The Giant That Vanished
Long long ago there was a king who had two queens. The two queens had two sons. The senior queen died of an illness. The king was a heartbroken man. He planned to retire from his kingly duty, after handing over the charge of the kingdom to the elder prince. The junior queen did not like the situation. Must the king feel so sad while she was alive? Secondly, must the elder prince become the king and not her son? She brooded over these questions. At this stage, invitations were received by the two princes to proceed to Ratanpur. The princess of Ratanpur, famous for her charm and wit, was to choose a prince for her husband. "My lord, let the elder prince accept the invitation. It is not desirable that two brothers should go for the same girl," the junior queen told the king. The king did not suspect the queen's motive. He asked the elder prince to proceed to Ratanpur. The junior queen privately heard that no suitor who went to meet the princess ever came out of the castle. It was rumored that the princess knew some magic and she changed her suitors into statues. The queen was hopeful that the same fate would meet the elder prince. Consequently, her son would succeed the king to the throne.