The Golden Lion
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Golden Lion is an Italian fairy tale collected by Laura Gonzenbach in Sicilianische Märchen. Andrew Lang included it in The Pink Fairy Book.
[edit] Synopsis
A merchant had three sons. The oldest set out and found a city where the king had proclaimed that whoever found his daughter in eight days would marry her, but whoever tried and lost would lose his head. The son tried and failed. His second brother followed and also failed.
The youngest son, following his brothers, discovered this and rebuffed an old woman seeking alms. She asked if he were in trouble. He told her. She told him that he should make a golden lion that would play tunes, that he could hid in. She hid him in it and showed it to the king. When he wanted it, she told him she could only lend it to him overnight. He brought it down a secret stairway to twelve identical women. In the night, the youth implored the princess to help him, and she told him she would wear a white sash, so he could know her.
The old woman took the lion away. The youth came out and went to the king. As soon as he had permission, he took up the floor and went down the stairs. Then he picked out the woman with the white sash.
The king agreed to their wedding. They sailed off with her dowry. They did not forget the old woman, but gave her money enough for the rest of her days.
