The Riddle
Once upon a time, in a kingdom far away, lived a King and his children.
He had 3 sons, the Princes, and a daughter, the Princess.
Although the King loved all his children dearly, his sons were very spoiled and foolish, and the King often despaired of them.
However, his only daughter was a joy.
She studied hard and always paid attention to everything the King taught her.
While the Princes were playing hide-and-seek in the palace grounds, the Princess would be in the library, reading.
One day, the King was riding his horse through the fields when he was kidnapped by a dragon, who imprisoned the King in his cave.
When the horse returned to the palace without the King, a search party was sent out to find him. After many nights, they found the dragon's cave.
"You must release the King!" ordered the leader of the search party. "Not until a riddle is answered," the dragon replied.
The dragon was very cunning and loved riddles, as all dragons do.
The search party returned to the palace and told the Princes what the dragon had said.
The eldest Prince stood up. "I'll go," he said.
"I'm sure I can easily answer any riddle the dragon can give me."
The Prince saddled up his horse and rode to the cave. "Dragon, are you there?" he called.
"I demand you free the King immediately," the Prince ordered.
"You will have to answer a riddle first," the dragon said.
"Listen carefully. I can run but never walk, have a mouth but never talk, have a head but never weep, have a bed but never sleep. What am I?"
The Prince thought for a long time, but had no idea what the answer might be.
"A tree?" the Prince said, eventually.
"You're wrong," laughed the dragon with delight.
"I won't release your father."
So the eldest Prince returned to the palace without the King.
The middle Prince saddled up his horse and rode to the cave.
"Dragon are you there?" he called.
"I demand you free the King immediately," the Prince ordered.
"You will have to answer a riddle first," the dragon said.
"Listen carefully. Give me food and I will live; give me water and I will die. What am I?"
The Prince thought for a long time, but had no idea what the answer might be.
"A camel?" the Prince said, eventually.
"You're wrong," laughed the dragon with delight.
"I won't release your father."
So the middle Prince returned to the palace without the King.
The youngest Prince saddled up his horse and rode to the cave.
"Dragon are you there?" he called.
"I demand you free the King immediately," the Prince ordered.
"You will have to answer a riddle first," the dragon said.
"Listen carefully. I come at night without being called and am lost in day without being stolen. What am I?"
The Prince scratched his head. He thought and thought, but had no idea what the answer might be.
"A robber?" the Prince said, eventually.
"You're wrong," laughed the dragon with delight.
"I won't release your father."
So the youngest Prince returned to the palace without the King.
"What are we going to do?" the Princes asked each other in despair.
"If we can't answer the dragon's riddles our father will be a prisoner forever."
"I'd like to go see the dragon," the Princess said.
"Don't be silly," the Princes laughed.
"You won't be able to solve the puzzles. They're far too difficult."
"I'd like to try," said the Princess.
The Princes looked at each other and shrugged.
The Princess saddled up his horse and rode to the cave.
"Dragon, are you there?" she called.
When the dragon saw the Princess, he smirked.
"I'd like to answer a riddle." The Princess told the dragon.
"I've given your brothers many chances," said the dragon, "so you will have to answer all my in order to free the King.
Listen carefully. I can run but never walk, have a mouth but never talk, have a head but never weep, have a bed but never sleep. What am I?"
The Princess thought hard, and looked around. In the valley below, she watched 2 children playing in a stream, and then the answer came to her.
"A river," she said.
The dragon frowned. "That is correct," he said, annoyed.
"But you will never answer my next riddle.
Give me food and I will live; give me water and I will die. What am I?"
The Princess thought hard, and looked around again. On a faraway hillside, she could see a plume of smoke coming from a chimney. The answer came to her.
"Fire," she said.
The dragon frowned and stomped one foot. "That's correct," he said, crossly.
"But you will never answer my third and final riddle. I come at night without being called and am lost in day without being stolen. What am I?"
The Princess thought hard, but didn't know the answer. However, she was desperate to free her father, so she refused to be defeated.
The Princess sat down nearby to try to solve the puzzle. Eventually, night fell.
The Princess gazed up at the sky, and suddenly she jumped to her feet and ran to the cave's entrance.
"Stars!" the Princess called the dragon.
The dragon was furious. He hadn't expected the Princess to solve his riddles.
But she had got all 3 correct, so couldn't go back on his word.
The dragon called for the King, and told him he was no longer a prisoner.
"Which of my children has freed me?" the King asked.
He smiled when he saw the Princess and hugged her.
"I thought it would be you my beautiful, clever daughter, who listened to everything I ever taught her," he said proudly.
"Thank you."
The End….
Thanks for reading!