Once upon a time, a prince set out to see the world, accompanied only by his faithful servant. One evening, lost in a great forest, they saw a young girl approaching a small house. She warned them that her stepmother, a witch, lived there and disliked strangers. Despite the warning, the prince entered as darkness fell.
The witch pretended to be friendly but was secretly brewing evil. Her kind daughter warned the travelers not to eat or drink anything. They slept safely and prepared to leave at dawn. As the prince mounted his horse, the witch offered a farewell drink. The prince rode off, but his servant, tightening his saddle, was left behind. The witch handed him a poisoned glass, which broke, spilling onto the horse and killing it instantly.
The servant retrieved his saddle and found a raven eating the dead horse. Thinking it might be their only meal, he killed the raven and took it. Lost all day, they found an inn at nightfall. The servant gave the raven to the innkeeper to cook for supper.
Unknowingly, they had entered a den of murderers. Twelve killers, along with the innkeeper and the witch, sat down to eat the raven soup. They had barely swallowed a few bites when they all dropped dead, poisoned by the tainted meat. Only the innkeeper's innocent daughter remained. She showed the prince the robbers' treasure, but he refused it and continued his journey.
Eventually, they came to a town where a beautiful, proud princess had declared she would marry any man who posed a riddle she could not solve within three days. If she solved it, he would be beheaded. Nine suitors had already died. Enchanted by her beauty, the prince accepted the challenge.
He asked his riddle: "One killed none, but still killed twelve. What is it?"
The princess was stumped. Desperate, she sent her maid on the first night to eavesdrop on the prince's dreams. The clever servant, sleeping in his master's bed, caught the maid, took her robe, and chased her out. The same happened with a chambermaid on the second night.
On the third night, the prince slept in his own bed. The princess herself came, wearing a mist-gray robe, and whispered questions, hoping he would answer in his sleep. Awake, he replied: "The 'one' is a raven that ate poisoned horse meat and died. The 'twelve' are the murderers who ate the raven and died."
Having learned the answer, the princess tried to leave, but the prince held onto her robe, forcing her to leave it behind.
The next morning, she announced she had solved the riddle. The prince protested, claiming she had cheated by sneaking into his room. When the judges demanded proof, his servant presented the three stolen robes, including the princess's distinctive mist-gray one. The judges declared, "Have this robe embroidered with gold and silver; it shall be your wedding robe."