“The Three Feathers”
A king had three sons. The two oldest were thought wise, but the
youngest was thought silly and was called Simple.
As the king grew old, he didn’t know which
son to leave his kingdom to. So he sent
them out and the one who brought him the finest carpet would be king. Before they set out, they each blew a feather
to see in what direction they would go.
One headed east, one west, but Simple’s feather fell to the ground. The older two laughed at his misfortune and
set out.
Simple sat by his feather not knowing what
to do. But then he saw a trap door. He opened it and saw a set of stairs. He went down until he came to a door and
knocked.
The door opened to a large frog with
several smaller frogs. The large frog
asked what he wanted and he replied the finest carpet, so she gave him one.
The two older brothers – apparently
meeting up again – figured that since Simple wouldn’t be able to find a carpet,
they didn’t need to search very far. The
first person they came to was a shepherd with a large plaid cloth. They bought it and took it home.
The king was set to give his kingdom to
Simple, but the two older brothers protested and demanded a second test. So the king sent them out to find the most
beautiful ring.
They again blew their feathers, and
Simple’s fell near the trap door. He
went down and told the frog what he wanted, and she gave it to him.
The two older brothers again figured
Simple wouldn’t find anything, so they just grabbed a metal ring off a
wagon.
Again the king was set to give the kingdom
to Simple, but the two older brothers demanded a third test. So the king sent them off to find the most
beautiful woman to be their wife.
The two older brothers followed their
feathers, but Simple went back to the frog.
But she didn’t have a beautiful woman, but she gave him a hollowed out
carrot with six mice harnessed to it.
Simple wasn’t sure what to do with it, but the frog told him to seat one
of her little frogs on it.
Simple took one of the little frogs and
set it on the carrot. The mice and
carrot turned into horses and a carriage, and the little frog turned into the
beautiful maiden. They took the carriage
to the castle and he introduced her to the king.
The two older brothers just found the
prettiest peasant maidens they could find.
The king was set to give the kingdom to
Simple, but the two older brothers again complained. This time they asked for a ring to be hung in
the hall and for each woman to jump through.
They figured their peasant stock maidens were made of sterner stuff than
the fine woman Simple found and she might die.
But the two peasants fell – one breaking an arm, the other a leg – while
Simple’s woman leaped through the ring easily.
When the king died, Simple ruled the
kingdom.
#
There’s a trap door right outside the
castle leading to the frog queen, or whatever, and nobody has noticed it
before?
So this frog just has carpets, rings, and
magic carrots laying around for any who call?
So where the older brothers planning on co-ruling
or something?
Did nobody ask Simple where he got the
carpet? Why did they just assume he
wouldn’t be able to get a ring at the same place?
Wasn’t this trap door right outside the
castle? Why did they need to take a
magic carrot carriage to it?
“Ah, I guess you’re pretty enough to be my
queen.”
Yes, let’s make the future queen jump
through a ring because ….
Was does the big frog have beautiful women
as little frogs?
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