It had been foretold that when a son was born to a nobleman, his feet must not touch the ground for twelve years. So, he was very careful to ensure that his little son had nurses and attendants who carried him in their arms or on a littler always. But one day, unfortunately, hearing a commotion outside the palace, the nurse put the boy down! When she turned from the window, the child had vanished! The nobleman was miserable and sent people to search for his son, but he couldn’t be found. Then, a palace guard reported that he had heard someone walking up and down and groaning at night in one of the chambers. But when he looked inside, no one was there! The nobleman announced a reward of three hundred gold coins for anyone who could spend a night in the haunted chamber and perhaps get news of his lost son.
The Widow’s Daughter
Everyone was terrified of the haunted chamber. But there was a poor widow with three daughters, who told their mother that they would earn the three hundred gold coins. So, one day, the eldest daughter went to the nobleman and asked for some firewood and things to cook food. That night, a young man came and asked her for whom she was cooking and laying the bed. She said, “For myself.” He went away sadly. The nobleman gave her the gold and sent her away. The next night, this happened to the second girl. On the third night, the youngest daughter offered the young man food and rest. The floor shook and opened into a great cave with silver and gold trees. He took her through it and she came back, hiding silver and gold twigs in her apron. She put them beside him as he slept. When the young man saw the twigs, the spell was broken! The next morning, the nobleman was happy to see his long-lost son with the widow’s beautiful daughter. They married and lived happily!
