the story of: the 12 dancing princesses

Today I'm going to share with you the story of the 12 Dancing Princesses. But I'm going to keep it very brief, because I want you to have time to watch something. This story comes from the Brothers Grimm, and there different versions out there...even Barbie has one! But this is my retelling...

There were once 12 princesses...12 sisters...who loved to dance. Every night, their father the king would tell them goodnight, then have their door locked. Every morning, the princesses' dancing shoes would be worn through.

The king was mystified (and tired of paying for new shoes!), so he made a proclamation that any man who could figure out how the shoes were getting worn out, could marry one of the princesses. Many tried, but they all failed.

At last, a soldier came along to take the challenge. Unlike the others, however, he had a magic invisibility cloak. He used the cloak to observe and follow the princesses.

You see, each night these 12 sisters would sneak through a secret passageway, and go out dancing all night. After quietly watching, the soldier brought back a golden twig as proof of the princesses' night out.

With this evidence presented, the sisters could no longer keep their secret, and the soldier was given his choice of bride. (I'd like to think that they lived happily ever after...)

And now, I have something for you to watch. Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theater was always a favorite of mine, and her version of The Dancing Princesses was the one I loved the most. You can watch it in its entirety on Hulu. Don't you just love the internet?