Once in a kingdom far, far away, there was a king whose prized golden apples were being stolen from his garden. “Whoever is stealing my golden apples must be very cunning,” the king mused. He asked his three sons to solve this mystery.
The eldest son decided to watch the garden first. But as night fell, he fell asleep, and in the morning, another apple was gone. The same fate befell the second son on the next night.
The youngest son, often underestimated by his brothers, then took his turn. As he watched, he saw a magnificent bird with feathers of gold land in the garden and take an apple. “Aha! So it’s you, Golden Bird!” he exclaimed.
He reported this to his father, who desired the bird itself. The king sent his eldest son to capture it. On his journey, the son met a fox who gave him advice: “Do not sit on the golden saddle.” But the son ignored the fox and was captured.
The same happened to the second son. Finally, it was the youngest son’s turn. Heeding the fox’s advice, he caught the Golden Bird and brought it back, but the fox also advised him to take the golden cage from the garden.
Back home, the king was pleased but now wanted the Golden Horse that the fox mentioned. The youngest son, with the fox’s guidance, captured the horse by not touching the golden bridle. But his brothers, jealous and cunning, replaced the Golden Horse and Bird with common ones and took credit.
The king sent the youngest son once more to find the Princess from the Golden Castle. The fox advised, “Do not let her say farewell to her parents.” But the youngest son, out of kindness, allowed it, and she vanished.
Betrayed by his brothers, the youngest son was heartbroken. The fox, his only friend, then revealed a way to rescue the princess and regain the Golden Horse and Bird. With cleverness and courage, the youngest son overcame challenges and rescued the princess.
The fox, who was actually an enchanted prince, was freed from his curse. The youngest son, now a hero, was greeted with joy and celebration upon his return. The treacherous brothers were punished, and the youngest son married the princess, ruling the kingdom with wisdom and kindness.
Follow Up Questions
Here are three simple follow-up questions about “The Golden Bird”:
What special bird did the youngest son see in the king’s garden? This question helps recall the central character of the story, the Golden Bird.
How did the youngest son differ from his brothers in the story? This encourages children to think about the differences in behavior and choices between the youngest son and his older brothers.
What advice did the fox give to the youngest son? This question focuses on the role of the fox in the story and the advice it gave, which played a crucial part in the son’s successful quests.
Also Read: The Firebird Story – The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs