The Three Heads of the Well facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Three Heads of the Well |
|
|---|---|
The girl finds the head in the well.
|
|
| Folk tale | |
| Name | The Three Heads of the Well |
| Data | |
| Aarne–Thompson grouping | ATU 480, "The Kind and Unkind Girls" |
| Region | England |
| Published in | English Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs (1892) |
The Three Heads in the Well is a classic fairy tale. It was collected by Joseph Jacobs in his book English Fairy Tales in 1892.
This story is part of a well-known group of tales called ATU 480, also known as "The Kind and Unkind Girls." Many fairy tales around the world share a similar plot. They often feature two girls, one kind and one unkind. Each girl then receives a reward or punishment based on her actions. Other stories like this include Diamonds and Toads and Mother Hulda.
Contents
About the Story
This tale is also known by a few other names. These include The Three Golden Heads at the Well and The Princess of Colchester.
The Story of the Three Heads
A Princess's Journey
Long ago, even before the time of King Arthur, a king lived in Colchester. He had a lovely daughter with his first wife. Sadly, his wife passed away. The king then married a new queen who was not very kind. This new queen had a daughter of her own. She was very mean to the king's daughter.
The king's daughter felt very sad. She asked her father if she could leave home to find her own way in the world. He agreed. Her stepmother gave her only plain food for her journey. This included brown bread, hard cheese, and a bottle of beer.
Meeting the Golden Heads
As the princess traveled, she met an old man sitting by the road. He asked her what she had to eat. She kindly shared her simple meal with him. After they ate, the old man gave her some advice. He told her how to get through a thorny hedge. He also said she would find three golden heads in a well there. She should do whatever they asked her to do.
The princess followed his directions. She found the well and the three golden heads. The heads asked her to comb their hair and wash them. She did this gently and carefully. After she helped them, each head gave her a special gift. One said she would become very beautiful. Another said she would have a sweet, lovely voice. The third head promised she would be lucky and marry a great prince.
A Royal Wedding
The princess continued her journey. Soon, a king saw her and fell in love with her. They got married and returned to visit her father. Her stepmother was furious to see the princess so happy and successful. She was angry that her own daughter had not achieved such good fortune.
So, the stepmother sent her own daughter on the same journey. She gave her daughter fancy clothes, sugar, almonds, and rich wine.
The Unkind Sister's Fate
The stepdaughter was not kind like the princess. She was rude to the old man she met. She also treated the three golden heads badly. Because of her unkindness, the heads gave her curses instead of blessings. One head said she would get a skin disease called leprosy. Another said she would have a harsh, unpleasant voice. The third head cursed her to marry a simple cobbler.
The stepdaughter continued her journey. A cobbler offered to help her with her skin and voice if she would marry him. She agreed. The king, wanting her to leave the court, gave the cobbler money to move away with his new wife.
Other Versions of the Story
Many cultures have similar tales about kindness and its rewards. For example, a Romani tale called The Little Crop-tailed Hen has a similar plot. In this story, a kind girl is blessed, while an unkind girl is cursed. The themes of good deeds leading to good fortune, and bad deeds leading to bad outcomes, are common in fairy tales around the world.
See also
- Kallo and the Goblins
- The Months
- True and Untrue
