THE MOUSE PRINCESS

A long time ago, there was a king who had three sons. They were handsome and smart. One day, the king told them to travel, as he wanted them to gain wisdom because one of them would become king in the future.

The eldest prince was the first to set out. On his journey, he saw a little mouse that ran in front of his horse. The eldest prince tried to avoid the mouse, afraid that his horse would step on it. But the mouse continued to run in his path.

"Step aside! Or my horse will step on you!" the eldest prince shouted.

"Please don’t step on me. Take me as your wife, and you won’t regret it," the mouse begged him.

"What? Marry a mouse? That’s impossible!" the eldest prince yelled, and he rode his horse faster.

A few days later, he met a beautiful princess from another kingdom, and she agreed to marry him.

Next, it was the middle prince’s turn to travel. He had the same experience as his older brother. He met the little mouse, who also asked to be his wife. Naturally, the middle prince refused and quickly left the mouse behind. He rode his horse until he reached another kingdom and met the princess of his dreams.

When the youngest prince set out on his journey, he too encountered the mouse. But unlike his brothers, he accepted the mouse’s offer and agreed to be her husband. 

The mouse then said, "Follow me."

The youngest prince got off his horse and followed the little animal. The mouse ran into a hole and shortly reappeared with a beautiful ring.

The youngest prince brought the ring home and showed it to his family, though he didn’t tell them about the mouse. Compared to his ring, his brothers’ rings looked plain, which made the youngest prince proud.

Some months later, the king told his sons that he wanted their future brides to bake him some bread. This was an easy task for the elder princes, but not for the youngest.

"How can I ask the mouse to bake some bread?" he wondered.

Nevertheless, he told the mouse about the king’s request. The mouse said, "Don’t worry. Come back tomorrow, and your bread will be ready."

The next day, each prince brought bread made by their future brides. But the youngest prince’s bread was the best of all.

The youngest prince was very happy and proud of the mouse. However, he became worried when the king asked to see the girls. He quickly rode his horse to the mouse.

"What should I do? I can’t show my father a mouse as my bride!" he asked the mouse.

"Don’t worry. Everything will be alright. Just do as I say," the little mouse reassured him.

The day finally came. The two older princes walked in with beautiful princesses, while the youngest prince walked in with a mouse.

"Now, hold my hand," the mouse said.

The youngest prince held the mouse’s hand, and suddenly, the mouse disappeared. In her place was a beautiful princess in a stunning gown.

"Who are you?" asked the youngest prince, shocked.

"I am a princess. A wicked witch turned me into a mouse. The curse would only be broken when a handsome and kind man held my hand," the mouse princess explained.

The youngest prince was overjoyed. His bride was the most beautiful girl in the kingdom.