue her. The shepherd also warned him to be careful of strange beasts he would soon meet.
These beasts had two heads and four horns on each head. The young man got scared and ran away, hiding in a castle. An old woman in the castle told him it belonged to the Red Ettin, who had three heads. She told him to leave quickly. But he was too afraid of the beasts outside and begged her to hide him.
The Red Ettin soon returned and found him. The monster asked him three riddles. The young man could not answer any of them. So, the Red Ettin turned him into stone. Back home, the knife he left behind turned rusty, showing he was in danger.
The Youngest Brother's Courage
In some versions of the story, a middle brother also went to find his older brother and met the same sad fate. Then, the youngest son decided to go after them.
When he went to get water for his own journey cake, a raven flew over his head. The raven seemed to tell him to look closely at the can. He saw the holes and fixed them, bringing back enough water for a big cake. This time, he chose to take only half the cake, asking for his mother's good luck.
On his way, he met an old woman who asked for a piece of his cake. He kindly shared it with her. The old woman was actually a fairy! She gave him a magic wand and lots of helpful advice. Then, she disappeared.
He met the same shepherd, swineherd, and goatherd. They told him about the Red Ettin and the king's daughter. But this time, they said he was the right person to defeat the monster. He walked bravely past the two-headed beasts, even striking one dead with his magic wand. He then stayed at the Red Ettin's castle.
The Red Ettin asked him a riddle, just like before. But the young man answered it correctly! Then, he bravely cut off all three of the Red Ettin's heads. He used his magic to turn the stone statues back into people. He also freed other women the Red Ettin had captured. The king of Scotland was so happy that he let the young hero marry his daughter, the princess.
