Thirteenth (fairy tale) facts for kids

"Thirteenth" is an exciting Italian fairy tale. It was collected by Thomas Frederick Crane in his book Italian Popular Tales. This story is a classic example of a "boy steals the giant's treasures" type of tale. It is known as Aarne-Thompson type 328.

The Adventures of Thirteenth

A mother had thirteen sons. She wanted them to be very fast runners. Every night, she held a race. The first son to reach home would get a special soup. This soup was made from herbs their father gathered.

The youngest son was named Thirteenth. He always won the race. Because of this, his older brothers became jealous. They wanted to get rid of him.

The Giant's Blanket Challenge

One day, the king offered a prize of gold. The prize was for anyone who could steal a blanket. This blanket belonged to a giant who lived nearby. Thirteenth's brothers went to the king. They told him that Thirteenth boasted he could do it.

The king then called for Thirteenth. He demanded that Thirteenth steal the blanket. Thirteenth had never said he could do such a thing. He protested, but the king would not listen. Thirteenth had no choice. He had to go to the giant's house.

The giant was not home. Only his wife was there. Thirteenth sneaked inside. He hid under the giant's bed. Later that night, the giant returned. He ate his dinner and went to bed. The giant told his wife he could smell a human. He wanted to eat it.

His wife thought he was silly. She said there were no humans around. So, the giant fell asleep. During the night, Thirteenth carefully pulled the blanket. The giant stirred. Thirteenth quickly made a sound like a cat. The giant calmed down and fell asleep again. Thirteenth then grabbed the blanket quickly. He ran out of the house. The giant woke up again. He heard the sound of the thief's steps.

Stealing the Giant's Horse

After some time, the king offered another reward. This time, someone needed to bring him the giant's horse. Thirteenth went to the king. He asked for a silk ladder and a bag of cakes. That night, he went to the giant's stable.

The horse neighed when it saw him. But Thirteenth calmed it down. He offered the horse some cake. He then managed to ride the horse. He rode it all the way back to the king.

The Bolster with Bells

Then the king declared he wanted the giant's bolster. A bolster is a long pillow. Thirteenth protested. This bolster was full of tiny bells. It would be impossible to steal it quietly. The king insisted. So, Thirteenth left again.

He crept under the giant's bed. He waited for the giant and his wife to go to sleep. At midnight, they were both asleep. Thirteenth reached out for the bolster. But the bells chimed! The giant woke up. The giant's wife thought it was just the wind. The giant seemed to agree and went back to sleep.

But the giant was only pretending. He knew it was time to catch the thief. When Thirteenth reached for the bolster again, the giant grabbed his arm.

Thirteenth's Clever Escape

To punish Thirteenth, the giant put him in a barrel. The giant planned to fatten him up and eat him. Every few days, the giant would feel Thirteenth's finger. He wanted to see if Thirteenth was getting fatter. The boy was indeed getting fatter. Thirteenth realized his finger would soon show he was ready to eat.

So, he had an idea. He presented a mouse tail instead of his finger. The giant could not tell the difference. He believed the boy was not ready. A few days later, the giant wanted to check again. This time, Thirteenth used a spindle. A spindle is a small stick used for spinning thread. The giant was fooled again.

By the end of the month, Thirteenth could not find anything else. He had to stick out his own finger. The giant was happy. The boy was fat enough! He called his wife to prepare Thirteenth for dinner. He also invited their relatives for a big feast.

When the stove was hot, the giantess let Thirteenth out of the barrel. She asked him to help prepare a lamb for dinner. But Thirteenth knew he was the "lamb." He tricked the giantess. He made her fall into the oven instead. When she was cooked, Thirteenth served her legs as a meal. He placed her upper body in the bed. He tied strings to her head and hands. Then he covered her with a blanket.

When the relatives arrived, the giant found the table ready. He went to the bedroom to invite his wife to dinner. Thirteenth pulled the strings. This made it look like the giantess was saying no. But one of the relatives came to look for them. They noticed something was wrong with the giantess. Thirteenth quickly escaped from under the bed. He managed to steal the bolster. He then reached the king.

Capturing the Giant

The king wanted Thirteenth to finish his tasks. He wanted Thirteenth to bring back the giant himself. Thirteenth ordered a very strong chest. He disguised himself as a monk. He went to the giant's home. He pretended to be a man hunting for the evil Thirteenth. He said he wanted to capture Thirteenth in the chest.

The "monk" asked the giant to test the chest's strength. This tricked the giant into climbing inside. Thirteenth then brought the giant to the king. The king imprisoned the giant. He rewarded Thirteenth with great riches and honor.