Welcome to Drift Off,
The podcast that helps you unwind and ease into a restful sleep with soothing bedtime stories.
I'm Joanne your host,
And tonight I'll be reading The Three Crowns,
A classic fairy tale collected by Andrew Lang.
This enchanting tale is filled with adventure,
Magic and a touch of mystery,
Just the kind of story to lull you into a peaceful slumber.
Now,
Let's take a few moments to settle in and relax before we begin.
Go ahead and find a comfortable position,
Allowing your body to fully rest.
Snuggle under the covers,
Let your head sink into the pillow,
And gently close your eyes if you like.
Take a deep breath,
And as you exhale,
Allow yourself to release any tension you may be holding.
Let's do that again.
Take another deep breath in,
Feeling your belly expand,
And slowly breathe out,
Letting any stress or worries from the day melt away.
Now,
Bring your attention to your body.
Notice any areas where you might be holding onto tightness.
Maybe it's in your shoulders,
Your jaw,
Or even your hands.
Take a moment to soften these areas,
Allowing them to relax completely.
With each breath,
Imagine a gentle wave of calm washing over you,
From the top of your head,
Down through your shoulders and arms,
All the way to the tips of your fingers.
And now feel that wave continue down your back,
Down your legs,
And all the way down to the tips of your toes.
Each breath you take invites in more peace,
More stillness,
As your body becomes heavier,
Sinking down into the warmth of your bed.
There is nothing you need to do right now.
Know where you need to be.
Just rest here,
In this quiet moment,
Safe and at ease.
And so my friend,
When you're ready,
Let's begin our story.
Once upon a time,
There was a king with three daughters.
The two eldest were proud and quick to argue,
While the youngest was kind and gentle.
One day,
Three princes arrived to court them.
Two were just as proud and difficult as the older princesses,
But the third was as kind-hearted as the youngest.
One afternoon,
As they all walked down to the lake at the edge of the lawn,
They came across a poor beggar.
The king refused to help him,
And so did the eldest princesses and their suitors.
But the youngest daughter and her true love not only gave him something,
But also spoke to him kindly,
And that kindness was worth more than anything else.
When they reached the edge of the lake,
What did they find but the most beautiful boat they had ever seen?
The eldest princess exclaimed,
I want to take a sail in this fine boat.
The second eldest said the same,
But the youngest hesitated.
I don't want to sail in that boat,
She said,
I'm afraid it's enchanted.
The others,
However,
Convinced her to step inside,
And just as her father was about to follow,
A tiny man,
Only seven inches tall,
Suddenly appeared on deck and commanded him to stay back.
The men instinctively reached for their swords,
But as if by magic,
Their weapons were useless,
Their strength drained from their arms.
The little man,
Known as Seven Inches,
Unfastened the silver chain securing the boat and pushed off.
As they drifted away,
He grinned at the four men and said,
Say goodbye to your daughters and brides for now.
As for you,
He added,
Looking at the youngest princess's true love,
You needn't worry,
You'll get your princess back in time,
And the two of you will be as happy as can be.
Bad people,
Even if they were covered head to toe in gold,
Would never be truly rich.
Farewell.
The boat glided away across the water,
And though the princesses reached out their hands,
They found themselves unable to speak a single word.
Well,
They weren't halfway across the lake before a cat could lick its ear,
And the poor men were frozen in place,
Unable to move a muscle to chase after them.
Helplessly,
They watched as Seven Inches led the three princesses out of the boat and lowered them,
One by one,
Into a deep well using a basket.
Strangely,
Neither the king nor the princes had ever noticed an opening in that spot before.
As soon as the last princess disappeared from sight,
The men suddenly regained their strength in their arms and legs.
Without wasting a second,
They sprinted around the lake,
Not stopping until they reached the well.
There they found a silk rope neatly wound around the axle,
With a clean white basket hanging from it.
Lower me down,
Said the youngest prince.
I'll either bring them back or die trying.
No,
Said the second princess's suitor.
It's my turn first.
But the eldest prince spoke up.
I am the oldest,
So I go first.
The others stepped aside,
Allowing him to climb into the basket.
They began lowering him,
Watching as he disappeared from view.
They let the silk rope unwind,
Turning the wheel for what felt like an eternity.
But after they had lowered him a hundred perches deep,
The rope suddenly slackened,
And they stopped turning.
They waited for two hours,
But there was no tug on the rope.
