The King and the Queen had a handsome son. When he was old enough, they sent him out into the world to find a princess as his wife. The Prince rode off but in a forest he lost his way as a thick mist hid the path.
Wandering around he came to a palace where he found the beautiful Princess Eleanor. He fell in love with her and she too loved him, so they were married. They lived happily in the palace. As time passed, they had a little son. The baby was very friendly and cheerful.
The Prince told Eleanor about his parents and wished to take her and their son to meet them. Eleanor and the little prince went with the Prince. But a wicked witch was watching the happy family and felt very jealous.
She waited till the family set sail. Then one dark night, she put Eleanor into a stone boat and set it off towards an island where a giant lived. She herself wore Eleanor’s clothes and transformed herself, taking her place in the ship.
When they reached the palace, the Prince’s parents were delighted to see their son and his family. But the Prince was puzzled because Eleanor was very ill-tempered and couldn’t bear to see the child. The baby too, who had always been so cheerful, would burst into tears whenever he was brought to Eleanor.
The Prince asked the baby’s nurse to watch over the child so that no harm might come to him. The nurse now kept watch day and night. One night, she saw that a beautiful lady dressed in white with a chain around her waist came through a trapdoor in the floor and picked the baby up. She hugged him and wept, and sang to him. The baby seemed very happy. Then she returned through the trapdoor. The nurse told the Prince about it. That night, he too watched and was amazed to see that the lady was Eleanor. The next night, when the lady came, the Prince cut the chain with his sword and set her free from the enchantment.
Princess Eleanor told the Prince that the giant had kept her prisoner at the orders of the witch and allowed her to meet her son for three days only.
She told him all about the witch who was put to death. Both Eleanor and the Prince lived happily thereafter.
