In a kingdom not so very long ago, a good king suddenly felt very, very unwell. All the royal doctors shook their heads; they just couldn't make him better. He grew weaker every day. The king had three sons, and they were all very worried.

One day, an old woman with twinkling eyes visited the palace. "Your Majesty," she whispered, "the only thing that can save you is the Water of Life. It’s tricky to find, but it works wonders!"

The eldest son, who thought he was the cleverest, puffed out his chest. "I'll go!" he declared. He rode into a dark forest and soon met a little dwarf. "Where are you rushing off to?" asked the dwarf.
"None of your business, tiny fellow!" snapped the prince.
"Well, then!" huffed the dwarf, and with a little wiggle of his nose, the path ahead became a deep, muddy ditch, and the prince’s horse got stuck. So much for his quest!

Next, the second son, who thought he was the bravest, set off. He also met the dwarf. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?" asked the dwarf.
"Out of my way, shorty!" the prince grumbled.
"Oh, really?" said the dwarf, and with another nose-wiggle, the second prince found himself stuck in an even deeper, muddier ditch.

Finally, the youngest son, who was kind and gentle, asked his father, "Please, may I try?"
The king, though weak, nodded. The youngest prince also met the dwarf in the forest. "Good day! I'm looking for the Water of Life to save my father," said the prince politely.
The dwarf smiled. "Ah, a polite one! I can help you." He told the prince about an enchanted castle. "Inside, you'll find a sleeping princess. The Water of Life is in a cup beside her. Take it, but be sure to leave before the clock strikes twelve, or you'll be trapped!" The dwarf also gave him a special iron wand and two small loaves of bread. "Use the wand to open the castle gates, and the bread to calm the guard lions."

The prince thanked the dwarf and rode on. He found the castle, tapped the iron gates with the wand, and they creaked open. Two huge lions roared, but when he threw them the bread, they became as gentle as kittens. Inside, everything was quiet. He found a beautiful princess fast asleep. Beside her was a golden cup filled with sparkling water. He carefully took a little sip – it tasted wonderful! Then he filled his flask. As he was about to leave, he gently kissed the princess's cheek. Her eyes fluttered open!
"Oh, you've saved me!" she cried. "I was under a spell. If you return in a year and a day, I will marry you!"
Just then, the clock began to chime. Dong! Dong! The prince hurried out, and the gates slammed shut right behind him as the twelfth chime sounded. Phew!

On his way back, he met his two brothers, who had finally managed to get out of their muddy ditches. They were very jealous when they saw he had the Water of Life. While the youngest prince was napping, they sneakily swapped his flask of precious Water of Life with yucky seawater!

When they reached home, the youngest prince rushed to his father. The king drank the water… and felt even worse! "Blech! This is salty!" he coughed.
The two older brothers quickly said, "See, Father! He tried to poison you! He wanted the kingdom for himself!"
The poor king, very sad and angry, believed them. He secretly told his huntsman to take the youngest prince into the forest and leave him there. But the huntsman felt sorry for the kind prince and let him go free.

A year and a day later, a magnificent golden carriage arrived at the palace. It was the princess! She was looking for the prince who had saved her.
The two older brothers, eager to marry her, rushed forward. "It was me!" shouted the eldest. "No, it was me!" cried the second.
But the princess said, "The one who saved me came through a special gate and told me he would return." She had also laid a road of pure gold leading to the palace, telling her servants that only the true hero would ride straight over it. The eldest brother, thinking it too fine to ride on, went beside it. The second did the same.

Just then, the youngest prince, who had heard about the princess, came riding sadly from the forest. He was so lost in thought about his lost love that he rode right down the middle of the golden road.
"That's him!" cried the princess. "He is the one!"
The truth came out! The king was overjoyed to see his youngest son alive and terribly sorry for believing the lies. The two wicked brothers were so ashamed they ran away and were never heard from again.

The youngest prince married the beautiful princess, and they had a huge party with lots of dancing and cake. And when the old king finally passed away, after many more happy years (thanks to some real Water of Life the princess had brought), the kind young prince became king, and they all lived happily ever after.

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