A Brothers Grimm fairytale retold for beginning readers.

The Mighty Wizard of the West

Deep in the enchanted lands of the West, there was a mighty Wizard with a magical garden. In the heart of this garden grew a special tree bearing the most precious golden apples you could ever imagine! The Wizard took great care to count these golden treasures, but as the apples ripened, he noticed something strange: every morning, one apple would mysteriously disappear!

Furious, the Wizard called upon the loyal gnome who tended the garden. “Keep watch under the tree all night!” he commanded. “Do not let another apple vanish!” The faithful gnome, who had three eager elf apprentices, knew they had an important task ahead of them.

The eldest apprentice, Faelyn, was the first to keep watch. However, as the night grew late, his eyelids became heavy, and he fell fast asleep. The next morning, alas, another apple was gone! Next, the clever Thalia took her turn, but the same thing happened; she, too, fell asleep, and an apple disappeared.

Finally, it was the youngest elf’s chance to shine. Arden, though small and inexperienced, was determined to succeed where the others had failed. Despite the gnome’s doubts, he decided to give the little elf a chance.

As the night-blooming flowers unfurled their petals, signaling the arrival of midnight, Arden heard a soft rustle in the air. A bird of pure gold swooped into the garden. Arden could hardly believe his eyes. The bird snapped at one of the apples with its beak, and Arden quickly loaded his slingshot with a smooth, round stone from his pouch. With a determined aim, he let the stone fly, hoping to startle the bird and prevent it from stealing the precious fruit.

The stone whizzed through the air, just grazing the golden bird and sending a single, glistening tail feather drifting to the ground. Before Arden could make another move, the beautiful bird spread its wings and flew away into the night sky, disappearing as quickly as it had arrived.

Arden with the golden feather in our Brothers Grimm Fairytale retold

The following morning, Arden proudly presented the precious golden feather to the Wizard of the West. The Council was summoned, and all agreed that the feather was worth more than all the riches in the Wizard’s citadel. However, the Wizard was not yet satisfied. “One feather is not enough,” he proclaimed. “I must have the whole bird!โ€

Faelyn and Thalia fail to find the golden bird

Faelyn, the eldest elf, set off, confident that he would easily find the golden bird. Along his journey, he encountered a fox at the edge of the woods. The cunning creature spoke up, offering advice: “I know what you seek, elf, and I can help you find the golden bird. Soon, you will reach a village with two inns. One will be lively and bright, the other quiet and dull. Do not be fooled by appearances, for in the tranquil inn lies the key to finding the Golden Bird.”

Faelyn, doubting that a woodland creature could truly help him, ignored the fox’s words and continued on his way. As he entered the village that evening, he was faced with a choice: one inn was full of people singing, dancing, and feasting, but the other sat quiet and dim. “Why would I choose the dull inn?” Faelyn scoffed, marching into the lively inn. But as he enjoyed the feasting and dancing, he forgot about the golden bird.

Faelyn chooses the lively inn

Time passed on, and as Faelyn did not come back, and no tidings were heard of him, Thalia, the second apprentice, set out, and the same thing happened to her. She met the fox, who gave her good advice, but when the clever elf came to the two inns, her eldest fellow apprentice was standing at the window where the merrymaking was and called to her to come in, and she could not resist the temptation. Thalia, too, went in and forgot the golden bird.

Arden seeks the golden bird

More time passed, and Arden, the determined young elf, wished to venture into the wide world in search of the golden bird. The gnome, fond of his young apprentice, hesitated at first, fearful that misfortune might befall Arden as well. But eventually, he agreed it was time for Arden to embark on his search for the golden bird.

As Arden reached the edge of the woods, he met the fox and heard the same good advice. He was thankful to the fox, so the fox said, ‘Sit upon my tail, and you will travel faster.’ Arden sat down, and the fox began to run. Away, they went over stock and stone as their hair whistled wildly in the wind.

