In a grand castle, where the flags fluttered like happy birds, lived a kind old King. But one day, the King felt very tired and knew his time was almost up. He called for his most trusted servant, Faithful John. "John," he whispered, "you've always been like a son to me. Please, watch over my real son, the young Prince. Show him everything in the castle, every room, every treasure... except for one. The last room at the end of the long gallery. He must never, ever see the portrait of the Princess of the Golden Roof in there. Promise me."

Faithful John, with tears in his eyes, promised.

The old King passed away, and the young Prince became the new King. Faithful John showed him all the wonders of the castle, just as he’d promised. But the more rooms they saw, the more the young King wondered about that one locked door. "What's in there, John?" he'd ask.
"Nothing you need to see, Your Majesty," John would reply.
But one day, the King declared, "I am the King now! I must see what's in that room!"

With a heavy heart, John unlocked the door. There, shining as if lit by the sun itself, was a painting of the most beautiful princess imaginable. She had hair like spun gold and eyes like sparkling sapphires. The moment the young King saw her, he gasped and fainted right there on the floor!

When he woke up, he sighed, "Oh, John! I must marry her! I will marry no one else but the Princess of the Golden Roof!"
Faithful John knew this would be tricky. "She is very far away, and her father is very protective," he said.
"I don't care!" cried the King. "We must find a way!"

So, Faithful John, who was very clever, came up with a plan. They filled a ship with all sorts of wonderful golden treasures – cups, plates, and little statues that glittered and gleamed. Then, John and the King dressed up as merchants and sailed to the land where the Princess of the Golden Roof lived.

John went ashore with a basket full of golden toys. The Princess heard about the amazing merchant and his golden goods and invited him to the castle. She loved the golden things! "I have even more on my ship," John said slyly, "even more beautiful than these."
The Princess was so curious that she agreed to go to the ship with her ladies-in-waiting. Once she was aboard, admiring a magnificent golden birdcage, Faithful John secretly told the sailors to set sail!

When the Princess realized they were moving, she was scared! "You've tricked me!" she cried.
But then the young King stepped forward, no longer dressed as a merchant, but as himself. "Forgive us, dear Princess," he said, "but I saw your portrait and knew I couldn't live without you."
The Princess, seeing how handsome and kind he looked, soon forgave him, and they fell in love on the journey home.

One sunny afternoon, as John stood on the deck, he saw three black ravens flying overhead, and he could understand their talk!
The first raven croaked, "Look! He's taking the Princess of the Golden Roof home. But there's trouble ahead!"
"What trouble?" asked the second.
"A fiery red horse will appear when they land," said the first. "If the King tries to ride it, it will carry him off forever. Someone must shoot the horse, but whoever does will turn to stone from their toes to their knees!"
"Oh dear!" cawed the third. "And that's not all! At the wedding feast, a beautiful wedding shirt will be offered to the King. If he puts it on, it will burn him like fire. Someone must grab it and throw it into the flames, but whoever does will turn to stone from their knees to their heart!"
"Even worse!" shrieked the first. "During the wedding dance, the new Queen will suddenly faint and look like she's dead. Someone must quickly draw three tiny drops of blood from her right side, near her heart, and spit them out. If not, she will truly die. But whoever does this brave deed will turn completely to stone, from head to toe!"
"Is there no hope for such a person?" asked the second.
"Only one," said the third. "If the King and Queen are willing to sacrifice their first two children, and use their blood to touch the stone, he will come back to life. But who would do such a thing?"
And the ravens flew away.

Faithful John was terribly sad, but he loved his King. When they reached their kingdom, sure enough, a magnificent fiery red horse pranced towards them. The King cried, "What a splendid horse! I shall ride it!"
"No!" shouted John, and quick as a flash, he pulled out a pistol and shot the horse.
The other servants, who didn't hear the ravens, muttered, "How dare he shoot the King's horse!"

At the wedding feast, a servant brought in a wedding shirt embroidered with gold and jewels. "For the King!" he announced.
As the King reached for it, John snatched it and threw it into the fireplace, where it burst into flames.
The King was angry. "John, what are you doing?" But he saw how fiercely the shirt burned and knew John had saved him, though he didn't understand why.

Later, during the wedding dance, the beautiful Queen suddenly turned pale and fell to the ground. Everyone gasped! But Faithful John knew what to do. He gently lifted the Queen, and though it pained him, he quickly did what the ravens had said was necessary to save her.
The Queen instantly revived, her cheeks rosy again. But the King, seeing what John had done, was furious! He didn't understand. "Seize him!" he roared. "He has tried to harm my Queen!"

Poor Faithful John couldn't explain, because if he spoke of the ravens' prophecy, he would die instantly. As the guards took him away, he began to turn to stone. First his feet, then his legs, then his body, until he was a complete stone statue.

The King, though still angry, felt a deep sadness. He had the statue of Faithful John placed in his bedroom. Years passed. The King and Queen had two beautiful twin children, a boy and a girl, whom they loved very much.
One day, the Queen was looking at the statue and sighed, "Oh, Faithful John, if only you could speak and tell us why you did those strange things."
To her amazement, the stone statue spoke! "I can speak now, for I am already stone. I did it to save you and the King." And the statue told her all about the ravens and their prophecies.

The Queen ran to the King, weeping, and told him everything. The King was heartbroken. "My dearest, most Faithful John! What have I done? Is there any way to bring you back?"
The statue spoke again, its voice faint. "Yes, but it is a terrible price. You must sacrifice what you love most – your two children – and anoint me with their blood."

The King and Queen were horrified. How could they do such a thing? But their love for Faithful John, who had sacrificed everything for them, was immense. With tears streaming down their faces, the King drew his sword, ready to make the ultimate sacrifice for his loyal friend.
But just as he was about to strike, the stone statue of Faithful John cracked, and John himself stepped out, alive and well! And wonder of wonders, the children were perfectly safe, giggling in their mother's arms as if nothing had happened.
The King and Queen hugged Faithful John, overjoyed. And from that day on, they all lived together in great happiness, never forgetting the incredible loyalty of Faithful John.

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