There was once a King who was gravely ill, with no hope of recovery. His three sons were deeply distressed and wept in the palace garden.
There, they met an old man who asked the cause of their sorrow. They explained their father's fatal illness. The old man said, "I know of one remedy: the Water of Life. If he drinks it, he will be cured, but it is very hard to find."
The eldest son vowed to find it and begged the King for permission. Reluctantly, the King agreed. The prince set out, thinking, "If I succeed, I will be my father's favorite and inherit the kingdom." Soon, he met a dwarf on the road who asked, "Where are you going in such haste?" The prince replied haughtily, "That's none of your business, silly shrimp!" and rode on.
Angered, the dwarf cast a spell. The prince rode into a ravine where the mountains closed in, trapping him completely.
When the eldest did not return, the second son volunteered, secretly hoping to inherit the kingdom if his brother was dead. He met the same dwarf and responded with similar arrogance. The dwarf bewitched him, and he too became trapped in a ravine.
Finally, the youngest son begged to go. The King, with no other choice, consented. When the dwarf asked his purpose, the youngest stopped, explained his quest for the Water of Life to save his dying father, and treated the dwarf with respect.
Pleased, the dwarf said, "Since you have been courteous, unlike your arrogant brothers, I will help you. The Water of Life springs from a fountain in an enchanted castle's courtyard. Take this iron wand and two loaves of bread. Strike the castle's iron door thrice with the wand to open it. Inside, two lions with gaping jaws will be calmed if you throw each a loaf. You must fetch the water before the clock strikes twelve, or the door will shut, imprisoning you forever."
The prince thanked him and set off. Everything happened as the dwarf foretold. The door opened, he appeased the lions, and entered the castle. In a great hall, he took rings from enchanted princes and found a magical sword and a loaf of bread that never diminished.
He then entered a chamber where a beautiful maiden rejoiced at his arrival. She kissed him, declared he had saved her, and promised him her kingdom and her hand in marriage if he returned in a year. She also told him the fountain's location and warned him to hurry before midnight.
Weary, the prince saw a bed in another room and lay down, falling asleep. He awoke just as the clock struck a quarter to twelve. In a panic, he ran to the fountain, filled a nearby cup, and fled. As he passed through the iron door at the stroke of twelve, it slammed shut, taking a piece of his heel.
Rejoicing, he started home and met the dwarf again. Seeing the sword and loaf, the dwarf said, "With these, you have won great wealth. The sword can slay whole armies, and the bread will never end." The prince asked about his brothers. The dwarf revealed they were imprisoned between mountains for their haughtiness but agreed to free them at the prince's pleading, warning, "Beware, for they have evil hearts."
When reunited, the youngest joyfully told his brothers everything: finding the Water of Life, rescuing the princess, and their future wedding and kingdom.
The brothers traveled on, coming upon a land ravaged by war and famine. The prince used his magical loaf to feed the entire kingdom and his sword to defeat its enemies, bringing peace. He did this in two more kingdoms, saving three lands in total.
On the ship home, the two eldest brothers conspired. Jealous that the youngest would inherit everything, they waited until he was asleep, stole the Water of Life from his cup, and replaced it with salt seawater.
Upon arrival, the youngest gave his cup to the sick King. After drinking the seawater, the King grew worse. The eldest brothers then accused the youngest of attempted poisoning and presented their stolen water. The King drank it and was instantly restored to health and youth.
The brothers mocked the youngest, boasting of their theft and threatening to kill him if he told their father. Believing the accusation, the angry King ordered his youngest son to be secretly shot.
The King's huntsman was tasked with the deed. In the forest, his sorrow was evident. The prince urged him to speak, promising pardon. The huntsman confessed his orders. The prince, shocked, proposed they exchange clothes so he could escape into the forest, which the huntsman gladly did.
Later, three wagons of gold and jewels arrived for the youngest prince, gifts from the three kings he had saved. This made the old King doubt his son's guilt. He lamented, "Would that he were still alive!" The huntsman then revealed the truth. Overjoyed, the King proclaimed his son's innocence and welcomed his return.
Meanwhile, the princess had a bright golden road built to her palace. She decreed that whoever rode straight up the middle was her true deliverer and would be admitted; anyone riding to the side was an impostor.
When the year was nearly up, the eldest brother rushed to claim the princess. Seeing the golden road, he thought it a shame to ride on it and took the right side. He was turned away at the door. The second brother did the same, riding on the left side, and was also rejected.
When the year ended, the youngest prince, thinking only of his beloved, rode out of the forest. So absorbed was he that he didn't notice the road and rode straight up the middle. The door opened, the princess welcomed him with joy as her true deliverer, and their wedding was celebrated.
After the wedding, the princess told him his father had forgiven him. The prince returned, told the King the whole truth of his brothers' betrayal and his own silence. The King wished to punish the elder brothers, but they had already fled to sea and never returned.