They decided to go to dinner.
Guards were set to watch over the well until the morning.
The next day,
The second prince was lowered down,
And when he didn't return either,
The youngest prince took his turn on the third day.
Down,
Down he went,
Deeper and deeper,
Surrounded by darkness as if he were trapped inside a sealed pot.
He descended for what felt like an eternity until at last he spotted a faint glimmer below.
A little while later,
His feet touched solid ground.
Stepping out of what turned out to be a massive lime kiln,
He was astonished to find himself in a beautiful land with green fields,
A vast forest,
And a grand castle standing in the middle of a bright sunlit lawn.
I must be in Tir Nanog,
He murmured.
Let's see who lives in that castle.
He made his way across the fields and into the courtyard,
But there was no guard to stop him,
Or anyone to welcome him.
The massive front door stood wide open.
He wandered through room after room,
Each more magnificent than the last,
Until he reached the grandest of them all.
In the center stood a table set with a feast fit for a king.
Though his stomach rumbled with hunger,
He was too well-mannered to eat without being invited,
So he sat by the fire and waited.
Before long,
He heard footsteps approaching.
In walked Seven Inches,
Holding the youngest princess by the hand.
The moment she saw the prince,
She ran straight into his arms overjoyed.
Seven Inches looked at him and asked,
Why aren't you eating?
I thought it was only polite to wait until I was invited,
The prince replied.
Well,
The other princes didn't think so,
Said Seven Inches with a smirk.
They helped themselves without asking,
And had nothing but harsh words for me when I told them they were making themselves a little too comfortable,
But I don't think they feel much hunger now.
He pointed to the corners of the room,
Where two statues stood,
One in each corner.
The prince's heart pounded as he realized they were his brothers,
Turned to stone.
Though he was shaken,
He said nothing,
And Seven Inches gestured for him to sit at the table.
Between him and his bride,
The meal was as pleasant as could be,
Except for the chilling sight of the stone figures looming in the corner.
The day passed,
And the next morning,
Seven Inches said,
Now,
It's time for you to set off.
He pointed toward the rising sun.
By evening,
You'll reach the second princess,
Who is being held in a giant's castle.
Tomorrow evening,
You'll find the eldest princess.
You may as well bring them back with you,
There's no need to ask permission from their captors.
And maybe,
Just maybe,
When they return home,
They'll remember that poor people are just as human as they are.
Off went the prince,
And by the time he reached the first castle at sunset,
He was utterly exhausted and starving.
The second princess was overjoyed to see him,
And she wasted no time preparing him a hearty supper.
But as they sat together,
She suddenly heard the giant approaching the gate.
Quickly,
She hid the prince in the closet.
The giant stomped inside,
Sniffing the air suspiciously.
By my life,
I smell fresh meat,
He growled.
Oh,
The princess said casually,
That's just the calf I had slaughtered today.
Hmm,
Muttered the giant.
Is supper ready?
It is,
She replied.
He sat down,
And devoured nearly an entire calf and drained a whole flask of wine.
When he was done,
He leaned back,
Smacked his lips,
And sniffed the air again.
I swear,
I still smell fresh meat.
You must be tired,
She said quickly.
You should go to bed.
When are you going to marry me,
The giant grumbled.
You keep putting it off.
On St.
Tibb's Eve,
She answered.
I wish I knew how far off that is,
He muttered,
Before falling asleep right there at the table,
His head slumped into the dish.
The next morning after breakfast,
The second princess sent the prince on his way to the castle where the eldest sister was being held.
Everything played out just as before.
She was thrilled to see him,
Gave him a warm meal,
And hid him away when the giant returned.
But once the giant was snoring,
The princess woke the prince.
Together,
They saddled two horses from the stable and galloped down into the open fields.
Unfortunately,
As their horses' hooves struck the stones outside the gate,
The noise woke the giant.
He leaped up and came charging after them,
Roaring and bellowing as he ran.
The more he shouted,
The faster the horses ran,
But by the time dawn began to break,
He was only twenty perches behind them.
Luckily,
The prince had left Seven Inches' castle well prepared.
He pulled back on his reins,
Reached into his pouch,
And flung a short,
Sharp knife over his shoulder.
Instantly,
A thick forest sprang up between them and the giant,
Blocking his path.
With the wind at their backs,
Speeding them forward,
And the wind behind the giant unable to catch them,
They rode on.
