The Twelve Dancing Princesses

A King had twelve daughters of surpassing beauty who slept in twelve beds in a single room. Every night, the door was double-locked, yet every morning their shoes were found worn through as if they had been danced in all night. Puzzled, the King proclaimed that whoever discovered their secret within three days could choose a daughter for his bride and inherit the kingdom; those who failed would be put to death. Many princes tried and failed, falling into a deep sleep each night. Finally, an old soldier, wounded in battle, took up the challenge. An old woman gave him a cloak of invisibility and warned him not to drink the wine the princesses would offer. For three nights, the soldier feigned sleep, then donned his cloak and followed the sisters through a trapdoor beneath a bed. He followed them through magnificent forests of silver, gold, and diamond trees into an underground castle where they danced with twelve handsome princes. On the third night, he took a golden cup as final proof. When the soldier revealed the secret and showed the King the silver, gold, and diamond branches he had gathered, the princesses confessed. The soldier chose the eldest princess as his wife and was named the King’s heir.