Grimms Fairy Tales The Twelve Dancing Princesses

the twelve dancing princesses from

Grimm’s fairy tales by Jacob and Wilhelm

Grimm

there was a king who had 12 beautiful

daughters they slept in 12 beds all in

one room and when they went to bed the

doors were shut and locked up but every

morning their shoes were found to be

quite worn through as if they had been

danced in all night and yet nobody could

find out how it happened or where they

had been then the king made it known to

all the land that if any person could

discover the secrets and find out where

it was that the princesses danced in the

night he should have the one he liked

best for his wife man should be king

after his death but whoever tried and

did not succeed after three days and

nights should be put to death

a king’s son soon came he was well

entertained and in the evening was taken

to the chamber next to the one where the

princesses lay in their 12 beds there he

was to sit and watch while they went to

dance and in order that nothing might

pass without his hearing it the door of

his chamber was left open but the king’s

son soon fell asleep and when he awoke

in the morning he found that the

princesses had all been dancing for the

soles of their shoes were full of holes

the same thing happened on the second

and third night so the king ordered his

head to be cut off after him came

several others but they had all the same

luck and all lost their lives in the

same manner

now it chanced that an old soldier who

had been wounded in battle and could

fight no longer passed through the

country where this king reigned and as

he was travelling through a wood he met

an old woman who asked him where he was

going

I had to know where I’m going and what I

had better do said the soldier but I

think I should like very well to find

out where it is that the princess is

dance and then in time I might be a king

well said the old dame that is no very

hard task only take care not to drink

any of the wine which one of the

princesses will bring to you in the

evening then as soon as she leaves you

pretend to be fast asleep

then she gave him a cloak and said as

soon as you put that on you will become

invisible then you will then be able to

follow the prince and says wherever they

go when the soldier heard all this Good

Counsel he determined to try his luck so

he went to the king and said he was

willing to undertake the task he was as

well received as the others had been and

the king ordered fine royal robes to be

given him and when the evening came he

was led to the outer chamber just as he

was going to lie down the eldest of the

princess says brought him a cup of wine

but the soldier threw it away secretly

taking care not to drink a drop then he

laid himself down on his bed and in a

little while began to snore very loud as

if he was fast asleep when the twelve

princess has heard this they laughed

heartily and the eldest said this fellow

too might have done a wiser thing than

lose his life in this way then they rose

up and opened their drawers and boxes

and took out all their fine clothes and

dressed themselves at the glass and

skipped about as if they were eager to

begin dancing

but the youngest said I don’t know how

it is while you are so happy I feel very

uneasy I am sure some mischance will be

flawless

you simpleton said the eldest you are

always afraid have you forgotten how

many kings sons have already watched in

vain and has for this soldier even if I

had not given him his sleeping draught

he would have slept soundly enough when

they were already they went and looked

at the soldier but he snored on and did

not stir hand or foot so they thought

they were quite safe and the eldest went

up to her own bed and clapped her hands

and the bed sank into the floor and a

trap door flew open the soldier saw them

going down through the trapdoor one

after another the eldest leading the way

and thinking he had no time to lose he

jumped up put on the cloak which the old

woman had given him and followed them

but in the middle of the stairs he trod

on the gown of the youngest princess and

she cried out on her sisters all is not

right

someone took hold of my gown you silly

creature said the eldest it is nothing

but a nail in the wall then down they

all went and at the bottom they found

themselves in the most delightful grove

of trees and the leaves were all of

silver glittered and sparkled

beautifully the soldier wished to take

away some token of the place so he broke

off a little branch and there came a

loud noise from the tree then the

youngest daughter said again I am sure

all is not right did you not hear that

noise that never happened before but the

eldest said it is only our princess who

are shouting for joy at our approach

then they came to another grove of trees

where all the leaves were gold and

afterwards to a third where the leaves

were all glittering diamonds

and the soldier broke a branch from each

and every time there was a loud noise

which made the youngest sister tremble

with fear but the eldest still said it

was only the princess who were crying

for joy so they went on till they came

to a great lake and at the side of the

lake there lay 12 little boats with 12

handsome princes in them who seemed to

be waiting there for the princesses one

of the princesses went into each boat

and the soldier stepped into the same

boat with the youngest as they were

blowing over the lake the prince who was

in the boat with the youngest princess

and the soldier said I do not know why

it is but though I am rowing with all my

might we do not get on so fast as usual

and I am quite tired the boat seems very

heavy today it is only the heat of the

weather said the princess I feel it very

warm too on the other side of the lake

sir a fine illuminated castle from which

came the merry music of horns and

trumpets there they all landed and went

into the castle and each Prince danced

with his princess and the soldier who

was all the time invisible danced with

them too and when any of the princesses

had a cup of wine set by her he drank it

all up so that when she put her cub to

her mouth it was empty

that this to the youngest sister was

terribly frightened but the eldest

always silenced her they danced on till

3 o’clock in the morning and then all

their shoes were worn out so that they

were obliged to leave off the princess

rode them back again over the lake but

this time the soldier placed himself in

the boat with the oldest princess and on

the opposite shore they took leave of

each other

the princess is promising to come again

the next night

when they came to the stairs the soldier

ran on before the princesses and laid

himself down and as the twelve sisters

slowly came up very much tired they

heard him snoring in his bed so they

said now all is quite safe then they

undress themselves put away their fine

clothes pulled off their shoes and went

to bed in the morning the soldier said

nothing about what had happened but

determined to see more this strange

adventure and went again the second and

third night and everything happened just

as before the princesses danced each

time till their shoes were worn to

pieces and then returned home however on

the third night the soldier carried away

one of the golden cups as a token of

where he had been as soon as the time

came when he was to declare the secrets

he was taken before the king with the

three branches and the golden cup and

the twelve princesses stood listening

behind the door to hear what he would

say and when the king asked him who were

due my twelve daughters dance at night

he answered with twelve Prince’s in a

castle underground and then he told the

King all that had happened and showed

him the three branches and the golden

cup which he had brought with him then

the King called for the princesses and

asked them whether what the soldier said

was true and when they saw that they

were discovered and that it was of no

use to deny what had happened they

confessed it all and the King asked the

soldier which of them he would choose

for his wife and he answered I am not

very young so I will have the eldest and

they were married that very day and the

soldier was chosen to be the King’s heir