Hungarian Folk Tales: The Pussycat Princess (S01E08)

Summary

In this Hungarian folk tale, a king sends his three sons to find brides, each guided by a stick's direction. The youngest prince's stick leads him to a dark forest, where he meets a talking pussycat who promises to marry him. Despite his initial doubts, the prince fulfills the king's tasks with the help of the pussycat, who reveals herself to be a princess under a curse. Once the curse is broken, the prince returns with his beautiful bride, astonishing everyone with her beauty. The tale ends with a joyous celebration of their wedding.

Takeaways

• 😀 The story begins with a king who has three sons of marrying age.
• 😀 The king instructs his sons to find their brides, with each son's task being linked to where their stick falls.
• 😀 The eldest son's stick lands near a baroness, the middle son's near a countess, and the youngest's falls into a dark forest.
• 😀 The youngest prince feels uncertain about finding a bride in the forest but meets a magical pussycat who promises to marry him.
• 😀 The prince agrees to marry the pussycat, and upon returning home, he keeps his bride a secret from his family.
• 😀 The king orders his sons to bring bouquets from their brides, and the eldest two return with beautiful flowers.
• 😀 The youngest prince, unable to pick flowers from a pussycat, is given magical silver, gold, and diamond flowers from other pussycats.
• 😀 The prince's bouquet is the most beautiful, but he still refuses to reveal the identity of his bride.
• 😀 The king later orders the princes to bring handkerchiefs from their fiancées, and the youngest prince faces the same dilemma.
• 😀 The magical pussycats help the youngest prince by giving him silver, gold, and diamond threads, which he uses to make the finest handkerchief.
• 😀 Finally, the king tells the princes to bring their brides to the palace, and the youngest prince is still worried about presenting a pussycat.
• 😀 The pussycat reveals she is under a curse and only the prince's proposal could break it, turning her back into a princess.
• 😀 The young couple travels to the palace in a magnificent coach, and the youngest prince’s bride is revealed to be the most beautiful of them all.
• 😀 The story concludes with a grand celebration at the palace, where the family rejoices in the union and the magical transformation.

Q & A

Why did the youngest prince feel sad when his stick fell towards the dark forest?

The youngest prince felt sad because he had no idea how he would find a bride in the thick forest, and he was unsure how to proceed on this seemingly hopeless journey.

What role did the pussycat play in the youngest prince's journey?

The pussycat played a crucial role in the youngest prince's journey by offering to marry him and providing magical assistance, such as gathering flowers and weaving a handkerchief, all of which helped him fulfill his father's tasks.

What did the king ask his sons to do after their travels, and what did this reveal about each prince?

The king asked his sons to bring back a bouquet from their fiancés, which revealed that the eldest and middle sons had traditional, noble fiancées, while the youngest son had a mysterious and magical bride, the pussycat, whose bouquet was the most beautiful.

How did the youngest prince's bouquet stand out from the others?

The youngest prince's bouquet was made from silver, golden, and diamond flowers brought by magical pussycats, making it the most exquisite bouquet compared to the simpler ones of the other princes.

What challenge did the king present next to his sons, and how did the youngest prince respond?

The king challenged his sons to bring a handkerchief from their fiancées. The youngest prince, unsure of how a pussycat could weave a handkerchief, was again helped by the pussycat, who magically created a beautiful handkerchief from silver, golden, and diamond yarn.

Why was the youngest prince so unhappy when it was time to bring his bride to the palace?

The youngest prince was unhappy because he had no idea how to present a pussycat at the palace, fearing that his magical bride would be seen as unworthy compared to the others' more traditional fiancées.

What happened when the youngest prince fell asleep while waiting for his bride?

When the youngest prince fell asleep, he woke up to find that the pussycat had transformed back into a beautiful princess. She revealed that she had been cursed to live as a pussycat until a prince asked for her hand in marriage.

What significant event happened when the prince returned to the palace with his transformed bride?

When the prince returned to the palace with his transformed bride, everyone was amazed by her beauty. The king recognized her as the most beautiful bride, and the wedding celebration proceeded with joy and dancing.

How did the curse on the princess get broken?

The curse on the princess was broken when the youngest prince asked for her hand in marriage. This act of love and commitment caused her to return to her true form as a beautiful princess.

What is the moral of the story in 'The Pussycat Princess'?

The moral of the story highlights the themes of love, transformation, and the idea that true beauty comes from within. It also teaches that promises and kindness can lead to magical outcomes, and appearances are not always what they seem.