English Original
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.
中文翻译
从前，有一位国王病入膏肓，无人相信他能康复。他的三个儿子非常悲痛，在宫殿的花园里哭泣。
在那里，他们遇到一位老人询问悲伤的原因。他们解释了父亲致命的病情。老人说：“我知道一种解药：生命之水。如果他喝了，就能痊愈，但这水极难找到。”
大儿子发誓要找到它，并恳求国王允许。国王不情愿地同意了。王子出发了，心想：“如果我成功了，我将成为父亲的最爱并继承王位。”不久，他在路上遇到一个侏儒，侏儒问：“你这么匆忙是要去哪儿？”王子傲慢地回答：“不关你的事，小矮子！”然后继续骑马前行。
侏儒被激怒了，施了一个咒语。王子骑马进入一个峡谷，山体合拢，将他完全困住。
当大儿子没有回来时，二儿子自告奋勇，暗自希望如果哥哥死了他就能继承王位。他遇到了同一个侏儒，并以同样的傲慢态度回应。侏儒对他施了魔法，他也被困在了一个峡谷里。
最后，小儿子请求前往。国王别无选择，只好同意。当侏儒问他的目的时，小儿子停下来，解释了他为拯救垂死父亲而寻找生命之水的任务，并对侏儒彬彬有礼。
侏儒很高兴，说：“既然你如此有礼，不像你傲慢的哥哥们，我会帮助你。生命之水来自一座被施了魔法的城堡庭院中的喷泉。拿着这根铁杖和两个面包。用铁杖敲击城堡的铁门三次，门就会打开。里面有两头张着血盆大口的狮子，如果你给每头狮子扔一个面包，它们就会安静下来。你必须在时钟敲响十二点之前取到水，否则门会关上，你将永远被囚禁。”
王子谢过他，出发了。一切都如侏儒所预言的那样发生了。门开了，他安抚了狮子，进入了城堡。在一个大厅里，他从被施了魔法的王子们手指上取下了戒指，并找到了一把可以斩杀千军的魔剑和一个永不减少的面包。
然后他进入一个房间，一位美丽的少女为他的到来而欣喜。她亲吻了他，宣布他拯救了她，并承诺如果他一年后回来，就将她的王国和她的手交给他。她还告诉他喷泉的位置，并警告他必须在午夜前赶快行动。
王子很疲倦，在另一个房间看到一张床就躺下睡着了。他在时钟敲响十一点四十五分时醒来。惊慌中，他跑到喷泉边，用旁边的杯子装满水，然后逃跑。就在十二点整他穿过铁门时，门猛地关上，削掉了他的一块脚后跟。
他欣喜地踏上归途，再次遇到了侏儒。看到剑和面包，侏儒说：“有了这些，你就赢得了巨大的财富。这把剑可以斩杀整支军队，这个面包永远吃不完。”王子问起他的哥哥们。侏儒透露，他们因为傲慢被囚禁在两座山之间，但在王子的恳求下同意释放他们，并警告说：“小心，因为他们心怀不轨。”
重逢后，小儿子高兴地告诉哥哥们一切：找到了生命之水，拯救了公主，以及他们未来的婚礼和王国。
兄弟们继续旅行，来到一个饱受战争和饥荒蹂躏的国度。王子用他的魔法面包喂饱了整个王国，用他的剑击败了敌人，带来了和平。他在另外两个王国也这样做了，总共拯救了三个国家。
在回家的船上，两个哥哥密谋。他们嫉妒弟弟将继承一切，于是等他睡着后，偷走了他杯子里的生命之水，并用咸海水替换了它。
到达后，小儿子把他的杯子给了生病的国王。国王喝了海水后，病情加重。两个哥哥于是指责弟弟企图下毒，并献上他们偷来的水。国王喝了，立刻恢复了健康和青春。
哥哥们嘲笑了弟弟，吹嘘他们的偷窃行为，并威胁说如果他告诉父亲就杀了他。相信了指控的愤怒国王下令秘密枪杀他的小儿子。
国王的猎人被委以这项任务。在森林里，他的悲伤显而易见。王子催促他说出来，并承诺原谅他。猎人坦白了他的任务。王子震惊之余，提议他们交换衣服，这样他就可以逃进森林，猎人欣然同意。
后来，三辆满载黄金和珠宝的马车为小王子送来，这是他拯救的三位国王的礼物。这让老国王开始怀疑儿子的罪行。他悲叹道：“要是他还活着该多好！”猎人随后说出了真相。国王大喜，宣布儿子无罪并欢迎他回来。
与此同时，公主修建了一条通往她宫殿的明亮金色道路。她下令，谁骑马直接从路中间上来，就是她真正的拯救者，将被接纳；任何骑马走在路边的人都是冒名顶替者。
当一年快结束时，大哥急忙去认领公主。看到金色道路，他觉得骑马踩在上面是一种耻辱，于是走了右边。他在门口被拒之门外。二哥也做了同样的事，走了左边，也被拒绝了。
当一年结束时，小王子一心只想着他的爱人，骑马出了森林。他如此全神贯注，以至于没有注意到道路，径直从中间骑了上去。门开了，公主高兴地迎接他，称他是她真正的拯救者，并举行了婚礼。
婚礼后，公主告诉他，他的父亲已经原谅了他。王子回去后，向国王讲述了他哥哥们背叛以及他自己保持沉默的全部真相。国王本想惩罚哥哥们，但他们已经逃到海上，再也没有回来。