STORY: The Three Princes of Serendip - Pixie Hollow

StormyLightningberry · #1 09-29-2013, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stormy Lightningberry

One of these days I will have to tell the story of the Three Princes of Serendip.

Today is the day!

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The Three Princes of Serendip

(A story from Italy, and possibly from Persia before that.)

In an island country so far away that Neverland Island seldom reaches it, and in a time so long ago that deerstalker caps and magnifying glasses had not yet been invented, there was a mighty king named Giaffer. Giaffer ruled over the country of Serendip, and he had three sons whom he loved. Because he wanted them to grow up to be great kings in time, he had the best tutors and teachers brought in to teach them. They were taught well in all the arts and sciences, and the teachers said so, but King Giaffer was not yet convinced.

Giaffer summoned each son, one by one, and offered each son the kingdom immediately, so that Giaffer could retire. It was a test. Each son refused the offer as politely as could be hoped. In fact, they all said that King Giaffer is a better ruler, which secretly pleased Giaffer. But Giaffer was worried that the sons may have been too sheltered, so he pretended to be angry at their refusal and banished them from the island.

Right after they arrived on the nearest mainland, they spotted the trail of an animal. In fact they saw camel tracks, but by carefully examining clues, they determined far more than just that.

Later they met a man who complained to them that he had lost his camel. The three princes asked the man, "Was the camel blind in one eye, with an injured leg, missing a tooth, carrying a woman who has to use a walking stick, and carrying a fairy as well?" The astonished traveller said, "Yes, now give me back my camel." "We don't have it." "You described it so perfectly, you must have stolen it." And so the suspicious traveller turned the three princes over to the mainland Emperor, name of Beramo.

They told Beramo they had never seen the camel, so they could not have stolen it. Beramo asked, "How could you describe it so accurately, if you have never seen it?"

The first prince said, "The camel ate grass on the side of the road where the grass was not as green as on the other side. So I concluded that the camel was blind on one side."

The second prince said, "There were lumps of grass on the road, the size of a camel's tooth. So I concluded the grass had fallen out of a toothless gap in the camel's smile."

The third prince said, "Three of the camel footprints were clear, but the forth was dragged. So I concluded that the camel was injured in one leg."

The first prince spoke again and said, "I saw a place where the camel had sat down and rested. There were two footprints of a woman there, so I concluded that the camel was carrying a woman."

The second prince spoke again and said, "Alongside the footprints of the woman, I saw holes in the dirt, the size of a walking stick. So I concluded that the woman needed a walking stick."

The third prince spoke again and said, "In that same place, I smelled cinnamon and found a tiny hammer made from a twig, a pebble, and a strand of hair. So I concluded that a tinker-talent fairy travelled with them."

Just then, a different traveler came in to the Emperor's court, saying he had found a camel wandering in the desert, and it matched the description perfectly. Emperor Beramo decided the three princes honestly figured out the description of the camel, and set them free. Not only that, he appointed them to be his advisors because they were so clever and had such good eyes for detail. He also gave them gifts to make up for having accused them.

The three princes had other lucky adventures besides, in which they were unexpectedly lucky and happy. Eventually the Giaffer, King of Serendip, hears of their successes in the wide world, and he invites them to return to their home country, where they live happily thereafter.

The End

This story of the Three Princes of Serendip is where we get the word (and fairy name) Serendipity.

This is not my original story, but I changed it to make it fit better with Pixie Hollow.

Stormy Lightningberry

Quote:

Originally Posted by Serendipity Nightflame

Stormy,

Thank you so very much for the story about my name, Serendipity Nightflame. It is so close to why I chose my fairy name.

SERENDIPITY means:

a) discovery of something fortunate: the accidental discovery of something pleasant, valuable, or useful (b) gift for discovery: a natural gift for making pleasant, valuable, or useful discoveries by accident. I like what the word serendipity represents.