A clever and wise girl becomes – and stays – a Queen
Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there was a girl known for her extraordinary wisdom. She was not just clever but wiser than the King himself and all his councilors. Her reputation for intelligence spread far and wide, and her father was immensely proud of her. He couldn’t stop boasting about her, telling everyone he met, “My daughter is so clever that even the King could not pose a question she couldn’t answer or present a riddle she couldn’t solve.”
One day, as fate would have it, the King was sitting by a window and overheard the father’s proud words. Intrigued by such a bold claim, the King decided to test the girl’s wisdom. The next morning, he summoned the father to the palace.
“Is it true what I hear?” the King asked the man. “That your daughter is so wise that no one in the kingdom, not even I, could outwit her?”
The father, beaming with pride, confirmed, “Yes, Your Majesty. My daughter is as clever as they come. There is no question too difficult, no riddle too tricky for her.”
The King, amused but skeptical, decided to put the girl’s wisdom to the test. He handed the man a basket of thirty eggs and said, “These eggs are fresh, and I want your daughter to hatch chickens from them. If she succeeds, I will reward her with a bag of gold, but if she fails, you will be punished for your boasting.”
The father, though confident in his daughter’s abilities, was troubled by the King’s request. How could anyone hatch chickens from eggs without a hen to warm them? He returned home and told his daughter what the King had said.
The girl carefully examined the eggs and quickly realized they had been boiled. She smiled at the clever trick the King had played and reassured her father, “Don’t worry, Father. I know exactly what to do. Go to bed and sleep peacefully. I will take care of this.”
The next morning, the girl gave her father a bag of boiled beans. “Take these beans to the field where the King often rides,” she instructed. “When you see him approaching, begin sowing the beans while loudly saying, ‘Come sun, come rain! Heaven grant that these boiled beans may yield me a fine crop!’”
The father did as his daughter instructed. He went to the field and waited until he saw the King coming. As soon as the King was near, the man began to sow the beans and called out, “Come sun, come rain! Heaven grant that these boiled beans may yield me a fine crop!”
The King, surprised by the man’s foolishness, stopped his horse and said, “My good man, don’t you know that boiled beans cannot grow?”
The father, keeping his wits about him, replied, “And yet, Your Majesty, you asked my daughter to hatch chickens from boiled eggs. If that can be done, surely boiled beans can grow into a fine crop.”
Realizing he had been outwitted, the King laughed and said, “You have a truly clever daughter. Return the eggs to me, and let’s see how she handles another task.”
The father was relieved and hurried back to the palace with the eggs. The King then handed him a handful of flax and said, “Take this to your daughter and tell her to weave a full set of sails for my ship within a week. If she succeeds, she shall receive half of my kingdom, but if she fails, you will be punished severely.”
Once again, the father returned home, distraught by the impossible task. But his daughter remained calm and confident. “Don’t worry, Father,” she said. “Go to bed and sleep soundly. I will send the King an answer that will satisfy him.”
The next morning, the girl handed her father a small piece of wood. “Take this to the King and tell him that I am ready to weave the sails, but first he must build a large ship from this wood so that I can properly fit the sails to it.”
The father delivered the message to the King, who was both surprised and impressed by the girl’s clever response. “She is indeed wise,” the King admitted. “I will excuse her from this task.”
But the King wasn’t ready to give up. He handed the father a glass mug and said, “Give this to your daughter. Tell her it is my command that she must use this mug to drain the ocean so that I can walk across the seabed dry-shod. If she can do this, I will make her my queen. But if she fails, you shall be punished.”
The father, now deeply worried, rushed home with the glass mug and explained the King’s latest challenge. But the girl remained unshaken. “Do not be troubled, Father,” she said. “Go to bed and sleep peacefully. I will take care of everything.”
The next day, the girl gave her father a bundle of tow. “Take this to the King and tell him that I am willing to drain the ocean, but first he must use this tow to stop all the rivers from flowing into the sea.”
