"The Three Feathers" is a story by the Brothers Grimm, in his Kinder- und Hausmärchen. It is KHM nr. 63. It is classified as Aarne-Thompson-Uther ATU 402, "The Animal Bride". A second variant of the tale also collected by the Brothers Grimm is "The Poor Miller's Boy and the Cat", listed as KHM 106.
Summary
A king has three sons: the eldest and the middle one are brave and strong, but the youngest is gullible and naïve, so he is called Simpleton. One day, the king casts three feathers into the air, and when they land, each of his children should follow to see where it leads. The youngest discovers the feather has landed in a lake or pond where a toad lives that speaks in rhyme. The king asks for marvellous gifts - impossibly difficult to find, or make - for his sons to show him: a carpet, made by the finest crafstmanship and a ring of extraordinary splendour as a second gift. Simpleton manages to produce the items in front on his father, to the jealousy of his older brothers, who are against the idea that the youngest should inherit the kingdom. For a final task, the king asks for the princes to bring a woman or bride that can do acrobatics and pirouettes so fantastical that they can pass through a very small ring. The youngest presents his case to the talking toad, who orders another frog of his pond to embark into a carriage pulled by mice and to present themselves in court. When the carriage arrives, out comes a beautiful princess, who performs the impossible feat and earns the hand of the Simpleton and the kingdom.
Variants
The tale is widespread in folktale collections, attesting to a prince who finds a love interest in a animal of the female sex. As the story progresses, the prince - the youngest of three royal children - begins to fall in love with the magical animal, and, as his father asks for the princes to show their brides, the animal princess suggests she comes as she is. When the animal bride arrives at the palace with her fantastical carriage, pulled by other animals or dragons, she transforms into a beautiful princess. The tale type of the Prince-Animal Bride love story was very popular in the of the 17th century France, as attested by the presence of such motifs in the literary works of, for instance, Madame d'Aulnoy.
