Let me tell you about three brothers who were ready for an adventure! They weren't very rich, so they decided to go out into the world and see what they could find.

The eldest brother walked for many days until he met a little old man with twinkling eyes. "You look like a fine young lad," said the man, and he gave the brother a dusty old knapsack. "Whenever you tap this knapsack," he explained, "a whole troop of brave little soldiers will pop out, ready to help!" The brother thanked him and went on his way, very pleased.

Next, the middle brother set off. He, too, met a curious character – a cheerful lady selling hats by the roadside. She gave him a rather plain-looking hat. "But this is no ordinary hat!" she winked. "Tip it forward, and boom! Cannons will appear, ready to make a big, impressive noise!" The middle brother was delighted.

Finally, the youngest brother, full of hope, went on his journey. He found an old musician sitting under a tree, playing a shiny brass horn. The musician smiled and gave the horn to the boy. "Blow this horn," he said, "and even the strongest walls will tumble down like building blocks!" The youngest brother couldn't wait to try it.

One sunny afternoon, the three brothers met by chance in a forest clearing. They were so excited to show each other their amazing treasures! "With these things," said the eldest, "we could do anything!"
"Let's go and see the King!" suggested the middle brother. "Maybe we can impress him!"

The King of that land had a beautiful daughter, the Princess. He also had a very strong castle. He announced, "Anyone who can show me something truly amazing can marry my daughter!"
The brothers stepped forward. Tap-tap went the knapsack, and out marched the little soldiers! Tip-tip went the hat, and POP! went the cannons, making everyone jump! Toot-toot went the horn, and a small practice wall the King had built for fun crumbled down!
The King was amazed, but also a little worried. "You win!" he said, but secretly, he was thinking of a trick.

That night, the King told the Princess, "Go and find out where they keep their magic things. We must get them!"
The Princess, who was very clever and a bit mischievous, visited the brothers. She was so charming that the eldest brother proudly showed her his knapsack. While he wasn't looking, she sneakily swapped it for an ordinary one.
The next day, she did the same with the middle brother and his hat. And the day after, with the youngest brother and his horn.

When the brothers tried to show off their magic again, nothing happened! The knapsack was just a knapsack, the hat was just a hat, and the horn only made a little "pfft" sound. The King laughed. "You're just ordinary fellows!" he boomed, and had them locked in a dusty tower.

The brothers were very sad. But the youngest remembered something his grandmother once told him about a special apple tree in a hidden garden. One side of the tree grew apples that made your nose grow super, super long, and the other side grew apples that made it shrink back to normal.
He managed to find a loose stone in the tower wall and squeezed out. He found the tree and picked one of the "long-nose" apples.

He disguised himself as an old fruit seller and went to the palace. "Delicious apples! Sweet apples!" he called. The Princess, who loved fruit, bought one and took a big bite.
Oh dear! Her nose started to grow! It grew longer and longer, past her chin, down to her knees, and it kept going until it was trailing on the floor!
The King was frantic! Doctors came from all over, but no one could help the Princess’s enormous nose.

The youngest brother, still in disguise, came back to the palace. "I know a cure for such a nose," he said. "But only if you return three special items: a knapsack, a hat, and a horn that were taken from some travelers."
The Princess, whose long nose made it hard to even walk, begged, "Yes, yes! Get them! Please!"
The King, desperate to help his daughter, ordered the magic items to be brought immediately.

The youngest brother got his knapsack, hat, and horn back. Then, he gave the Princess a bite of the "short-nose" apple. Her nose began to shrink! It shrank and shrank... but he let her keep a tiny little bump on the end, just as a reminder not to be sneaky.

Now the brothers had their magic back! Tap-tap! Out marched the soldiers! Tip-tip! POP went the cannons! Toot-toot! The castle walls trembled!
The King saw he couldn't beat them fairly. "Alright, alright!" he said. "You are truly amazing. Youngest brother, you shall marry my daughter!"

And so, the youngest brother married the Princess (who promised to be good and kind from then on). The other two brothers were given bags of gold and lived very comfortably. And they all learned that being clever and honest was just as important as having magic things.

2046 Views