The Three Princesses of Whiteland facts for kids

"The Three Princesses of Whiteland" (De tre prinsesser i Hvittenland) is a famous fairy tale from Norway. It was collected by two Norwegian writers, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe, in their book Norske folkeeventyr in 1879. Later, a Scottish poet named Andrew Lang included it in his own collection, The Red Fairy Book, in 1890. This story tells about a brave young man who goes on an amazing adventure to save three princesses and find true love.

The Story of the Whiteland Princesses

The Fisherman's Son

One day, a fisherman had no luck catching fish. As evening came, a strange head appeared from the water. It offered him a deal: fish in exchange for something precious his wife was carrying. When the fisherman returned home, his wife told him she was pregnant. He realized he had promised their unborn child.

The king heard about this strange promise. He offered to raise the boy when he was born to keep him safe. The boy grew up in the king's care. But when he was older, he really wanted to go fishing with his father for just one day.

Journey to Whiteland

As soon as the young man stepped into the fishing boat, it was pulled away. The boat traveled far across the water to a distant land. There, he met an old man who told him he had arrived in a place called Whiteland.

The old man gave him important advice. He said if the young man walked along the shore, he would find three princesses. They were buried up to their necks in sand. The old man told him to walk past the first two princesses. He should only speak to the third and youngest one. This would bring him good luck.

Facing the Trolls

The young man followed the advice and spoke to the youngest princess. She explained that three terrible trolls had trapped them there. To free them, he needed to go into the castle nearby. He would have to let each troll beat him for one night.

The princess also told him about special items inside the castle. There was a flask of ointment by the bed. This ointment could heal any injuries he got. There was also a sword he could use to cut off the trolls' heads.

The first troll had three heads and three rods. It beat him badly for one night. After this, the princesses were freed up to their waists from the sand. The second troll had six heads and six rods. It beat him again, and the princesses were freed up to their knees.

The third troll was the worst. It had nine heads and nine rods. It beat him so hard that he could barely move. He couldn't even reach for the healing ointment. But then, the troll threw him against the wall. The flask of ointment broke, and the ointment spilled all over him, healing his wounds. He then managed to kill the troll, freeing all the princesses completely.

A Wish Gone Wrong

The young man married the youngest princess. They lived happily together for several years. But eventually, he missed his parents and wanted to visit them. His wife finally agreed to let him go. She gave him a magic ring that could grant two wishes. One wish was to go home, and the other was to return to Whiteland.

She also gave him a warning. She told him to only do what his father asked, and not what his mother wanted. He used his first wish to go home. His mother was very excited and wanted to show him off to the king. His father told him not to go, but his mother insisted.

While at the king's palace, the young man wished his wife was there. He wanted to compare her beauty to the king's wife. This used up his second and last wish. Sadly, his wife appeared, but she was upset. She took the magic ring, tied a ring with her name on it into his hair, and wished herself back home to Whiteland.

The Long Way Home

Determined to get back to Whiteland, the young man set out on his own. He first met the king of all the animals. He asked if any animal knew the way to Whiteland. None of them did. So, the animal king lent him a pair of snowshoes. These snowshoes would help him reach his brother, who was the king of all the birds.

The king of the birds also didn't know the way, and neither did any of his birds. So, he lent the young man another pair of snowshoes. These would take him to his brother, the king of all the fish.

The king of the fish also didn't know the way. But an old pike, the last fish to arrive, knew exactly where Whiteland was. The pike also told him that his wife was going to remarry the very next day!

Tricking the Brothers

The king of the fish sent him to a field. In this field, three brothers had been fighting for a hundred years. They were fighting over three magical items: a hat, a cloak, and a pair of boots. These items would make the wearer invisible and let them wish themselves anywhere they wanted to go.

The young man cleverly tricked the brothers. He convinced them to let him try on the magical items. Once he had them, he put them on and set off for Whiteland. On his way, he met the North Wind. The North Wind promised to create a huge storm when it reached Whiteland, making it seem like the castle would blow down.

He arrived in Whiteland just as the North Wind caused a massive storm. The North Wind even carried off the new bridegroom who was about to marry his wife. His wife recognized him by the ring tied in his hair. They were finally reunited and lived happily ever after.

He would come to three princesses buried up to their necks in sand

So the king lent the man a pair of snowshoes to reach his brother