Once upon a time, there lived an enchantress who had three sons. The brothers loved each other dearly, but their mother did not trust them. She feared they would steal her magical powers. So she cast a spell on the eldest son and turned him into a great eagle, forced to live high in the rocky mountains. The second son she changed into a mighty whale, who swam in the deep sea. Each brother could only take his human form for two hours each day.
The youngest son was afraid his mother would transform him too, perhaps into a fierce bear or wolf. So one night, he quietly slipped away from home. He had heard tales of a princess who was trapped under a spell in the Castle of the Golden Sun. Many brave young men had tried to rescue her, but none had returned. Still, the young man's heart was brave, and he set off to find the castle.
After traveling for many days, he wandered into a great forest and lost his way. There he met two giants who were arguing loudly. They were fighting over an old cap. When they saw the young man, they stopped and called to him. 'Little man, you are cleverer than us. Help us decide who should have this cap!' The young man asked why they wanted such an old thing.
The giants explained that it was a wishing cap. Whoever wore it could wish to be anywhere in the world instantly. The young man had an idea. 'I will walk away,' he said, 'and when I call, you must race to me. Whoever reaches me first wins the cap.' He put on the cap, walked off, and thought of the princess. In a flash, he found himself on a high mountain, right at the gates of the Castle of the Golden Sun!
He entered the castle and searched through many rooms until he found the princess. But she looked nothing like he expected. Her face was gray and wrinkled, her eyes dull, and her hair thin and red. 'This is not my true form,' she said sadly. 'Look into this magic mirror, and you will see who I really am.' In the mirror, he saw the most beautiful maiden in the world, with tears rolling down her cheeks.
The princess told him how to break the spell. 'You must find the crystal ball and hold it before the enchanter. Only then will his power be destroyed and I will be free.' She warned him of the dangers ahead. At the bottom of the mountain lived a wild bull, and inside the bull was a fiery bird, and inside the bird was a burning egg that held the crystal ball. Many had died trying, but the young man was not afraid.
He went down to the spring where the wild bull waited, snorting and bellowing. After a long and fierce battle, he defeated the beast with his sword. Instantly, a fiery bird burst out and flew toward the sky! But just then, his brother the eagle came swooping down from the clouds. The eagle chased the bird over the sea and struck it until it dropped its burning egg.
The egg fell onto a fisherman's hut near the shore, and flames began to spread. But then enormous waves rose from the sea! His brother the whale had come to help, pushing great walls of water onto the shore to put out the fire. When the flames died down, the young man found the egg. The shell had cracked in the cold water, and inside lay the crystal ball, glowing and unharmed.
The young man hurried back to the castle and held the crystal ball before the enchanter. The evil magic shattered, and the enchanter's power vanished forever. The young man became the King of the Castle of the Golden Sun. Best of all, with the crystal ball's magic, he was able to give his two brothers back their human forms. The eagle and the whale were young men once again.
Then the young man went to find the princess. When he entered her room, she stood before him in all her true beauty, radiant and smiling. Her gray skin and red hair were gone. They were so happy that they exchanged rings right then and there, and soon they were married. The three brothers were together again, the princess was free, and they all lived happily ever after in the Castle of the Golden Sun.
