Andrew Lan's Twelve-Color Fairy Tale Series: Pink Fairy Tale Books

Chapter 25 Golden Lion
Once upon a time, there was a rich businessman who had three sons. The sons were all grown up. The eldest son said to his father, "Dad, I want to travel around the world and see the world. Please."

So, his father prepared a luxurious boat for him, and the young man set sail for a long journey.A few weeks later, the ship docked in a large city and he went ashore.

The first thing the merchant's son saw when he came ashore was a prominent notice written on a board.It said that whoever could find the King's daughter within eight days might marry her; but if he tried and failed, he was to be shot.

"Well," thought the young man, as he read the notice, "this shouldn't be too difficult." So he asked to see the king, and told him that he wanted to see the princess.

"Very well," replied the king, "you may search the whole palace, but remember, if you do not find it, you shall be shot dead."

After speaking, he ordered to open all the doors in the palace, and ordered to serve the young man with food and wine.After the young man had eaten, he began to look for the princess.But he searched every corner, searched every chest and cupboard, but could not find the princess.So, after eight days, he surrendered and was executed for it.

At this time, his father and brothers had no news of him, and everyone was very anxious.Finally, the second son couldn't bear it anymore and said, "Dear father, let me go, please, give me a big boat and money, let me go and find my brother."

So another boat was ready, and the young man set sail, and the wind carried the boat to the same port where his brother had landed.

He saw his brother's boat on the shore at a glance, his heart was pounding, and he said to himself: "My brother must be not far from here." So he moored the boat and went ashore.

He jumped on the pier, saw the notice for the princess first, and thought, "He must have gone for the princess, and he must have lost his head. I'll have to try and find him, and find the princess. That should be it." It's not very difficult." But his luck was as bad as his brother's, and eight days later, he too was beheaded.

Now, only the youngest son is left in the family, and the other two elder brothers have never come back. He also asked his father for a boat to find the missing elder brother.As soon as he set off, a strong wind blew him all the way to the port where the notice was posted.

"Oh!" he said, looking at the notice, "whoever finds the king's daughter can marry her. Something has happened to them, obviously. I guess I'll have to try my luck, though." So he walked along The way to the castle is gone.

On the way, he met an old woman, who stopped him and begged with him.

"Go away, old woman," he said.

"Oh, don't let me go on an empty stomach," she said. "You're such a handsome boy, you can't refuse to give an old woman a few cents."

"Tell you, old woman, leave me alone."

"Is there something bothering you?" she asked. "Tell me, maybe I can help you."

So he told her that he was determined to find the King's daughter.

"I can easily do this for you, as long as you give me enough money."

"Well, as far as money is concerned, I've got quite a lot," he replied.

"Okay, you have to go to the blacksmith with the money and ask the blacksmith to make you a golden lion. If the eyes of the lion are crystal, there must be a clockwork that can play music in the lion's belly. When you are done, bring the golden lion to see you. I."

The young man did as she was told.After the golden lion was finished, the old woman hid the young man in the lion's belly and took the golden lion to the king. The king liked the golden lion very much and wanted to buy it.But the old woman said, "This golden lion is not mine. No matter how much money you pay, my master will not sell it."

"Leave it here for a few days, anyway," he said, "I want to show it to my daughter."

"Okay, yes," said the old woman, "but I'll get it back tomorrow." And she left.

The king watched her disappear into the distance, and convinced that she had not come to spy on him, he went back to his room with the lion, and pried off some loose planks of the floor.There was a staircase under the floor, and he followed it to the end until he came to a door.He opened the door and walked into a narrow passage. At the end of the passage was another door, which he opened and walked in.The young man in the belly of the golden lion kept counting the roads the king had traveled, and recorded that the king had opened seven doors in all.Through these doors the king entered a very beautiful hall, where the princess was playing with eleven of her friends.These twelve young girls were all wearing the same clothes, and they all looked exactly the same, they were all made of the same mold.

"Unlucky!" thought the young man, "even if I try to come here again, I should not know who the princess is."

At this moment, the princess cheered and ran to the group of girls. He stared at her closely, and she cried out, "Oh, let's keep this interesting thing for the evening. It will be fun."

The king did not stay long, and before leaving he gave the golden lion to the girls, and they played happily until they were sleepy and it was time to go to bed.But the princess took the golden lion back to her room and put it on the floor.

She was dozing off when she heard a voice beside her, which startled her. "Oh, beautiful princess, you don't know how hard it took me to find you!" The princess sat up in bed and exclaimed, "Lion! Lion!" But her companions thought she was I'm having a nightmare, and I don't even bother to get up.

"Oh, beautiful princess!" the voice continued, "don't be afraid! I am the son of a rich merchant, and what I want most is to have you as my wife. In order to meet you, I hid in the belly of this golden lion inside."

"What's the use?" she asked. "If you don't recognize me from me and my mates, you'll lose your head too."

"I ask you to help me," he said, "I have done so much for you, just do one thing for me."

"Well, listen, on the eighth day, I'll wear a white belt, and when you see the white belt, you'll know it's me."

The next day, the king came early to get the golden lion, because the old lady had already come to the palace, and she wanted to get it back.When no one saw them, the old woman let the young man out of the lion's belly, and he turned back to the king, and told him that he was going to the princess.

"Very well," said the King, who had nearly had enough of the same words by now, "but if you don't find it, you'll be shot dead."

So the young man stayed quietly in the castle, enjoying delicious food, and looking at all kinds of beautiful things in the palace. He also pretended to be very busy from time to time, and searched all the storerooms and corners.On the eighth day, he entered the room where the king was sitting, and said to the king, "Pry the floor of this place open." What are you doing prying it up, there is nothing here."

But all the ministers in the palace looked at the king, and he could no longer object, so he ordered to do as the young man said, and pry the floor open.Then the young man went straight down the stairs, and when he came to a door, he turned and asked for the key.The king had to open the doors, and so on, until at last seven were opened, and they entered a great hall, where stood twelve maidens in a row, and they were so alike that no one could tell them apart.However, he watched calmly, and saw one of the girls took out a white belt from her pocket and tied it secretly around her waist. The young man hurried to her side and said, "This is the princess, I am the princess." Declare that she is my wife." The king had to admit defeat and held a wedding ceremony for them.

Eight days later, the newlyweds said goodbye to the king and set off for the country of the young.They took a boatload of gold, silver and jewels as a dowry for the princess.But they did not forget the old woman who brought them happiness. They gave her a lot of money, enough for her to enjoy her old age.

(End of this chapter)