“Get a golden lion with crystal eyes and then make sure that there is something fixed in the golden lion that can play tunes.” The old woman told the third son.
The third son did not understand, but he found a goldsmith in the kingdom and created a golden lion exactly the way that the old woman had wanted.
The golden lion was created and the third son took the same to the old woman.
The old woman hid the third son inside the golden lion.
After that, the old woman took the golden lion to the king.
The king was thrilled to see the lion. “I want to buy this. Name your price.”
The old woman gravely shook her head. “This lion does not belong to me. It belongs to my master. My master would not sell this lion for any price.”
The king looked at the lion longingly. “In that case, leave that lion here for a few days. I want to show the lion to my daughter. I am sure that she would love looking at the lion.”
The old woman slyly shook her head. “I can leave the lion with you only for a day. No more than that. I will come back for it tomorrow.”
So the old woman left the lion with the king.
After that, the king made sure that the old woman had left the palace, and then the king took the golden lion with him and went to his room.
In his room, the king opened some loose boards from the floor of the castle. From there, the king walked down a staircase which led to a door. The king opened a door and after that he crossed seven doors and unlocked the last one.
The merchant’s third son who was hiding in the golden lion saw all of this and made a mental note of it.
Adapted from Italian Folktales
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