Once upon a time, there was a king who had three sons. They were handsome and strong. The King decided that his eldest son would be the King after him and the second son would be the Commander-in-Chief of his great army.
But his youngest son, William, only liked to play the flute and sing! “What was the use of this to a prince like me,” he wondered.
In despair, he asked his council of ministers what to do with William. Each minister came up with a suggestion, none of them sensible. Finally, one minister said, “Sir, let the Prince travel alone in the world with his flute and his music. He will be able to decide things for himself.”
This seemed like good advice to the King. So the next day the Prince, simply dressed, set off on his travels, carrying his flute. He had no idea where to go and what to do. But he was a cheerful fellow, so he simply sat on a horse and rode away happily.
William rode till he was tired and hungry, sleeping under trees and eating at farms along the way. One evening, he stopped at a cottage. The farmer and his wife invited William to share their meal.
William offered to pay them, but the farmer refused to accept any money. He saw the flute in William’s belt and asked him to play it for them after dinner. William was happy to do so.
The next day, there was a wedding in the village. The farmer requested William to play his flute for them. William played delightful tunes and the villagers danced happily. Soon neighbouring villages began to invite William to all the ceremonies and fairs around.
His fame spread and soon other kingdoms heard of a young man who played the flute beautifully. The King of a neighbouring kingdom was holding a ball. He sent a messenger to invite the flute player.
William played the flute and everyone danced the whole night. The King’s daughter was so charmed by the music that she wanted to meet the flute player. She fell in love with William when she saw him.
She was determined to marry him. The King agreed and a grand wedding was arranged. After the wedding, the King announced that William would be his successor without any doubt.
William went to his father with his bride and a large entourage. When his father saw him coming, he was very happy. His son had won a princess and a kingdom, with only a flute to help him!
