The Twelve Huntsmen facts for kids

"The Twelve Huntsmen" is a classic German fairy tale. It was collected by the famous Brothers Grimm and is tale number 67 in their book Grimms' Fairy Tales. This story also appeared in The Green Fairy Book, put together by Andrew Lang. It is known as an "Aarne-Thompson type 884" story, which means it shares a common plot about a fiancée who is left behind. Other tales like The True Bride and Sweetheart Roland have similar themes.

The Story of the Twelve Huntsmen

This fairy tale tells the story of a prince and his true love, a beautiful maiden. Their journey is full of challenges, promises, and clever disguises.

A Prince's Promise

Once, there was a prince who was engaged to a maiden he loved very much. One day, his father became very ill. On his deathbed, the prince's father asked him to marry a princess from a nearby kingdom. The prince was so sad that he promised his dying father he would do it. After his father passed away, the prince became king. He felt he had to keep his promise, even though it meant breaking his engagement to the maiden he loved.

The Maiden's Clever Plan

The maiden heard about the king's new promise. She was heartbroken but also very smart. She asked her own father for help. She needed eleven other maidens who looked just like her. All twelve young women then dressed up as huntsmen. They looked so much alike that it was hard to tell them apart. They traveled to the king's court, hoping to find a way to fix things.

The Lion's Wisdom

At the king's court, there was a special lion. This lion was known for knowing everything. It told the king that the new huntsmen were actually women in disguise. To test them, the king decided to put peas on the floor. The idea was that a man's heavy step would crush the peas, but a woman's lighter step would make them roll.

The maiden, who was the leader of the huntsmen, heard about this plan. She quickly warned her companions. They all made sure to step very firmly on the peas. Just as planned, the peas were crushed. The lion then suggested another test. It told the king to put spinning wheels in the room. The lion believed that women would naturally be interested in the spinning wheels.

Again, the clever maiden learned of the lion's idea. She warned her friends once more. Because the huntsmen passed both tests, the king started to doubt the lion. He thought the lion did not know everything after all.

The Truth Revealed

Later, the new princess, whom the king had promised to marry, arrived at the court. When the maiden saw her, she fainted. The king rushed to help her, thinking one of his loyal huntsmen had fallen ill. As he helped her, he noticed something important. The maiden was wearing the very ring he had given her when they were first engaged!

The king then realized the truth. He understood that the "huntsman" was his beloved fiancée. He dismissed the new princess and married the maiden he truly loved. He also realized the lion had been right all along. The king brought the lion back into his favor, grateful that it had helped reveal the truth.