'A long time ago, there was a King and Queen. They had two young sons, the Princes.
'Every day the King would go out hunting, and the Queen would watch from her bedroom window.
'In the trees not far from the window, was a family of sparrows. A father, mother and two little chicks'.
'The Queen would watch the family of sparrows everyday. Watch the parents go out and get food and feed the little chicks.
'But one day, the mother sparrow didn't come back. The Queen watched the Father Sparrow cry out his grief. But two days later there was a new female sparrow in the nest.
'The new mother didn't like the chicks. They were not her own. Son one day, when the Father Sparrow was out fetching food, the new female sparrow threw the young chicks out of the nest, and they dropped to the floor and died.
'The Queen was horrified. Her health was not good and she was worried that if she died the king would marry a woman who would act like the female sparrow and kill her sons.
'When the King came back from hunting, the Queen went to him and told her of the Sparrows. 'Don't worry', said the King, 'I will never remarry if you die'. 'Do you promise?' the Queen asked. 'Yes' said the King.
The Queens health was not good, and shortly afterwards she sickened and then died. The King and the Princes went into Mourning.
But a few months later, the Kinds advisors, said that he must marry again. 'But I cant, I promised!' He said. the advisors scatted their beards and said the king, 'Sire, a King must have a queen. Without a Queen, a king cannot have a Kingdom'. They nagged and pestered him until with great reluctance he gave in.
'The new Queen was everything that the old Queen had feared. Spiteful, selfish and full of jealousy of the young Princes. Whenever she got the chance she would bad mouth them to the King.
'They are really spoiled', she would say one day. 'They are weak and stupid and not fit to rule after you'. She would say another. 'When we have Children, they will be much better'.
'The princes were playing football one day outside. The Queen hated to hear them play, and it would make her really angry. Suddenly there was a big crash, and their football came into the room, breaking the window.
'The King came home from hunting that day to find the queen so angry she was like a demon.
'GET RID OF THEM!' She shouted. 'TAKE THEM AWAY!' GET THEM OUT OF THE CASTLE' She shouted at the king.
The King didn't know what to do, he was worried for the princes safety. So he asked on of his soldiers to take them away into the forrest. The Queen saw him do this and secretly went to the soldier and told him that the king actually wanted the boys killed, and that he was to bring their lungs back to the castle to prove that the orders had been undertaken.
'So the soldier led the boys deep into the forrest. When he got to a clearing he drew his knife out. 'Little princes, come here', he said. The princes, who knew him well, did as they were told.
'But the soldier was a kindly soul, and had known the princes since they were born and grow up. He couldn't kill them.
'My Princes. You lie here for a while and go to sleep. I will go out hunting with this knife and return with some food'.
'So the princes dutifully went to sleep, and the Soldier went of hunting. He caught a deer, cut out its lungs, and returned to the Queen with the evidence. 'Well done!' She said, and ate the lungs raw.
The boys awoke in the forrest the next morning alone and hungry. The older prince went off to find some fruit and nuts for them to eat when it became obvious that the soldier was not coming back.
'Whilst he was gone though, some village people came through the clearing collecting wood. They saw the young prince, and as he was lost, they took him with them back to their village which was quite a long way away.
'The older prince came back to find his brother gone. He looked around for hours, but eventually realised that he was now alone, and his brother was not coming back.
'So he travelled through the forrest until he came through the other side. He passed through fields, and villages, until he eventually saw a castle.
'He went and knocked on the door, and asked to speak to the king. He spoke so well, that he was admitted to the throne room. He explained his story to the King, who was so shocked that he took the prince to live with him in his castle, almost as an adopted son as he had only a daughter of his own.
'Over the years, the King and Prince grew very close. Eventually the King named him as his heir and said that he would marry his daughter when the time was ripe.
'The Prince, who loved the old king, agreed, but asked for one favour.
'What is it my son?' The King asked.
'A long time ago, I had a brother. He was lost in the forrest when we escaped from our father, I must find out what happened to him.
'So the King put a big reward for any information about the lost prince. Many people came forward, but the Prince knew that they were all imposters.
'Eventually, a humble fisherman with his shepherdess wife came forward. They had with them a young boy.
'Dear King' They said. 'Our son came to us as a gift from the Gods. We were childless for many years, and then one day, a box floated down the river and got stuck in my nets. When I opened it up, there was our son.
'But if he is not really our son, and he is your brother, although it would break our hearts, he must go back to you'.
The Older brother questioned the younger, and very soon realised that it was his brother. Overjoyed they hugged.
'What happened to you? How did you come to be in a box floating down the river?'
'Well I was found in the forrest by some villagers. They took me back and gave me to a shopkeeper. But he was very mean and would often beat me. Eventually he got so angry at me that he nailed me into a box and threw me into the river. I floated for ever it seemed until the good fisherman and his shepherdess wife rescued me'.
There was much rejoicing in the land, for the brothers were reunited and the King now had two sons! He showered gifts on the Fisherman and the Shephardess, and when the p;deer prince and his daughter had children, he bought them to the castle to help raise them. He caught the shop keeper and had him hanged. Everyone lived happily ever after.
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