Once upon a time, there were three princes who set out on a journey to explore the world. The two older brothers were strong and bold, but they were also very selfish. The youngest prince, however, was kind-hearted and gentle. Because of this, his older brothers often made fun of him and called him Simpleton.
One day, while traveling through a dense forest, the three brothers came across an anthill. The two older brothers wanted to destroy the anthill and see the little ants running in panic. But Simpleton stopped them and said, “Leave the ants in peace. They have done nothing to harm us.”
The brothers continued their journey and soon came upon a lake. On the lake, there were many ducks swimming peacefully. The older brothers wanted to catch and roast some ducks, but Simpleton again stopped them. “Leave the ducks alone. They have done nothing to harm us.”
The brothers moved on and eventually came to a tree with a beehive hanging from one of its branches. The older brothers wanted to light a fire under the tree to get the honey from the hive. But once more, Simpleton pleaded with them. “Leave the bees in peace. They have done nothing to harm us.”
The brothers reluctantly agreed and continued their journey until they reached a castle. The castle was made of stone, but it looked abandoned and eerie. They entered the castle and found a room filled with stone statues. They were surprised to see that these statues were actually people turned to stone.
An old man appeared and told them that the castle was under a curse. The only way to break the curse was to complete three difficult tasks. The first task was to gather a thousand pearls scattered in the forest within a single day. If they failed, they would be turned to stone like the others.
The older brothers tried to gather the pearls but soon gave up. Simpleton, however, went into the forest and sat down, feeling hopeless. Suddenly, the ants he had saved earlier appeared and promised to help him. They scurried around and soon gathered all the pearls into a pile. Simpleton completed the first task successfully.
The second task was to retrieve the key to the princess’s bedroom from the bottom of the lake. The older brothers tried and failed. Simpleton stood by the lake, and the ducks he had saved earlier came to his aid. They dived into the lake and brought back the key. Simpleton completed the second task.
The third and final task was the hardest. They had to identify the youngest and most beautiful of the three princesses, who looked exactly alike and were sleeping under an enchantment. The older brothers were baffled, but Simpleton remembered the beehive. Just then, the queen bee he had saved flew in and landed on the lips of the youngest and most beautiful princess. Simpleton pointed her out, and the task was completed.
The curse was lifted, and the people in the castle were freed from their stone forms. The youngest princess awoke, and she and Simpleton fell in love. The king, grateful for Simpleton’s kindness and bravery, declared that Simpleton would marry the princess and become the heir to the throne.
The older brothers, realizing the error of their ways, asked for Simpleton’s forgiveness. Simpleton, being kind-hearted, forgave them, and they all lived happily ever after.
The end.
Follow-Up Questions:
- How did Simpleton show kindness to the ants, ducks, and bees?
- What were the three tasks Simpleton had to complete to break the curse?
- How did the queen bee help Simpleton identify the youngest princess?