The Three Feathers

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far away, there was a wise old king who had three sons. The king, knowing he was getting older, wanted to decide which son would be the next ruler. To find out, he came up with a clever test.

One day, the king called his sons to his throne room. "My dear sons," he began, "I want to know who among you is wisest and best fit to rule our kingdom. I will give each of you a feather. Follow your feather wherever the wind takes it, and bring back the most amazing thing you find. The son who brings back the most extraordinary item will be the next king."

The three sons eagerly agreed to the challenge. The king took three feathers, one for each son, and blew them into the air. The eldest son's feather floated north, the middle son's feather drifted south, and the youngest son's feather landed gently right in front of him.

The eldest and middle sons laughed at their younger brother, thinking he was silly for having his feather land so close by. They hurried off in their directions to find something fantastic. But the youngest son, determined and kind-hearted, picked up his feather and decided to explore nearby.

As he walked, he noticed a small hidden door under some leaves. Curiosity got the best of him, and he opened it to find stairs leading down to a cozy underground room. Inside was a wise old toad with sparkling eyes.

"Hello, young prince," croaked the toad. "I know why you are here. You seek something extraordinary to prove you should be king."

"Yes, wise toad," replied the youngest son. "Can you help me?"

The toad nodded and hopped to a small box. "Inside this box," the toad said, "is a magic carpet. It can take you anywhere you wish to go in an instant. It's truly extraordinary."

The youngest son thanked the toad and took the magic carpet back to the castle. Meanwhile, his brothers had found interesting things too. The eldest son brought back a golden crown, and the middle son found a dazzling jewel.

When they all returned to the king, he examined their findings. The golden crown was beautiful, and the dazzling jewel sparkled brightly. But when the youngest son showed the magic carpet and how it could whisk them anywhere in an instant, the king was amazed.

"My sons," the king announced, "you have all done well. But the magic carpet is truly the most extraordinary. It will bring great benefits to our kingdom. So, I declare that my youngest son shall be the next king."

The eldest and middle brothers, seeing their father's fairness, accepted his decision graciously. The youngest son, now the new king, ruled wisely and kindly, often using the magic carpet to help his people and bring prosperity to the kingdom.

And so, the kingdom thrived under the rule of the youngest son, who showed that sometimes, the most extraordinary things can be found right under your nose if you are wise and kind enough to look for them.

The end.

Follow-up questions: