The Gnome

A king had a favourite apple tree with delicious apples. He put a spell on it to prevent people from stealing the apples. Anyone who picked an apple would sink into the ground. But the king’s three daughters thought that they would not be affected by the spell, and ate the apples. Immediately, they sank into the ground!
The king searched in vain for them. Finally, he announced that anyone who found them would marry one of them. Many men searched the land for the princesses.
Among them were three brothers who were huntsmen. They came to a deserted castle and stayed there. The eldest brother stayed while two brothers went out to look for the princesses.
While the eldest brother sat down to eat a hearty meal, a little gnome appeared and asked to share his food. But the rude fellow kicked him out. Next day, the second brother too threw the gnome out. But Hans, the youngest brother, invited him to share his lunch.

So, the gnome said that he and his brothers who lived underground would help him find the princesses. He took him to a deep well and asked him to go down in a bucket with a bell and a sword. “The princesses are in three rooms, combing the heads of the dragons that guard them,” he said, “Cut off dragons’ heads and save the princesses. But beware of your jealous brothers!”
Hans told his brothers everything, except the gnome’s warning. The next day, the eldest brother wished to go into the well first. But halfway down, he was so afraid that he rang the bell and was pulled out. The same thing happened with the second brother. But Hans went down and slew the three dragons.
He rang the bell and sent the princesses up in the bucket. But he remembered the gnome’s warning and put a heavy stone next into the bucket. The two brothers pulled up the bucket halfway and then cut the rope. The bucket crashed down. They thought that Hans was dead and took the three princesses to the king to claim their reward.

Meanwhile, Hans found a silver flute on one of the walls of the room in the well. When he played it, all the gnomes appeared. They helped him get out of the well! He reached the palace where his brothers were lying to the king. The three princesses told the king the truth. The two elder brothers were banished forever from the kingdom. Hans married the youngest princess and lived happily ever after.

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