The Twelve Dancing Princesses

Once upon a time, in a grand kingdom, there lived a king who had twelve beautiful daughters. Each of the princesses was kind and lovely, but they all shared one peculiar trait—they were always tired. Every morning, the king would find them with weary eyes, as if they had been awake all night. But when he asked them what they had been doing, they would simply reply, "We were just resting, Father."

The king was baffled. His daughters seemed to sleep soundly each night, yet they always appeared more exhausted each morning. He decided he must uncover the truth. The king called upon his advisors and ordered them to find out why his daughters were so tired.

For many nights, the king kept watch over his daughters' chambers, but he saw nothing unusual. Each night, the princesses would retire to their rooms, and the doors would be locked behind them. The next morning, the king would find them once again exhausted, but there was no sign of what had occurred during the night.

Frustrated and determined to discover the cause, the king made a public proclamation. He promised that whoever could uncover the mystery of his daughters' strange behavior would be handsomely rewarded. But the challenge was not without its danger. The reward was not just gold, but the chance to marry one of the princesses.

Many young men from all over the kingdom came forward to take on the challenge. Some were princes, others were commoners, but they all shared one thing in common—they were eager to win the king's reward and the heart of one of the beautiful princesses. The men were given strict instructions: they must keep watch over the princesses' rooms, and if they could uncover the secret, they would win the prize.

The first man tried to keep watch by the princesses’ door, but despite his best efforts, he soon fell asleep. When he woke up, he found the princesses once again looking exhausted, but they said nothing. The next day, another man took his place. He too tried to stay awake, but eventually, he fell asleep as well. This pattern continued for days, with each man failing to discover what the princesses were doing during the night.

Then, one day, an old soldier who had recently returned from war came to the castle. He was no longer young or handsome, but he had a keen mind and a great deal of experience. Hearing about the king's challenge, he decided to give it a try, though he was not particularly interested in marrying any of the princesses. He simply wanted to see if he could solve the mystery.

The soldier arrived at the castle and was given a place to sleep near the princesses' door. But instead of trying to stay awake all night like the others, he decided to be clever. He took a special drink from his bag—an enchanted potion that would help him stay alert. He drank the potion just before settling down for the night and carefully watched the princesses' room.

As the night grew darker, the princesses began to stir. The soldier saw them sneak out of their beds and quietly approach the door. To his amazement, the princesses unlocked the door, stepped into a secret passageway, and quietly disappeared into the dark halls of the castle.

The soldier followed them at a distance, careful not to be noticed. The princesses walked down the winding passage, and soon they arrived at a hidden door at the foot of a long staircase. They opened the door and entered a magnificent underground ballroom that shimmered with a thousand lights. There, in the enchanted ballroom, the princesses danced with twelve handsome young men who were waiting for them.

The soldier watched in wonder as the princesses twirled and danced the night away, their feet never tiring. The soldier remained hidden in the shadows, watching the magical scene unfold. He was astonished to see the princesses, whom he had thought to be so tired and frail, dancing with such energy and joy.

After many hours, as the first light of dawn began to break, the princesses stopped dancing and made their way back to the secret passage. The soldier quietly followed them back to their rooms and waited until they had all returned to their beds. He then quietly left the castle to report what he had seen.

The next morning, the soldier went to the king and told him the truth. He explained how he had followed the princesses through the secret passage and into the hidden underground ballroom, where they danced with twelve young men. The soldier revealed that the princesses had been visiting the magical realm every night, using enchanted shoes that allowed them to dance without tiring. The king, though shocked, was overjoyed to learn the truth and asked the soldier to come to the castle again.

The king gathered his daughters and demanded an explanation. The princesses, who had thought they were keeping their secret well-hidden, were caught off guard. They knew that the soldier’s discovery was accurate, and they could no longer deny their nightly escapades. They confessed that they had been visiting the underground realm each night, where they danced and played with the handsome young men. They admitted that they had been enchanted by a magical spell, which made them unable to resist the allure of the ballroom and its dancers.

As a result of the soldier’s discovery, the king was finally able to put an end to the mystery that had haunted him for so long. The princesses were freed from the spell, and the soldier was rewarded with great riches and honor. He was also allowed to choose one of the princesses to marry. The soldier, who had no interest in wealth or status, chose the youngest princess, who had been the kindest and most honest of them all.

The king and the soldier agreed that the magical realm where the princesses had danced would remain a secret, and the soldier was given the opportunity to live happily ever after with the princess he had chosen.

And so, the twelve princesses no longer had to sneak out at night, for their secret was finally uncovered. They were allowed to live peaceful lives in the castle, and the soldier, now a prince, ruled the kingdom with wisdom and kindness, ensuring that peace and harmony reigned throughout the land.