English Original
Once upon a time, a rich merchant had three sons. When grown, the eldest wished to see the world. His father provided a ship, and the young man sailed away.
He arrived at a town where a royal proclamation offered the king's daughter in marriage to anyone who could find her within eight days—failure meant death. Confident, the eldest son accepted the challenge but failed and was beheaded.
Worried by his brother's disappearance, the second son set sail and landed at the same harbor. Seeing the proclamation, he guessed his brother's fate but attempted the search anyway. He, too, failed and lost his head.
Finally, the youngest son embarked on a journey to find his brothers. The wind blew him to the same fateful harbor. Reading the notice, he understood what had happened but decided to try his luck.
On the way to the castle, he met an old beggar woman. After initially dismissing her, he confessed his quest. She offered to help in exchange for his wealth, instructing him to have a goldsmith craft a golden lion with crystal eyes and a mechanism to play tunes.
The young man obeyed. The old woman hid him inside the lion and presented it to the king. Enchanted, the king borrowed it to show his daughter. That night, he secretly took the lion through a hidden passage beneath his floor, past seven locked doors, to a hall where the princess and eleven identical companions resided.
Hidden inside, the young man saw the princess but realized he could not distinguish her later. That night, he spoke to her from within the lion, revealing his identity and quest. Moved, the princess promised to tie a white sash around her waist on the eighth day so he could identify her.
The next day, the old woman retrieved the lion. The young man then presented himself to the king to officially undertake the search. For seven days, he pretended to search the palace. On the eighth day, he demanded the floorboards be lifted, revealing the secret staircase. He compelled the king to unlock all seven doors.
In the hall stood the twelve identical maidens. One silently tied a white sash around her waist. The young man immediately identified her as the princess and claimed her as his bride. The defeated king consented to the marriage.
After the wedding, the couple sailed to the young man's homeland with great treasure. They never forgot the old woman who made their happiness possible and provided for her for the rest of her life.
中文翻译
从前，一位富商有三个儿子。长子成年后想周游世界，父亲便为他备好一艘船，让他扬帆远航。
他来到一个城镇，那里张贴着皇家告示：任何人若能在八天内找到国王的女儿，便可娶她为妻；失败则将被处死。长子自信地接受了挑战，但未能成功，被斩首。
次子因兄长失踪而担忧，也乘船出发，来到了同一个港口。看到告示，他猜到了兄长的命运，但仍决定尝试寻找公主。同样，他失败了，并失去了性命。
最后，小儿子出发去寻找哥哥们。风将他吹到了那个决定命运的港口。读完告示，他明白了发生的一切，但仍决定试试运气。
在前往城堡的路上，他遇到一位乞讨的老妇人。起初他不耐烦地打发她，但最终还是向她吐露了自己的任务。老妇人表示愿意帮忙，条件是用他的财富打造一尊金狮——要有水晶眼睛，并能演奏乐曲。
年轻人照做了。老妇人将他藏在金狮内，进献给国王。国王爱不释手，借来给女儿观赏。当晚，国王偷偷将金狮通过地板下的密道，穿过七道上锁的门，带进了一个大厅，公主和十一位相貌衣着完全相同的女伴就在那里。
藏在狮内的年轻人看到了公主，但他意识到自己日后无法将她辨认出来。当夜，他从狮内对公主说话，表明了自己的身份和来意。公主被打动了，答应在第八天于腰间系一条白色饰带，以便他相认。
次日，老妇人取回了金狮。年轻人随即向国王正式提出寻找公主。接下来的七天，他只在宫中假装搜寻。第八天，他要求撬开地板，露出了秘密楼梯。他迫使国王打开了全部七道门锁。
大厅里站着十二位一模一样的少女。其中一位悄悄将白色饰带系在腰间。年轻人立刻认出她就是公主，并请求娶她为妻。认输的国王同意了这桩婚事。
婚礼后，这对新人带着丰厚的财宝驶向年轻人的故乡。他们从未忘记促成这段姻缘的老妇人，并供养她安度晚年。