As my youngest is growing up like an only child, it is frequently necessary to take someone with us so that he has a colleague to play with. As long as one is playing, wandering and doing something, homesickness is not a topic. But in the evening it can become critical, that’s why I tell stories. That is how the following story of the three brave princesses came about.

Once upon a time there was a King Arthur and he dearly wanted to have a successor to his throne. But having borne three daughters his wife died and Arthur didn’t want to marry again. So he remained alone with Maive, Rosheen and Aedin. He treated all his daughters as if they were boys. And so they learned to ride, to shoot arrows and to handle a sword. Maive was an excellent markswoman and there was nothing she could not hit. Rosheen could handle animals excellently and there was not a horse that she couldn’t tame and ride. Aedin was clever and could fight well. Not with strength, but with a clever strategy, patience and the correct conduct.

So passed many years and Arthur became old and weak. The neighbouring kings didn’t miss this. The young and ambitious Lorenz thought that Arthur’s realm would therefore be an easy prey and began to prepare an army to attack it. When Arthur heard this, he became very sad, because he knew that he himself could not win this battle. He called his three daughters together to seek their advice. After long discussion they concluded that it would be best if one of them led the army in Arthur’s armour. The question was only which of the three princesses – the great markswoman Maive, Rosheen, who could tame any horse or Aedin, who always knew what to do in battle. And as it was by no means simple to take this decision, Arthur resorted to a lottery. Two black stones and a white stone were placed in his crown and each princess drew one blindfolded. The white stone lay in Aedin’s hand.

King Lorenz’s army marched towards Arthur’s realm and was much larger than his own. Because on the way to the king’s palace it had to cross three valleys, in each valley Aedin prepared a trick. Everyone collected the wild wasps, bees and hornets’ nests in the woods and as King Lorenz’s army wanted to cross the first valley, they threw the nests with catapults on the marching army. The hungry, imprisoned bees, wasps and hornets attacked the soldiers immediately. In a short time the battle was decided in favour of the wasps, bees and hornets, which then returned into the woods. Lorenz remained with his beaten army in the valley. Many of his soldiers could no longer be used, but the ones who remained moved on into the next valley.

In the next valley there was a long stream. Aedin let the water run out of the stream and then had strewn on the now slushy ground freshly mown grass. The soldiers were already on their way and unsuspecting marched into the marshy ground and sank in ever deeper. In their heavy armour, they were unable themselves to escape from their wretched position and so they had no choice but to take off their metal armour. Lorenz had grown quite red from anger, but that was no help.

So his army stood there without armour, weakened and small. For the third valley there was no need for a trick. For Aedin, her sisters and the army it was quite simple to surround the men in the third valley without loss of blood and to capture Lorenz. The soldiers were then disarmed and went home or in some cases even remained there, because they thought that in this realm their life would be better.

As Aedin rode home in her father’s armour after winning the battle, her horse stumbled and Aedin fell to the ground and hurt herself. When her armour was taken off, one saw that it wasn’t the king, but the clever princess, who had led the fight successfully without loss of blood and without any losses. So it was clear who would take over the throne from Arthur, namely Aedin. Apart from a few diehards, everyone was pleased.

And what happened to Lorenz?

Lorenz was locked in the highest room in a tower and Aedin told him that he could leave as soon as he had learned to play the violin in such a way that, when the people heard his music, they began to cry. She thought that the music from his hard heart would make a different person of him. And after a short period of defiance Lorenz began to practise diligently.

Lorenz had a brother at home, called Jacob. And he began planning how to free his brother, Lorenz. But that is another story and that is for tomorrow. Now clean your teeth and off to bed.

My youngest and his colleague then fell asleep with homesickness. The first question in the morning was „And what has Jacob now got up his sleeve?

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