The Prince and the Fox

Once upon a time, there was a young prince. He lived in a big, beautiful castle.

One day, the prince got a message. An evil wizard had enchanted a village. He had put a spell on it. The spell had turned everyone into stone!

The prince knew he had to help. He got on his horse and set off toward the village.

He rode through wide valleys and across rivers. He rode all day.

Finally, he came to a forest. There was a thin trail through the trees. It was too narrow for the horse. The prince went ahead on foot.

Suddenly, he heard a strange yelp from a bush. It sounded like a cry of pain.

The prince looked into the bush and saw a fox! The fox’s fur was tangled in the bush. The fox was stuck.

“Oh no!” said the prince. “Let me help you.” Gently, the prince untangled the fox. The fox shook off the leaves.

“Thank you,” said the fox. “You saved my life!”

“I’m glad to help,” said the prince. “But now I have to go. I must help a village that has been turned to stone.”

“I’ll come with you,” said the fox. “I’m not sure how I could help a prince, but I will try.”

The prince and the fox reached the village. When they saw it, they gasped. Everyone there had been transformed into stone. They had been turned into statues.

Then the prince and the fox saw something on the ground. It was a note. It said:

If you wish to break the curse,
Find three magic stones first:
One at the top of the tallest tree,
One very deep in the darkest cave,
One in the middle of the widest lake.

“We must find these three magic stones!” said the prince. “But how do we find the tallest tree, the darkest cave, and the widest lake in the forest?”

“I know this forest well,” said the fox. “I can lead us there.”

First, the fox led them to the tallest tree in the forest.

“It’s terribly tall,” said the prince. He tried to climb it. But he kept slipping down.

“Let me try,” said the fox. The fox used his sharp claws to scurry up the tree. He came back down with a shiny green stone in his mouth.

“Wonderful!” cried the prince. “You’re great at climbing trees.”

“Thank you,” said the fox.

Next, they found the darkest cave in the forest.

“It’s awfully dark in there,” said the prince. “I can’t see anything.”

“Maybe I can find it,” said the fox. The fox ran into the cave. He returned with a ruby-red stone in his mouth.

“Incredible!” said the prince. “How can you see in the dark?”

“I have very good eyes,” said the fox shyly.

Then they found the widest lake. They saw a gleaming blue stone in the middle. It sparkled in the sun.

“I must confess something,” said the prince, embarrassed. “I cannot swim.”

“I must confess something too,” said the fox. “I am an excellent swimmer!” He jumped into the water and swam away. He came back with the blue stone in his mouth.

“Amazing!” said the prince. The fox wagged his tail. Now it was time to break the spell!

The prince and the fox returned to the village. They put the stones on the ground. The stones began to glow. Then they just disappeared.

Suddenly, there was a great C-RRR-ACK! The stone people in the village began to move. The spell was broken!

Everyone rushed to thank the prince and the fox.

“How can I thank you for helping me?” said the prince to the fox. “Come live in my castle!”

“Your kindness saved my life,” said the fox. “That is all the thanks I need. Besides, I must return to my family.”

Another fox and five tiny fox pups peeked out from the trees. It was the fox’s family!

The prince patted each little fox pup on the head. He said goodbye to the foxes. Then he rode his horse back home.

Every year after that, the village had a feast for the prince and the fox. The villagers saw them as heroes. But the two saw each other as the best of friends. They met at the feast every year for the rest of their lives. And they lived happily ever after.