The Wounded Lion | Stories for Teenagers | @EnglishFairyTales

Summary

Estelle, a kind-hearted young woman living alone on a farm, encounters a wounded lion in the forest. After healing it, her livestock mysteriously disappears. Over the course of a year, Estelle continues to help the lion, who reveals he is cursed by a giant, transformed into a lion by day. She embarks on a journey to break the curse, retrieving a golden coat from a distant kingdom. In a twist, she confronts the giant, breaking the spell and rescuing her animals. Estelle and the prince, now free from the curse, return to the palace where they fall in love and live happily ever after.

Takeaways

• 😀 Estelle lives alone on a farm, raising cattle and selling dairy products after losing her parents.
• 😀 Estelle discovers an injured lion in the forest and helps it by removing a thorn from its paw, despite initial fear.
• 😀 After helping the lion, Estelle finds that her cows have mysteriously disappeared.
• 😀 A year later, Estelle again finds the lion injured in the forest and helps it, but her goats and sheep are gone as well.
• 😀 Estelle, determined to find her missing animals, spends the night in the forest and is transported to a mysterious mansion.
• 😀 The lion reveals that he is Prince Pharaoh, cursed to be a lion by day and human by night, and that a giant has abducted her animals.
• 😀 To break the prince's curse, Estelle must retrieve a golden coat embroidered with hair from his twin sister.
• 😀 Estelle travels to a distant palace, where she secures a job and gains favor with the royal family through her skills.
• 😀 Estelle cooks a special porridge for the king and helps the princess with her hair, earning their trust and gratitude.
• 😀 After obtaining the golden coat, Estelle confronts the giant, who releases the prince from his curse and returns her animals.
• 😀 The prince and Estelle eventually fall in love, and after a reunion with the king, they marry and live happily ever after.

Q & A

Who is Estelle, and what is her life like at the beginning of the story?

Estelle is a young woman who lives alone on a farm. She has little memory of her parents and supports herself by tending to cattle and selling milk, butter, and curds.

What happens when Estelle encounters the lion for the first time?

Estelle finds a wounded lion in the forest. Despite the danger, she helps him by removing a thorn from his paw and applying herbs to his wounds, which relieves the lion's pain.

What happens to Estelle's animals after she helps the lion?

After helping the lion, Estelle returns to find that all of her cows, goats, and sheep have mysteriously disappeared. She spends a year searching for them with no success.

What role does the lion play in the continuation of the story?

The lion reappears, wounded again, and Estelle helps him once more. She then discovers that he is actually a cursed prince, who has been transformed into a lion during the day by a spell.

How does Estelle become involved in breaking the prince's curse?

The prince reveals that the curse can only be broken by obtaining a golden coat embroidered with a lock of his twin sister's hair. Estelle agrees to help him in exchange for the promise that her animals will be freed.

What does Estelle do to acquire the golden coat?

Estelle travels to a distant kingdom, where she gets a job at the palace. Through her hard work and kindness, she earns the trust of the king and princess. She then requests the golden coat in exchange for a promise of protection for her animals.

How does Estelle manage to retrieve the coat of golden hair?

Estelle successfully retrieves the golden coat, which is made with the princess's hair, and uses it to confront the giant who holds the prince's curse.

What is the giant's reaction when Estelle presents the coat?

The giant is initially angry when Estelle presents the coat, but after Estelle challenges him and threatens to bring the king's army against him, he releases the prince from the curse and returns Estelle's animals.

What happens after the prince is freed from the curse?

The prince is freed from the curse, and Estelle's animals are returned to her. Estelle returns to her farm, but the prince proposes they take care of the animals together. They eventually fall in love and marry.

How does the story end?

The story ends with Estelle and the prince living happily ever after. The prince is reunited with his family, and Estelle, now his wife, stays with him in the palace.