ONCE UPON A TIME there was a King whose Kingdom was rich and who also had a very beautiful daughter. As the daughter grew up, lots of courtiers came to claim her hand. The King was very troubled, as on one hand he didn’t want to give his daughter away to somebody unworthy of her, on the other, he feared that most of them wanted her riches and not her love. All this time the courtiers would sing below the girl’s window and follow her in her strolls around the garden, trying to approach her.

The King then thought of the following trick: he ordered his servants to build a big Castle, inside which he locked his daughter so that no one could approach her or see her. There he sent another twelve girls to keep her company, along with servants to watch after her. He even gave a strict order to the guards not to allow anyone from the outside world see her or talk to her, placed patrols and soldiers in all spots, and made sure no one would be able to get in the Castle, or approach the windows without first getting his approval.

“It would take someone really worthy then to take my daughter”, he thought and gave an order to let the Kingdom know that if someone wanted to approach the Princess, they would have to find a way to get in the Castle.

A cunning courtier then appeared, who had heard about the daughter’s beauty and had seen her stroll through the royal gardens. Dressed up as a sheep with sheepskin made of gold, much like the golden fleece we all know from the myth, he told his shepherd father to place him on a cart and take him to the King.

His trick worked. The shepherd then appeared in front of the King and told him: “For you my King, I brought a flock of sheep. For your daughter, however, I brought only one sheep made of gold”.

The King then took the sheep to the Castle, and after passing through many rooms, he reached one with a big lock placed on the door. After unlocking, he walked through even more rooms and corridors, until he eventually found the room where his daughter lived, which was filled with silver ornaments and decorations.

The King hugged the Princess and then gave her the sheep. After she caressed it, he let her play with it and departed. The cunning courtier then removed his sheepskin and presented himself to the Princess, who fell in love with his beauty, and asked him: “Why did you come dressed up as a sheep?”.

He then told her: “Seeing how many people wanted you, and tried to find you without getting anywhere, I thought of this trick to get close to you”.

The Princess then replied: “You’ve done so, but you must know that you haven’t won yet, as my father who is a wizard will transform me and the other twelve girls into flowers. Then you will have to recognize me”.

Three days and three nights passed. At the end of the third night, the King appeared. The courtier told him:

“My King, I am here because I want to marry your daughter”.

And the King answered: “You will have my daughter, if you are still able to recognize her after I transform her and the other girls into flowers. If you fail, however, you lose your head”.

The courtier then replied: “I accept the challenge my King. Yet I would like to spend the night here, and that you come and take her last”.

The King accepted. Throughout the hours of the night, he summoned the girls one by one and transformed them into all sorts of beautiful flowers, which he placed on the windows of the Castle. Early in the morning he took his daughter and transformed her into a beautiful rose, which he placed next to the other trees.

When the time came, the courtier chose the rose. He brought it close to his nose and let his nostrils fill with it’s beautiful smell. Then the King had no choice but to give his daughter’s hand to the courtier. And so, they lived happily ever after.

Yet how did the courtier know which exactly the flower was that the Princess had turned to? Well, as she was the last to transform, early the morning, she was the only one not to be covered with morning dew.