Bedtime Stories for Kids - The Giant That Vanished

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. 


The prince who loved adventure was soon at Ratanpur. He announced his arrival at the royal court and was lodged in the royal guest home. At night, some merchants who resided in the guest house told the prince, "Young man, never venture into the princess presence.  She knows magic. It is fancy with her to turn her suitors into statues!" "She must have some reason to do such a strange thing. Let me find it out," said the prince. In the morning he was ushered into the princess' apartment. "Welcome, O Prince," said the princess. "But one who aspires to marry me has to undergo a certain trial. It is risky, I warn you." "I love adventure. I don't mind taking a risk," said the prince. "Far in the sea, there is an island, walled by hills. At its center, in a huge castle, lives a giant. You must kill him and bring his head to me. But killing him is no easy task. A certain bird that dwells in the deep woods behind the castle is the custodian of his life. You have to kill the bird while the giant is asleep. Then you have to behead the giant," explained the princess.


"This is an excellent opportunity for an adventure," said the prince. "But I wonder if you have the stamina to undertake the adventure. I am going to give you a drink. If you have the needed stamina, the drink will have no effect on you. If you don't have the stamina, the drink will turn you into a statue," informed the princess. "I am ready to drink it," said the prince. A maid brought the drink. The prince drank it. It was quite delicious. He waited to see the effect. Minutes passed. There was no sign of his changing into a statue. "It is proved that I have the stamina. Now let me go for the giant," said the prince. The princess smiled. "As if there is really a giant!" she said sweetly, and added, "So far, no suitor had dared to take the drink. It was only a test in courage. All were terrified at the prospect of changing into statues!" "But where are they? I heard that they had become statues!" said the prince. "They are detained in a comfortable house-though as prisoners. Now that you have passed the test, they would be set free," said the princess. The marriage was a great event. To the utter disappointment of his stepmother, the prince returned home along with the princess. His coronation took place soon thereafter. In fact, he became the king over two realms, for his father-in-law had no son.

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