When there were only three days for the year to end, the White Cat reminded the prince that he had to get back to his kingdom and fulfill his father’s wishes.
The prince sighed. “I have not found a dog yet. What can I do?”
When the day came, the White Cat gave an acorn to the prince.
She also gave the wooden horse to the prince so that he could return the very same day to his kingdom.
The prince was surprised when he saw the acorn. He kept the acorn in his ears and was stunned to hear barking sounds from within it.
He thanked the White Cat and sat on his wooden horse.
The third prince reached the kingdom that very day and he found his two elder brothers there.
His elder brothers had brought two beautiful little dogs and thought that the youngest brother had brought nothing and felt that they had nothing to fear.
The king saw the two dogs brought by the first two princes and he could not decide which was more beautiful.
That was when the third prince brought out the acorn.
The prince broke the shell of the acorn and everybody in the court was stunned to see the beautiful tiny dog inside it.
Naturally, the king was not yet ready to part with his throne. He thought of something else.
This time, the king wanted the princes to get the finest piece of cloth for him.
The first two princes set off immediately in different directions, on hearing this.
The third prince however got on his wooden horse and went straight to the palace of the White Cat.
Adapted from Andrew Lang’s folktales
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