Once there was a poor couple, who
lived in the woods of Italy, and they just had a baby boy. There was nobody
around that they could ask as a godfather for the boy. So they went into the
nearest town and on the church doorstep saw a man. The couple explained “We
don’t know anybody to be our boy’s godfather. Would you be so kind to be his
godfather?” The man agreed without any hesitation. After the boy was baptized,
the godfather handed the couple a purse and a letter. He further explained “The
money is for boy’s education and after he learns to read, please, give him the
letter.” The speechless couple, by the time they found the words, the man
disappeared.
There was enough money to educate the
boy and after he learned to read, the parents handed him the letter and said
“This is from your godfather.” The boy quickly opened the letter and read “Dear
Godson, I was on a journey and now I am back in England. I am the king of
England and I need an heir. When you read this letter, then it will be the
right time to travel to me. However, while you travel, be aware of a squint
man, a limping man, and a scabby man.”
So the boy said his farewell and set
on his journey on foot. After a few days, he met a man, who asked “Where are
you heading boy?” “To another country called England” answered boy. The man
chuckled and said “It makes two of us. I am heading to England, too. We can
accompany each other now.” The boy quickly noticed that the man’s eyes are
crossed. So he knew to stay away from him. As the first opportunity presented,
he swiftly changed roads travelling on his own again.
After a few days, he saw another man
sitting at the side of the road. “Where are you going, young lad” asked
stranger. “I am travelling to England” answered boy. “That makes two of us, why
don’t we travel together” suggested the man. As soon as the man got up to walk,
the boy noticed that the stranger was limping. So he knew to stay away from him
and changed roads again.
As his journey continued, he met a
man once more, but this time he hasn’t noticed anything wrong with him. Since
they were going in the same direction, they traveled together. For the night,
they stopped at an inn by the road. The boy being cautious handed his purse and
letter to the inn-owner for safety. During the night, the stranger went to the
inn-owner and said “My master wanted me to fetch his purse and the letter.” So
the inn-owner handed the purse and the letter.
In the morning, the boy found himself
flat broke and without the letter he questioned “How am I going to prove to the
king that I am his godson.” Worried boy wasn’t sure if he should head back home
or continue on his journey. However, he hasn’t walked far, when he spotted the
man, who stole his possessions. The man said “Boy, if you wish, you can
continue with me as my servant.” While saying it, the man took off his wig and
the boy saw the scabby scalp. Now, he knew he was supposed to stay away from
him, too. But it was too late. So he was hoping to outsmart the man along the
way.
It wasn’t long, when they reach
England and the king welcomed the man, who was disguising himself as his
godson. The king quickly realized that the age wasn’t adding up. The man was
too old to be his son. So he decided to test him.
One day the king asked the bogus
godson to free his daughter. “She was captured by a mean fairy and is held
captive on an island” explained king. The man promptly replied “Why don’t you
use my servant, who is actually a very smart youngster.” The king called for
the boy. The boy not sure how to rescue the princess, went to the shore and
watched the ships. Out of nowhere appeared an old sailor and said “You seem as
you could use some help.” Not waiting for any reply, the sailor continued “You
need a ship with three decks, then you will need to load the first deck with
cheese rinds, the second deck with bread crumbs and the last deck with stinking
carrion. At the end you will pick me as the only sailor.”
Boy not questioning anything went
back to the king and asked for a ship with three decks and three different
loads. At the end he picked the old sailor and sailed away. They sailed and
sailed and then in the distance they spotted a lighthouse. They approached it
and heard a voice “Do you have cheese rinds?” “Yes” answered the sailor. “Good,
we’ll take the whole cargo” said rat “And in return we’ll come, when you need
our help.” So they left the Island of Rats and headed farther.
Now, in some distance, they saw a
sandy beach. When they approached the island, they heard a voice “Do you have
bread crumbs?” “Yes” answered the sailor. “Good, we’ll take the whole cargo”
said an ant “And in return we’ll come, when you need our help.” So they left
the Island of Ants and sailed farther.
Now, they noticed big rocky cliffs.
As soon as they approached the island, they heard a voice “Do you have stinking
carrion?” “Yes” answered the sailor. “Good, we’ll take the whole cargo” said vulture
“And in return we’ll come, when you need our help.” So they left the Island of Vultures
and continued sailing.
One day, they saw an island with big
palace and gardens. “This must be the island” said the old sailor and anchored
the ship. As soon as they stepped out of
the ship, a dwarf appeared welcoming them. He took them to the mean fairy. “How
can I help you?” asked the fairy. “We came for the princess” answered the young
boy. “Well, well” replied the fairy “You must undergo the three tests first to
see if you are worthy of the princess.” She pointed at the window “Do you see
the mountain? It blocks the sun from entering this window. You must remove the
mountain by tomorrow morning, just in time for the sunrise.”
At first the boy got worried, but
then he remembered the rats and called “Rats help me.” He hardly finished the
sentence, when the rats appeared. They dug through the mountain from top to
bottom and the mountain disappeared in no time.
In the morning, the fairy was awaken
by the sun as she wished. Now, the boy had to perform the second task. The
dwarf led him underground the palace to a big room. In the center, there was a
pile of peas and lentils. “You have the whole night to separate peas from
lentils” said the dwarf and left in a blink of an eye. The boy thought to
himself “This is impossible,” but at the same time he remembered the ants. He
called “Ants help me.” The ants appeared immediately and separated peas into
one pile and lentils into another pile in no time.
The fairy couldn’t believe her eyes.
She thought to herself “He somehow did the first two tests, but there is no way
he’ll pass the third one.” She turned to the young boy and said “Fetch me the
water from the fountain of youth.” “That’s easy” thought boy. But then the
dwarf pointed him to another mountain and said “The fountain is at the top of
that mountain, which is infested with beasts.” The youth worried for a moment
and then remembered the vultures. He called “Vultures help me.” In no time, the
vultures circled the mountain, filled their beaks with water and carried it
down to the boy.
The fairy had no choice, but to free
the princess. Happy king spotted his returning daughter through a telescope.
Before they reached the shore, the king sorted the matter with the scabby man.
The boy was recognized as the true godson and inherited the throne, and also
married the princess.
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