A young prince, full of get-up-and-go, decided one sunny morning that palace life was a bit too quiet. "Father," he said, "I want to see the world!" His father, the king, smiled and said, "Go on then, but take your trusty servant with you."

So off they went! They rode and rode until they came to a huge, shadowy forest. Twisty trees and tangled bushes made it impossible to see the path. Night began to fall, and they were well and truly lost. "Oh dear," said the servant, "where will we sleep?"

Just when they thought they’d be munching on berries for dinner, a tiny light twinkled through the trees. "Hooray!" cried the prince, and they hurried towards it. It was a little cottage, and a kind old woman opened the door.

"Welcome, travelers," she said, her voice like rustling leaves. "But be warned! My beautiful daughter is the captain of a band of robbers. She is very clever and asks tricky riddles. If you can't answer, well, it's not good news for you."

"A riddle?" said the prince, his eyes sparkling. "I love a good puzzle! I'm not afraid."
The old woman sighed. "Brave, but perhaps a bit foolish. Alright, I will hide you."

That night, she hid the prince up the chimney. Soon, the robber princess came in with her gang. She was indeed very beautiful, with eyes as sharp as daggers. "Granny," she said, "did anyone strange come by today?"
"No, my dear, just the wind whistling," said the old woman.
But the princess was suspicious. She peeked up the chimney. "Aha!" she thought, seeing a glint. She reached up, trying to snatch the prince's shiny ring. But the prince was quick! He held out a sooty piece of wood, and she grabbed that instead, getting her fingers dirty. "Ugh!" she muttered.

The next night, the old woman hid the prince in the dark, dusty cellar. Again, the princess came in. "Granny, are you sure no one is here?" She crept down to the cellar. "I'll get his sparkly necklace this time!" she plotted. She reached out in the dark. But the prince held out a broken piece of old pottery, and clink! She got that instead. "Grr!" she growled.

The third night, the prince hid under a big pile of sweet-smelling hay in the barn. The princess, even more determined, searched everywhere. "This time," she whispered, spotting a shape under the hay, "I'll get a kiss from this mysterious visitor!" She leaned close. But as she did, the prince quickly turned his head, and she got a little tap on her cheek instead of a kiss! She jumped back, surprised.

The next day, the prince, looking very smart and not at all sooty or dusty, went to the robber castle. The princess sat on a high chair, surrounded by her robbers.
"Alright, clever clogs," she said, her eyes narrowed. "You wish to try my riddle. Here it is: What did I not take from you, yet what did I get each night?"

The prince smiled. "Easy peasy!" he said. "The first night, you wanted my ring, but you got a piece of wood. The second night, you wanted my necklace, but you got a broken piece of pottery. And the third night, you wanted a kiss, but you got a little tap on your cheek!"

The princess's jaw dropped. Her robbers gasped. "You... you're right!" she exclaimed. She had to admit he was very clever. "A promise is a promise," she declared. "I must marry him."
The robbers grumbled and muttered, but the princess was firm.

So they had a wedding, and it was surprisingly jolly. On their way to the prince's kingdom, they passed the old woman's little cottage. But wait! As they watched, the cottage shimmered and grew, transforming into a beautiful, shiny castle! The old woman stood at the door, no longer old and stooped, but a sparkling, kind fairy.
"I helped you because you were brave and kind, and you solved the riddles with wit," she smiled. "This castle is my wedding gift."

And so, the prince and his clever princess, who decided being a royal was much more fun than being a robber, lived happily, with lots of fun and maybe a few more riddles, in their brand new castle.

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