The Twelve Huntsmen (Classic Version)

The Twelve Huntsmen

Once upon a time, a prince was engaged to a beautiful princess. But when his father, the king, fell ill, he told his son to marry another princess to create a strategic alliance. Bound by duty, the prince obeyed, leaving his bride-to-be heartbroken.

Determined not to lose her love, the dejected princess concocted a plan. She convinced eleven girls of similar stature and appearance to join her, and they disguised themselves as royal huntsmen.

Upon hearing that the prince was seeking royal huntsmen, the twelve disguised ladies applied and were immediately hired. The prince was unaware of their true identities and was particularly fond of one of them who, unbeknownst to him, was his former bride.

One day, the prince’s pet lion, recognizing the princess, tried to reveal her identity. The princess managed to convince the prince that the lion was lying.

Later, the prince sent the twelve huntsmen to ask a prophet in the village if his upcoming marriage would be successful. The princess knew of the prophet’s ability to see through disguises, so she and her comrades caught a twelve baby rabbits, one for each huntswoman, to distract the prophet on their way to him.

The prophet, fooled by their cunning, predicted that the twelve huntsmen were in fact bridesmaids. This news was reported to the prince, who was puzzled. To investigate, he secretly watched the huntsmen and found them behaving as women would.

Finally, the prince recognized his former bride among them. Overwhelmed with joy and love, he refused to marry the other princess and instead married his true love.

Thus, the tale of the Twelve Huntsmen is a testament to the power of love, cleverness, and determination in overcoming adversity.

The End.