The father did as instructed, and when the King heard the girl’s message, he finally realized that she was truly as clever as everyone said. He decided it was time to meet this remarkable girl in person.
The girl was summoned to the palace, and she came just as she was, dressed in simple homespun clothes and rough shoes. Despite her humble appearance, her beauty and grace were evident, and the King was captivated by her.
“Tell me,” said the King, testing her one last time, “what sound travels the farthest in the world?”
The girl thought for a moment and then replied, “The thunder that echoes through the heavens and your royal commands, which spread from person to person throughout the land.”
The King was pleased with her answer. “And now, tell me, what is the true value of my royal scepter?”
The girl smiled and replied, “It is worth as much as the power and justice for which it stands.”
The King, deeply impressed by her wisdom, decided that he would marry her and make her his queen. However, the girl had one request before agreeing to marry the King. “I am just a simple girl, Your Majesty,” she said. “If you should ever grow tired of me and send me back to my father’s house, I ask that you allow me to take with me the one thing in the castle that is most precious to me.”
The King, confident that he would never tire of her, agreed to her request and had the promise written down and signed.
The two were married in a grand ceremony, and the girl became the Queen of the land. She adapted quickly to her new life, wearing the finest clothes and jewels befitting her royal status. However, the King, who was a jealous man, began to worry that his new Queen loved the riches and splendor more than she loved him.
One day, the King and Queen were to go for a ride together, but the Queen spent so much time dressing that the King grew impatient and angry. When she finally appeared, looking more beautiful than ever, the King refused to look at her. “You care only for your jewels and fine clothes,” he said coldly. “You do not care for me at all. You may take with you what is most precious to you and return to your father’s house. I will no longer have you as my Queen.”
The Queen, though hurt by the King’s words, calmly agreed. “Very well,” she said. “But let us share one final supper together before I leave.”
The King agreed, and that evening they dined together. As they were finishing their meal, the Queen poured a cup of wine for the King, secretly adding a sleeping potion to it. The King drank the wine, and soon after, he fell into a deep sleep.
With the help of her servants, the Queen had the sleeping King carried back to her father’s house and laid in her old bed. The next morning, when the King awoke, he was astonished to find himself in the small cottage, dressed in his royal robes but lying on a simple bed.
The Queen, now dressed in her old, humble clothes, stood by the bed. When the King saw her, he was filled with confusion. “What is the meaning of this?” he asked. “How did I come to be here?”
The Queen gently replied, “Your Majesty, you promised that if I ever left the palace, I could take with me the thing that was most precious to me. And so I did. You are what I treasure most, for it is not the riches or the crown that make me happy, but your love.”
Realizing the depth of her love and the foolishness of his jealousy, the King’s heart softened. He took the Queen in his arms and kissed her, vowing never to doubt her again. Together, they returned to the palace, and from that day forward, they ruled the kingdom with love and wisdom, living happily ever after.
About the Author: Katherine Pyle
Katherine Pyle was an American author, illustrator, and poet known for her work in children’s literature. She was born on November 23, 1863, in Wilmington, Delaware, and passed away on February 19, 1938. Katherine Pyle came from a creative family—her older brother was the famous illustrator and author Howard Pyle, who was a significant influence on her work.
Katherine Pyle wrote and illustrated numerous books, many of which were fairy tales, poems, and stories for children. Her works often featured themes of fantasy, adventure, and morality, appealing to young readers with their imaginative storytelling and engaging illustrations. Some of her notable books include “The Counterpane Fairy” (1898), “The Christmas Angel” (1900), and “Tales of Folk and Fairies” (1919).
In addition to writing, Pyle was also a skilled illustrator, and she often provided illustrations for her own books as well as for other authors’ works. Her illustrations were known for their delicate and detailed style, which complemented the whimsical nature of her stories.
Katherine Pyle’s contributions to children’s literature were significant during her time, and she remains a respected figure in the history of American children’s books. Her work, much like her brother’s, helped to shape the field of illustrated children’s literature in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