Arden gets advice from the fox

When they arrived at the village, Arden followed the fox’s counsel and, without looking around, headed straight for the quiet, unassuming inn, where he rested through the night. In the morning, the fox met him as he was beginning his journey and said,  “Proceed straight ahead until you reach a tower guarded by a troop of sleeping guards. Pay them no mind and enter the tower until you find the golden bird locked in a humble wooden cage. A beautiful golden cage will stand nearby, but do not attempt to move the bird from its plain cage to the golden one, or you will regret it.โ€ Then the fox stretched out his tail again, and Arden sat himself down, and away they went over stock and stone till their hair whistled in the wind.

Just as the fox had described, the guards lay sleeping outside the tower. Arden entered the tower and discovered the golden bird in its wooden cage, along with the three missing golden apples. Feeling pity for the beautiful creature, Arden thought, “It’s just not right for such a magnificent bird to be trapped in this simple cage.” He opened the cage, carefully lifted the bird, and transferred it to the golden cage. The bird let out a deafening screech, startling the guards awake. They seized Arden and brought him before the powerful Wizard of the East.

Bird in cage with 3 gold apples

Arden is given a second chance

The following morning, the court convened to pass judgment on Arden. After hearing the evidence, they decreed that he must be imprisoned in the dungeon unless he could present the Wizard with the golden horse that could run as swift as the wind. In return, Arden would receive the golden bird as his own.

Arden set off once again, filled with despair, when suddenly, his friend, the fox, appeared. “You see now the consequences of disregarding my advice,” the fox admonished. “But I will still help you locate the golden horse on one condition: you must do as I say. Journey onward until you reach the tower where the horse is stabled. You’ll find a sleeping groom by the horse’s side. Stealthily take the horse, but be certain to saddle it with the worn leather saddle, not the glistening golden one nearby.โ€ With that, the young elf climbed onto the fox’s tail, and away they went over stock and stone till their hair whistled wildly in the wind.

Arriving at the tower, the brave apprentice entered the stable and found the groom snoring away and the golden saddle nearby. “It would be a shame to use the worn leather saddle on such a magnificent horse,” Arden thought. “I’ll give him the golden one instead. He deserves it.” As Arden reached for the gleaming saddle, the groom stirred and shouted, alerting the nearby guards, who swiftly captured Arden.

Groom sleeping near the golden saddle

Once again, Arden is offered a deal

The following morning, the Wizard of the South held court and sentenced Arden to the dungeon. However, the Wizard proposed a deal: if Arden could bring back the beautiful enchantress, he would earn his freedom and the golden horse as a reward.

Arden set out on his journey, weighed down by sorrow. Suddenly, the wise fox appeared. “If only you had listened to me,” the fox scolded. “You could have had the bird and the horse by now. But fear not, for I have a plan: Travel straight ahead, and you will reach a tower belonging to the Wizard of the North. At the stroke of midnight, the enchantress will visit a mystical wishing well. Approach her and offer a unique, enchanted flower as a gesture of friendship. If she accepts your gift, she will join you. You must not allow her to bid farewell to anyone, or all will be lost.โ€

Then the fox stretched out his tail, and so away they went over stock and stone till their hair whistled again.

Everything unfolded just as the fox had predicted, and at midnight, Arden met the enchantress at the well and presented her with the enchanted flower. She agreed to join him but pleaded to say goodbye to her friends. Despite Arden’s initial refusal, her tears and pleading wore him down, and he reluctantly agreed. But as soon as they reached her home, the guards awoke, and Arden found himself a prisoner once more.

Arden offers the enchantress a flower

Arden is given an ultimatum

Brought before the Wizard of the North, Arden was given an ultimatum: dig away the massive hill obstructing the Wizard’s view within eight days or lose any hope of the enchantress joining you. The task seemed impossible, but the elf worked tirelessly for seven days. On the eighth day, the fox came to his rescue. “Lie down and go to sleep; I will work for you.” the fox said. When Arden awoke, the hill had vanished, and he hurried to the Wizard.

