The Wizard King facts for kids

The Wizard King is a French fairy tale from a collection called Les fees illustres. A famous writer named Andrew Lang also put it in his book, The Yellow Fairy Book. There is also a comic book series with the same name by Wally Wood.

A clipper ship named Wizard King

The Story of The Wizard King

A King with Magic Powers

Once upon a time, there was a powerful king. He ruled over many lands. This king also knew many secret magic spells. He married a beautiful princess. Soon, they had a baby boy.

The Queen's Warning

When the baby was strong enough, the queen went to find her fairy godmother. She had been warned that her husband was a wizard. Wizards and fairies had been enemies for a very long time. The fairy godmother gave the baby prince a special gift. He would be able to please everyone. He would also learn new things very quickly. A few years later, the queen sadly passed away. Before she died, she told her son to always ask the fairy for advice.

The King's Sadness and New Plan

The king was very sad after his wife died. Everything around him reminded him of her. So, he decided to travel to new lands. He used his magic to change his shape into different animals. This way, he could move around freely. As an eagle, he flew far away. He saw a country where the queen had a daughter. She was incredibly beautiful.

The king then changed back to his human form. He carried the princess away. He begged her to marry him. He gave her a beautiful castle. She had many servants and a charming parrot. But the princess was captured. She would never agree to marry him. The king kept her hidden from his royal court. One day, he worried she might have heard about his son. He feared his son could be a rival. So, the king sent his son away on a long journey.

The Prince's Quest to Rescue the Princess

The prince traveled until he reached the kingdom. This was the place where the princess had been taken from. He heard the sad story. He decided he must rescue her. He went to the fairy for help. The fairy told him he could not reach the magical castle. This was where the princess was kept. The only way was to capture her parrot.

When the prince caught the parrot, the fairy used her magic. She turned the prince into a parrot. He looked exactly like the princess's pet. In his new parrot form, the prince reached the princess. He saw that she did not like his father, the king. Then, he told her why he was there.

The Escape and the King's Defeat

The fairy created a special chariot. It was pulled by eagles. She had the captured parrot guide the chariot to the castle. The prince and princess escaped on it. The king followed them. He chased them all the way to the princess's mother's country. The king tried to use a magic potion on them. But the fairy threw the potion back at him. This allowed them to capture the king. They took away all his magic powers.

The prince asked for his father, the king, to be forgiven. And so, he was pardoned. As the king flew away, he promised never to forgive his son or the fairy.

Images for kids

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  A clipper ship named Wizard King