Hungarian Folk Tales: The Simple Prince
Once upon a time there was a farmer and the farmer had three sons.
One of his sons was very simple and he was the youngest.
One day the farmer went into the farmyard
and saw that someone had scattered the straw all over the place.
So he busied himself and tidied everything up.
Then the farmer told his sons:
This can't go on, someone has to keep the straw in order.
On the first night the eldest son went out to the yard to watch the straw.
But the boy became hungry and began to eat.
All of a sudden a tiny mouse appeared and sat staring at the boy.
So the boy took off his hat and trapped the mouse but the mouse vanished.
Then the oldest son felt drowsy and he fell fast asleep.
And when he woke the following day he saw that the straw had been thrown around the yard again.
The following evening the middle son went out to guard the straw in the farmyard.
He was eating his supper when the mouse appeared.
He also tried to catch the mouse with his hat but the mouse vanished.
So the boy went to sleep.
And when he woke again the following morning the straw was messy again.
On the third day it was the youngest son who went to the yard.
His elder brothers teased him and insisted that he was too stupid to guard the straw.
But young John still went out and sat in the yard.
A little mouse appeared and stared at the boy.
Then young John saw the mouse and gave it a bite to eat.
The little mouse said to him:
Young John, if you are clever and do as I say, the straw will be neat and tidy by morning.
A horse comes into the farmyard at night and it kicks the straw around.
But you mustn't be afraid.
I will give you a bridle, and you must throw it around the horse's neck
and sit up on its back.
So young John did as the mouse had said.
When the horse appeared that night,
he threw the bridle around its neck, and sat high up on its back.
The horse tried to run into the straw but young John held it tight.
The horse soon realized that young John was too strong for it, and it would never get into the straw.
And then all of a sudden the horse began to speak:
As you were so brave I shall give you three whistles.
If you blow one of them
a horse will appear in the blink of an eye with a uniform for you to wear.
Then the horse gave him a copper whistle, a silver whistle and a golden whistle.
When he returned home, young John said to his father:
I kept the straw safe it's still neat and tidy.
So then the father addressed his other two sons:
You see, you said he was the simplest of you all
and yet he was the only one who managed to guard the straw.
The king's beautiful daughter had made up her mind to marry
and she set the following challenge:
In front of the castle stood a mighty glass mountain,
and on top of that a solitary pine.
And on the highest branch there was a slipper that perfectly fit the princess' foot.
And the young princess announced that
she would marry the man who could bring the slipper back to her.
Brave young men from all four corners of the land came to try their hand.
And young John's brothers went up to the palace to see who would get the slipper.
John wanted to join them too but they refused to take him.
then John had an idea:
You go, my brothers, I shall be there anyway.
Then young John blew the copper whistle
and a copper horse appeared with a gleaming copper uniform.
John put the clothes on, climbed up on the horse and rode towards the glass mountain.
When the princess saw him she sighed and said:
I wish it were him who could pick up my slipper!
But he only rode halfway up and back down again.
When his brothers got home, they told him, what they had seen.
I saw it too, from the top of the wall!
His brothers were angry with him and they knocked the wall down
to stop him spying on them.
The competition continued the following day
and his brothers attended again.
This time John blew his silver whistle.
This time a silver horse appeared with a sparkling silver suit.
And when he rode up in front of the palace
the princess was either keen on for him to win.
Young John only managed to ride halfway up and down again.
At home his brothers told him what they had seen.
John said:
I saw it too, from the barn roof.
And his jealous brothers burned the old barn down.
On the third day his brothers went again to see the competition.
Now John blew the golden whistle,
and a golden horse appeared with a glistening golden uniform.
The young princess saw him at once.
This is the last day – said the princess. I hope he will bring my slipper back.
John rode all the way up to the top, he picked up the slipper,
and disappeared over the other side of the mountain taking the golden slipper with him.
The princess was sad because she had no idea where the handsome who saw had gone.
Young John returned home.
Then his brothers arrived back and told of what they had seen.
They said they had seen a brave hussar better still than the two before
who had ridden up to the top of the glass mountain, picked up the golden slipper
and vanished down the other side.
And they said the princess looked sad.
Then young John said:
I saw everything too from the corner of the house.
His brothers were so furious that they knocked the old house down.
The king issued a decree that the young man possessing the golden slipper
should present himself at the palace at once.
But nobody came.
Then they began to search the homes of the local people
and they also searched young John's house.
Is there anyone else living here? – they asked the two brothers.
There is another boy but he is no more than a simple fool.
That is no matter – they said.
We want to see him too.
Young John had a little bag that he always carried wherever he went.
They searched the bag and found the golden slipper.
His brothers were stunned by the sight and they had no idea how he had come to have the princess' slipper.
Then they were ordered to take young John to the palace
where he was to marry the pretty princess.
The king's men asked John where was the suit he was wearing when he picked up the slipper.
Then young John blew all three whistles and all three horses appeared with all three suits.
Then young John put on the golden uniform and gave the other two to his brothers.
Then he presented the slipper to the princess and the wedding festivities began.
The wedding party was so very jolly that I think they may still be making merry to this very day.