Not so very long ago, in a cottage tucked away beside a dark wood, lived a sorceress. She wasn't always the cheeriest person, and she had a secret worry. She had three sons, and she suspected they might try to sneak away with her magical powers.

So, one sunny morning, with a flick of her wrist and a muttered word, *poof*! She turned her oldest son into a great eagle, doomed to soar over a rocky mountain. Then, with another wiggle of her fingers, *splash*! Her second son became a huge whale, destined to swim in the deep, dark sea.

The youngest son, however, was a quick thinker. He saw what was happening to his brothers and, before his mother could turn him into a grumpy badger or a wobbly jellyfish, he scampered away as fast as his legs could carry him.

He wandered for many days, feeling quite lonely. Then, he heard tales of a beautiful princess who was trapped in the Castle of the Golden Sun. A wicked spell kept her there, and only a special crystal ball could set her free. "Hmm," thought the young man, "perhaps if I find this crystal ball, it can help the princess, and maybe even my brothers!"

As he journeyed, he came across two enormous giants arguing loudly. "This wishing cap is mine!" roared one. "No, it belongs to me!" bellowed the other. The cap lay on the ground between them.
The young man, who was clever as well as quick, called out, "Why don't you race to that tall pine tree over there? Whoever reaches it first can claim the cap!"
The giants, not being the brightest, thought this was a splendid idea and thundered off, shaking the ground. While they were busy racing, the young man quickly snatched the wishing cap, popped it on his head, and whispered, "I wish to be at the Castle of the Golden Sun!"
And *whoosh*! In the blink of an eye, he stood before a dazzling castle that shone like a thousand suns.

Inside, he found the princess. She was lovely, but her eyes were sad. She told him that the sorceress – yes, his very own mother! – had cast the spell and now guarded the crystal ball.
"To get the crystal ball," the princess explained, her voice a whisper, "you must first face a fierce wild bull with horns like daggers. Then, you must capture a fiery bird that breathes scorching flames. Inside the bird's egg, you will find the crystal ball."

This sounded like a very tricky business! But the young man remembered his wishing cap. "I wish my eagle brother was here to help me!" he said.
Instantly, a shadow fell over him, and his eagle brother swooped down from the sky. "What troubles you, little brother?" he screeched.
When the wild bull charged, snorting and pawing the ground, the eagle dived straight at its eyes, pecking and flapping his mighty wings. The bull, confused and unable to see, turned and ran away in a fright.

"Now for the fiery bird!" said the young man, and he wished for his whale brother.
With a great *swoosh* and a splash, a giant wave appeared as if from nowhere, and his whale brother surfaced. "Need a fin, little brother?" he gurgled.
When the fiery bird swooped down, breathing hot flames, the whale spouted an enormous jet of water high into the air. The water drenched the bird, putting out its fire. Surprised and a bit soggy, the bird dropped the precious egg it was carrying.

The young man carefully picked up the egg. He cracked it open, and inside, shimmering with a soft light, was the crystal ball!
He marched right up to his sorceress mother, who was looking rather smug. But when she saw the crystal ball in his hand, all her magical power seemed to fizzle away like air from a pricked balloon. She couldn't cast any more mean spells.

Then, the young man showed the crystal ball to the princess. As she gazed into its clear depths, the sad spell broke. Her eyes sparkled with joy, and she smiled the brightest smile he had ever seen.
Of course, they decided to get married, and everyone was very happy.

And what about the brothers? The young man, who was now a prince, held up the crystal ball. "I wish my brothers were human again!" he declared.
And just like that, the eagle transformed back into his oldest brother, and the whale changed back into his second brother, both smiling and free.
They all lived together in the Castle of the Golden Sun, and the prince always kept the wishing cap and the crystal ball safe, just in case they were ever needed for another adventure.

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