The Story of Bensurdatu facts for kids

The Story of Bensurdatu is an exciting Italian fairy tale. It was first written down by Laura Gonzenbach in her book Sicilianische Märchen. Later, Andrew Lang also shared this story in his famous collection, The Grey Fairy Book. It's a tale about courage, loyalty, and finding what's truly important.

The Missing Princesses

Once upon a time, a king and queen had three lovely daughters. They did everything they could to make their princesses happy. One day, the princesses wanted to go on a picnic. So, they went to the royal garden.

After eating, the princesses explored the garden. They stepped over a fence, and suddenly, a dark cloud appeared! It completely covered them, and they vanished. The King and Queen called for them, but there was no answer. They searched everywhere, but their daughters were gone.

The King was very sad. He announced a big reward: whoever brought his daughters back could marry one of them and become the next king!

The Search Begins

Two brave generals decided to search for the princesses. They traveled far and wide. But they spent all their money without finding any clues. Soon, they had no choice but to work as servants. They needed to pay back an innkeeper for all the food and drinks they had used.

A loyal royal servant named Bensurdatu also wanted to help. The King didn't want to lose another faithful person. But Bensurdatu insisted on going. He found the inn where the generals were working. Bensurdatu paid their debt, and the three men decided to travel together.

A Wise Old Woman's Clues

They traveled into the wilderness. They found a small house and asked the old woman living there if they could stay for the night. The old woman told them something important. She said the king's daughters were taken by a thick cloud. Two princesses were held by giants, and the third was with a scary seven-headed serpent. All of them were deep down at the bottom of a river!

The generals wanted to give up and go home. But Bensurdatu was determined. He said they must continue their quest.

Bensurdatu's Brave Rescue

They kept going until they reached the river. The older general wanted to go down first because he was the oldest. They lowered him on a rope. He had a bell to ring when he wanted to be pulled back up. But he quickly got scared and rang the bell. The second general tried next, but he also got scared and rang the bell right away.

Then it was Bensurdatu's turn. They lowered him down into the darkness. He landed in a huge hall. There, a giant was sleeping, and one of the princesses stood nearby. The princess quickly told Bensurdatu to hide. When the giant stirred, he sniffed the air. The princess told him he didn't smell a man.

Facing the Monsters

The princess then told Bensurdatu to cut off the giant's head. Bensurdatu was brave and did it! The princess was so grateful. She gave him a golden crown. She then showed him a door to the next giant's lair. Bensurdatu killed the second giant just like the first. The second princess also gave him a golden crown.

He then went to face the seven-headed serpent. This monster was awake, which made it even more dangerous. But Bensurdatu was fearless. He fought the serpent and managed to cut off all its heads!

The Journey Back Up

After rescuing all three princesses, Bensurdatu had them lifted up the rope. The youngest princess was smart. She wanted Bensurdatu to go up before her. She was worried the generals might trick him. But Bensurdatu refused. He insisted she go first. She promised him that she would marry no one else.

Once the princesses were safe, the generals showed their true colors. They did not lower the rope for Bensurdatu. They threatened the princesses! They made them promise to tell the King that the generals had rescued them. The King believed their lie. He agreed to let the two oldest princesses marry the generals.

Bensurdatu's Return

One morning, Bensurdatu was still stuck at the bottom of the river. He noticed a magical purse. When he picked it up, the purse asked him what he wanted for his rescue. Bensurdatu asked it to bring him to the surface and give him a ship. The magical purse did just that!

He sailed to the King's city. The King was happy to see him. The King wanted to marry Bensurdatu to his youngest daughter. But she refused, still believing Bensurdatu was not the one who saved her. Bensurdatu then asked her if she would say the same if he were Bensurdatu. She didn't say anything. Then, Bensurdatu told his whole story.

The King realized the truth! He was very angry at the generals. He sent them away from the kingdom forever. Bensurdatu then married the youngest princess, and they lived happily ever after.