At last they neared the castle where the second princess lived.
There she stood,
Waiting beneath a tall hedge,
With a fine horse of her own ready to ride.
But now the giants were in sight,
Roaring like a hundred lions.
The second giant had joined the chase,
And they thundered across the fields.
For every two strides the horses took,
The giants took three,
Closing the gap between them.
Soon they were only seventy perches away.
Once again,
The prince reined in his horse and threw his second knife behind him.
Instantly,
The flat field collapsed into a massive quarry a quarter of a mile deep,
With dark water filling the bottom.
The giants skidded to a halt,
Unable to cross,
And by the time they found a way around,
The prince and princesses had already reached the great magician's kingdom.
For every two strides the horses took,
The giants took three,
Closing the gap between them.
Soon they were only seventy perches away.
Once again,
The prince reined in his horse and threw his second knife behind him.
Instantly,
The flat field collapsed into a massive quarry a quarter of a mile deep,
With dark water filling the bottom.
The giants skidded to a halt,
Unable to cross,
And by the time they found a way around,
The prince and princesses had already reached the great magician's kingdom.
At the entrance,
The tall thorny hedge that surrounded the land magically parted,
Allowing them through,
Just as it did for anyone the magician chose to admit.
The three sisters were overjoyed to be reunited,
But their happiness was short-lived when the two eldest saw their lovers still frozen in stone.
Tears streamed down their faces as they grieved.
Just then,
Seven Inches appeared,
Walked over to the statues,
And touched them with his rod.
In an instant,
The stone melted away and the princes were restored,
Flesh,
Blood,
And life once more.
The room filled with shouts of joy as everyone embraced,
And then they all sat down for breakfast,
With Seven Inches taking his place at the head of the table.
When the meal was finished,
He led them into another room where piles of gold,
Silver,
Diamonds,
Silks,
And satins shimmered in the light.
At the center of the table lay three sets of crowns,
A gold crown nested inside a silver one,
Which in turn rested inside a copper crown.
Seven Inches took one set and handed it to the eldest princess,
Another to the second princess,
And the last to the youngest.
Then he looked at them seriously and said,
Now you may return to the surface.
Just step into the basket and stir it.
Those waiting above will pull you up.
But listen carefully.
You must keep your crowns safe and wear them on your wedding day.
All three of you must be married on the same day wearing these crowns.
If you marry separately or without them,
A curse will follow.
Mark my words.
They bid farewell to Seven Inches with great respect and walked arm in arm toward the bottom of the well.
Above them stretched a bright sky and a shining sun,
While before them rose a towering wall covered in thick ivy,
So high they couldn't see its top.
At the base of the wall was an arched opening,
And inside that arch lay the well's entrance.
The youngest pair walked behind the others,
And as they went,
The princess whispered to her prince,
I don't trust the other two princes.
Keep these crowns hidden under your cloak,
And if you're left for last,
Don't get into the basket.
Put a heavy stone inside instead and see what happens.
Once inside the dark cave,
They placed the eldest princess into the basket first,
Stirred the rope,
And sent her up.
The basket was lowered again,
And the second princess followed.
Then came the youngest princess's turn,
But before stepping in,
She threw her arms around her prince,
Kissed him,
And shed a few quiet tears.
Finally,
It was the youngest princess's turn,
But instead of climbing in,
He placed a large stone inside the basket and stepped aside to watch.
The rope began to rise,
But just as the basket reached about twenty perches up,
It suddenly dropped,
Crashing down with a thunderous roar.
The stone shattered into countless tiny pieces.
Seeing this,
The poor prince realized he had been betrayed.
With no other choice,
He wandered back to the castle.
Day after day,
He roamed through its halls and gardens,
Feasting on the finest food and sleeping on the softest bed.
He took long walks across the lawns,
But no matter how hard he searched,
He saw no sign of Seven Inches.
By the end of a week,
Loneliness set in.
A month passed,
And he grew restless,
Aching for his true love and uncertain of what to do next.
One morning,
As he wandered into the treasure room,
His eyes fell upon a beautiful snuff box resting on the table,
One he was certain hadn't been there before.
Curiously,
He picked it up and flipped it open.
To his amazement,
Seven Inches appeared right there on the table.
I suppose,
Prince,
He said with a knowing smile,
You're getting a bit tired of my castle?
Oh,
The prince exclaimed,
If only my princess were here,
And I could see you now and then,
I'd never know a lonely day.
