The Bronze Ring Part-1

 A long ago in a particular kingdom there was a king who had a large spacious garden space outside his palace. 

No matter what the king did or how many good gardeners he employed from his kingdom, no fruits or flowers grew in the garden space.

The king did not know what to do so he approached his courtiers. 

One of the courtiers studied all the gardeners whom the king had employed. " Your majesty, you should employ somebody who comes from a family of gardeners. They are the only ones who will understand the soil and do justice to your garden space."

The king looked far and wide and finally found a family of gardeners in another kingdom. He sent his ministers to employ the gardener. 

The ministers paid the debt of the gardener and brought him to the king's kingdom.

The gardener then set about to work on the garden space outside the king's palace.

In no time at all the place was blooming with flowers and fruits of all kinds and the aroma and the sights of the garden was dizzyingly beautiful.

The gardener had a son who was very handsome and brave.

The king's daughter saw the young man and needless to say she fell in love with him.

When the princess reached a marriageable age the king asked the princess about whom she wanted to marry. 

The king was shocked when the princess said that she wanted to marry the gardener's son. 

The king was even more worried because he wanted the princess to marry one of his minister's sons.

The king spoke with some of his courtiers about this problem and he hit upon an idea.

The very next day the king announced in court. "I would provide resources for both the minister's son and the gardener's son to go to other kingdoms and make their name  for themselves. The person who was successful and returned to his kingdom first would win my daughter's hand."

The minister's son was given a powerful horse, and a strong ship with good workers, to complete his assignment.

On the other hand the gardener's son was given an old horse and a ship with worn out timber and old workers, for his adventures.

The minister's son naturally set off first and he had reached the ship easily without any problems.

The gardener's son slowly drove his old horse from his house to the sea port where his ship was situated.

As the gardener's son slowly drove his old horse,  he met an old woman on the road. The kind gardener's son gave the old woman his money and let the woman drive with him to the place that she wanted to go.

They passed the neighbouring kingdom. 

That was when they heard an announcement.

"The king of the place has lost his youth. He has now become old and feeble. Any person who is able to give the king back his youth shall win untold riches."

The old woman turned to the gardener's son. "You have been kind to me so I will let you in on a secret." The old woman pointed to the gates of the kingdom. "Just outside you will find three dogs of three different colours - black brown and red. Kill those dogs. Gather the ashes of those dogs and return to the kingdom. Announce that you are a physician from Janina in Albania and that you are the only one who can cure the king's disease." The old woman looked sconfully at the people in the kingdom. "The people here would not believe you." The old woman nodded at the gardener's son. "Convince them otherwise and go and meet the king." The old woman pointed at the palace. "There you will find the king lying on his bed. Spread the ashes that you have collected on the king. Within some time the king will emerge as a young man in his twenties."

The youth looked disbelievingly.

However the old woman caught the young man's hands and looked even more serious.  "After that the king will offer you untold riches but you must ask only for the bronze ring that the king has. The bronze ring can grant the wearer any wish that they want."

The youth set out to find the dogs.

The youth was successful there and then he returned to the kingdom. 

Exactly as the old woman had predicted no one believed his claims and the people of the kingdom tried to belittle him. With great difficulty the gardener's son convinced the people around him that he could really cure the king.

Once inside the palace he found the old king lying on his bed. He followed the instructions of the old woman. 

In no time the king emerged as a young man.

*******

"All my riches are yours." The king cried in happiness. 

"I want only your bronze ring, your majesty." The young man told the king in a firm voice.

The king was reluctant at first but realized that he had given his word and handed over the bronze ring to the young man.

The young man took the bronze ring and spoke into it. "I want to have a strong golden ship with excellent workmen which will take me across the seas."

The young man was surprised to find a marvelous gold ship with strong sailors in the waters before him.

The gardener's son set sail to the neighbouring kingdom and reached there within a few days.

There the gardener's son found the minister's son in a very poor condition. The minister's son had lost all his wealth as he was roaming around moving dust and rubbish to earn his living.

The gardener's son first branded the back of the minister's son. 

Thereafter the gardener's son created an old ship with the help of his bronze ring. 

He gave an old ship to the minister's son and asked him to go back to his kingdom.

The minister's son reached his own kingdom first and went directly to the king.

"I have won the bet." The minister's son hid all the other details about how he had managed to come back to the kingdom and asked the king for the princess's hand.

A king was a little unhappy on seeing the minister's son in the old broken down ship. 

But he was happy that it was the minister's son who had won the bet and not the gardener's son. So he happily agreed to the marriage. 

The entire kingdom was in a festive mood.

It was at this time that a handsome young man sailed in a golden ship into the kingdom.

The king was beyond happy to see the rich handsome man. He did not recognise the handsome man In his rich clothes. 

The king offered the rich, young man  a room in his own palace. "My daughter is getting married. I would be happy if you give my daughter away in marriage to my minister's son."

Until then the princess had been very unhappy with the turn of events. But the fact remained that the minister's son had won the bet so she had no say in the matter. 

But on seeing the rich handsome stranger her heart was filled with happiness.

The handsome young man looked at the minister's son and gravely shook his head at the king. "I am afraid I cannot give your daughter away to this man. He is a slave." The young man waved at the beautiful princess. "Your daughter does not deserve to marry a man who had been a slave."

The king was shocked. 

The young man was however not done not yet done. "If you do not believe me, you will see my brand on the minister's son's back."

Needless to say, the marriage function was stopped. 

But now that the festivities for a marriage were already going on the king offered his daughter's hand to the rich handsome stranger. 

That was when the king also recognised that the rich handsome stranger was none other than the gardener's son. 

The marriage between the princess and the gardener's son took place with great pomp and show and was celebrated all over the kingdom.

Adapted from the Fairy Book by Andrew Lang