The Three Dogs facts for kids

The Three Dogs is a German fairy tale about a brave young man and his magical dogs. It was included in The Green Fairy Book by Andrew Lang, who got the story from the famous Brothers Grimm. Another version of this tale can be found in A Book of Dragons by Ruth Manning-Sanders.

This story is known as Aarne-Thompson type 562, called "The Spirit in the Blue Light." Other well-known fairy tales that are similar include The Blue Light and The Tinderbox.

The Story of the Three Dogs

A Son's Journey and a Strange Trade

A long time ago, a peasant was dying. He told his son and daughter that he only had his house and three sheep to leave them. He asked them to divide everything without arguing. The brother asked his sister what she wanted. She chose the house. So, the brother decided to take the sheep and go out into the world to find his own way.

As he traveled, he met a mysterious stranger. The stranger offered to trade three special dogs for the young man's sheep. These dogs were named Salt, Pepper, and Mustard. Salt could instantly bring him food. Pepper was a fierce protector who could tear attackers to pieces. Mustard had incredibly strong teeth that could break through iron or steel. The brother agreed to the trade. Right away, he asked Salt for food, and it appeared instantly!

Facing a Dragon and a Princess

The young man continued his journey and arrived at a town covered in black cloth. He learned that a terrible dragon demanded a young maiden as a tribute every year. This year, the princess herself had been chosen. The brave young man went to where the princess was left alone. He sent Pepper, his loyal dog, to fight the dragon. Pepper bravely swallowed the dragon whole, leaving only two teeth behind. The man picked up these teeth and kept them.

The princess was so grateful that she offered to marry him. However, the young man said he wanted to see more of the world. He promised to return in three years. As the princess was being taken back to the castle, the coachman who was driving her told her a lie. He said her rescuer was gone and threatened to kill her if she didn't say that he had killed the dragon. The princess, scared, promised to say what he wanted.

When she returned, the king said he would marry her to the coachman. But the princess asked to delay the wedding for a year because she was still very young. She did this again for a second year, and then for a third year. Finally, the wedding date was set.

The Truth Revealed and a Happy Ending

After three years, the young man returned to the town. When he told people that he was the one who had killed the dragon, he was thrown into prison. But he called for Mustard, who easily ate through the prison bars, setting him free. Then, he sent Salt to get him some food.

Salt went to the castle, and the princess immediately recognized the dog. She gave it food wrapped in a royal handkerchief. She then told her father, the king, the real story. The king sent a servant to follow the dog back to the young man. To prove his story, the young man showed the king the two dragon teeth he had kept. The lying coachman was then put in prison, and the young man married the princess.

After some time, the young man remembered his sister and sent for her to join them. The three dogs, Salt, Pepper, and Mustard, appeared before him. They told him they had been waiting to see if he would remember his sister. Then, in a magical moment, they changed into birds and flew up into the sky.