The Princess Who Was Hidden Underground

The Princess Who Was Hidden Underground is a German fairy tale. Andrew Lang included it in The Violet Fairy Book.

Synopsis

In a far away kingdom there once was a king who had three sons. The king divided his property; the older two squandered theirs and soon had nothing, but the youngest son was prudent, and soon became rich. He had an underground castle built, but killed the architect and had his daughter imprisoned; the youngest son decreed that whoever could find her would marry her, but whoever tried and failed would die. Many died trying.

A clever and handsome young man had a shepherd sew him into a golden sheep fleece and then bring him to the king. When the king wanted to buy the sheep, the shepherd said he could only lend it for three days. The king took the sheep to the daughter, using a magical charm to open her castle. In the night, the man threw off the sheepskin, and the daughter fell in love with him. She told him that the king would insist on his finding her among her maids, after he had turned them into ducks. She would preen, and so he could identify her.

When the three days were up, the shepherd returned to the king to retrieve his sheep. The young man found the daughter in the same way as the king had done, and the king demanded he identify her when he had turned her and all her maids to ducks. The young man did this, and the king had to yield.

Motifs

This method of winning the princess is also found in the Italian fairy tales The Fair Fiorita and The Golden Lion.