The Wizard was obliged to keep his word. Arden, the enchantress, and the fox set off together. The fox reassured the young apprentice, “We’ll have all three: the enchantress, the horse, and the bird.โ€ ‘ Ah!’ said Arden, ‘That would be a great thing, but how can you contrive it?โ€™ 

‘If you will only listen,’ said the fox, ‘it can be done. When you come to the Wizard of the South, and he welcomes the enchantress, you must mount the golden horse that they are to give you. From your mount, as you prepare to depart, handshake with all and the enchantress last. Lift her quickly onto the horse behind you, clap your spurs to his side, and gallop away as fast as you can.’

The plan worked, and Arden found himself riding the golden horse with the enchantress by his side. They approached the tower where the golden bird was kept, and the fox stayed behind with the enchantress. Arden rode in and confronted the Wizard of the East, who, seeing the golden horse, brought out the bird. Arden inspected it closely, and once the bird was in his grasp, he rode away.

Together, Arden, the enchantress, and the magical horse journeyed onward with the golden bird safely in their possession. They rode on through a great wood. Suddenly, the wise fox appeared before them once more, saying, ‘Now, listen carefully, for I have two important pieces of advice for you: beware of two things: ransom no one from the gallows and sit down by the side of no river.’ Then away he went. ‘Well,’ thought Arden, ‘it is no hard matter to keep that advice.โ€™

The determined young elf rode on with the enchantress till, at last, he came to the village where he had last seen his two fellow apprentices. And there he heard a great noise and uproar, and when he asked what was the matter, the people said, ‘Two elves are going to be hanged.’ As Arden came nearer, he saw that the two elves were Faelyn and Thalia, who had turned to thievery. The kind-hearted Arden said, ‘Cannot they in any way be saved?’ The people said ‘No,’ unless he would bestow all his money upon the rascals and buy their liberty.

Arden did not hesitate but paid what was asked, and the two apprentices were freed and joined the journey to their home.

And as they came to the wood where the fox first met them, it was so cool and pleasant that Faelyn and Thalia said, ‘Let us sit down by the side of the river and rest a while to eat and drink.’ So Arden said, ‘Yes,’ and forgot the fox’s counsel, and sat down on the side of the river; and while he suspected nothing, the two older apprentices came behind, and threw him down the bank, and took the enchantress, the horse, and the bird, and went home to the Wizard of the West, and said. ‘All this have we won by our labor.’ Then there was great rejoicing made, but the horse would not eat, the bird would not sing, and the enchantress wept.

Arden lying by the river

The fox rescues Arden one more time

Ardenโ€™s bones were almost broken, and the bank was so steep that he could not get out. Then the old fox came once more and scolded the young elf for not following his advice; otherwise, no evil would have befallen him: ‘Yet,’ said he, ‘I cannot leave you here, so lay hold of my tail and hold fast.’ Then he pulled Arden up and said to him, ‘Your fellow apprentices are watching for you and plan to trap you if they find you in the homeland.’ 

So the clever elf disguised as a mysterious storyteller, cloaked in a hood and carrying a book of enchanting tales, infiltrated the celebration and exposed Faelyn and Thalia’s treachery to the Wizard. Enraged by their betrayal, the wizard had the two apprentices seized and punished. 

Arden cloaked in a hood and carrying a book

Arden is declared a true hero

The Wizard of the West, impressed by Arden’s bravery and loyalty, declared the young elf the true hero and bestowed upon him the golden bird and the golden horse. The enchantress was welcomed into the community.

Arden learned that it is important to listen to good advice. His journey demonstrates the power of loyalty, courage, and kindness in the face of adversity, even in the most challenging of times. Alongside the fox, the young elfโ€™s faithful companion, he triumphed over deceit and betrayal, proving his worth and securing his place among the legendary figures of the realm.

The End

This story is based on a Brothers Grimm fairytale known as โ€œTHE GOLDEN BIRD.โ€

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