Well,
Said Seven Inches,
You've been here long enough,
And there's someone up above who's waiting for you.
Keep your bride's crowns safe,
And whenever you need my help,
Just open the snuff box.
Then he gestured toward the garden.
Take a walk,
Clear your mind,
And when you're ready,
Come back.
The prince was walking along a gravel path,
With hedges growing thick on either side,
His eyes fixed on the ground as his thoughts wandered.
He was lost in his own mind when he finally looked up,
And to his surprise,
He found himself standing outside a blacksmith's gate.
He recognized the place immediately,
It was about a mile from the palace where his betrothed lived.
His clothes were tattered and worn,
As ragged as could be,
But under his cloak,
He still had the crowns,
Safe and untouched.
Just then,
The blacksmith stepped outside and said,
It's a shame for a strong young man like you to be standing idle when there's so much work to be done.
Are you any good with a hammer and tongs?
Come in and lend a hand,
And I'll give you food,
A place to sleep,
And a few pence when you've earned them.
You don't have to ask me twice,
The prince replied,
I just want to stay busy.
So he picked up a hammer,
And began working away at the red-hot iron bar,
Pounding it into shape while the smith turned it on the anvil to make a set of horseshoes.
They hadn't been working long,
When a tailor came into the shop and sat down,
Eager to share some news.
Have you all heard,
He began,
The two eldest princesses refused to marry until the youngest had her crowns and her sweetheart.
But after the windlass slipped and her bridegroom fell,
The well vanished without a trace.
No rope,
No basket,
No windlass,
Nothing.
The princes who had been courting the eldest sisters wouldn't stop pressuring the king,
Demanding to move forward with the weddings.
At last the king gave in,
And the ceremony was set for this morning.
I went down to the palace just out of curiosity,
And oh,
What a sight it was.
The two brides looked magnificent in their gowns,
Each wearing three crowns stacked on their heads,
Gold inside silver and silver inside copper.
The youngest princess stood off to the side,
Looking heartbroken.
Everything was ready,
And when the two bridegrooms arrived,
They strutted in as proud as could be,
Walking up to the altar rails.
But just as they reached the front,
The floor beneath them split open two yards wide.
Down they went,
Straight into the vaults,
Right among the old coffins and the dead.
Oh,
The screams that filled the hall.
People were running,
Crying,
And peering into the hole in the vault.
But soon,
The clerk unlocked the vault door,
And out they crawled,
Covered in inch-thickened cobwebs and mold,
Their fine clothes completely ruined.
After hearing this,
The prince stepped out into the morning light,
The snuffbox clutched tightly in his hand.
He made his way back toward the kingdom,
His heart pounding with anticipation.
By the time he reached the castle gates,
News of his return had spread like wildfire,
And a crowd had gathered,
Whispering and pointing as he walked through.
The youngest princess,
Who had spent her days in sorrow,
Caught sight of him and ran to meet him,
Tears of joy streaming down her face.
The king was both astonished and relieved to see the prince alive,
But as soon as he stepped into the hall,
The two older princes turned pale,
Knowing their secret had come to light.
The youngest prince stood tall and declared,
I was betrayed and left for dead,
But thanks to the wisdom of my bride,
I was spared,
And now I have returned to claim what was promised.
At that moment,
He revealed the crowns,
Still safely hidden beneath his cloak.
Gasps rippled through the room,
For it was clear he was the rightful groom.
Seven Inches,
Who had been watching from the shadows,
Stepped forward and nodded approvingly.
The test is complete,
He said,
The one who showed kindness,
Wisdom and patience has proven himself worthy.
With that,
He waved his rod once more,
And the two deceitful princesses found themselves unable to speak,
Their voices stolen as punishment.
The king,
Seeing justice done,
Ordered a grand wedding to be held that very day.
As promised,
All three princesses were married in their crowns,
Just as Seven Inches had instructed,
Ensuring that no curse would follow them.
The celebrations lasted for days,
And peace returned to the kingdom.
As for the youngest prince and his bride,
They lived as happily as the day was long,
Ruling with kindness and fairness,
Never forgetting the lessons they had learned along the way.
And so,
Their story was told,
And their adventure was finished,
Though some say,
If you listen closely on a quiet night,
You can still hear Seven Inches laughing in the wind,
Watching over those wise enough to heed his words.
Sweet dreams,
My friend.
Sleep well.
