Once upon a time, there was a king who fell so ill that no doctor could help him. Throughout the kingdom, it was whispered that only the Water of Life – a single sip – could save his life.

The king had three sons. The eldest said, "I will find it." He rode off and came to a mountain pass where a little dwarf stood on the path. "Where are you riding?" asked the dwarf. The prince's voice was harsh: "That is none of your business!" Then the paths twisted, the cliffs closed in, and the eldest prince became stuck in a narrow ravine.

The middle prince rode the same way later, met the same dwarf, and answered just as rudely. He, too, was trapped between the mountains, unable to move forward or back.

Finally, the youngest prince rode out. When the dwarf asked where he was going, the prince dismounted, bowed, and said, "My father is sick. I am looking for the Water of Life. Perhaps you know the way?" The dwarf smiled. "Because you spoke kindly, I will help you. Far away stands an enchanted castle. Here is an iron rod – strike the heavy iron gate three times, and it will open. Just inside lie two lions sleeping. Give them each a loaf of bread, and they will let you pass. In the great hall, you will see a table, and on it a sword and a loaf of bread. Take them – they will help you on your journey. But do not linger! When the clock strikes twelve, the castle garden opens, and the spring flows forth. You have until one o'clock to fill your flask with the Water of Life. If you stay longer, everything shuts and turns to stone again. And when you leave here, come back to me – I will show you how to free your brothers."

The prince thanked him, rode to the castle, and did as the dwarf said. The gate gave way, the lions received their bread and did not growl. In the hall lay a shining sword and a golden loaf – he put them in his bag. In a chamber, he saw a princess sleeping, pale as snow. When he touched her hand, she opened her eyes. "My enchantment is broken," she whispered. "Come back in a year and a day. He who woke me from my sleep shall be my husband." She gave him a ring to wear as a token.

When the clock struck twelve, the prince found the garden. Three springs suddenly burst from the ground and glittered in the moonlight. He filled his flask until it was brimful and hurried out. Just as he passed the gate, the clock struck one, and the castle became as silent as stone again.

He rode back to the dwarf. The dwarf handed him the rod. "Strike the mountain three times, and it will open for anyone you wish to free." The prince did so, and out of the ravine stepped his brothers, sullen and ashamed. "I have the Water of Life!" said the youngest. Envy ignited in the older brothers' eyes, but they hid it with smiles.

On the way home, the brothers came to a city where the people were weeping: enemies stood outside the walls. The youngest prince drew the sword from the castle. "The sword held by a just hand wins every battle," he said, and handed it to the city's captain. The enemies were driven to flight, and the inhabitants shouted, "If you ever need us, call!" At the next city, the storehouses were empty, and the children were hungry. The prince broke a piece of the golden loaf – and the loaf became whole again. He gave it to the people. "This bread never runs out. Share it fairly." They thanked him and promised their help should he ever need it.

But envy had grown in the hearts of the older brothers. One night, while the youngest slept, they poured out the Water of Life and filled his flask with salt water from the sea. They took the real flask themselves and rode home ahead.

At home, the sick king stood weak as a child. The eldest and the middle brother stepped forward with big words: "We have fetched the Water of Life!" The king drank – but his face paled, and he grew worse. "This was not the Water of Life," he groaned.

Then the youngest prince entered the hall. "Father, here is the water for which I risked my life," he said, and offered his flask – unaware of what his brothers had done. The king took a small sip. In that same moment, his gaze became clearer, his cheeks gained color, and he rose from his bed. "I am alive!" he cried and embraced his youngest son.

The brothers stayed silent, but their eyes burned with shame and anger. They dared not say a word about the switch. The king wanted to reward the youngest immediately, but the prince remembered the princess in the enchanted castle. "Father," he said, "I made a promise. In a year and a day, I will return to the princess I awakened."

News of the prince's courage soon reached the princess's land. To recognize the right one, she had a road of pure gold laid from the forest edge to her castle. "He who rides right in the middle of the golden road and is not ashamed to leave tracks, he is the true hero," she said.

When the year had almost passed, the eldest rode there in secret. "I want a queen," he muttered, and to not "spoil" the gold, he sneaked along the ditch beside the road. When he arrived, the princess said, "You are not the right one. Turn back." The next day, the middle brother did the same and received the same answer.

Finally, the youngest prince came. He did not remember the gold – only his promise. He rode straight forward over the golden road. When he stopped in front of the stairs, the princess smiled. "It was you," she said and held out her hand. The ring on his finger gleamed, and the whole court cheered. The wedding was held with music and joy.

Now the prince and princess traveled to the old king. The cities the prince had helped also came to pay homage to him: "He saved us from hunger and war!" they declared. The king, healthy and strong, heard everything and understood how it all had happened. The two older brothers fell to their knees and asked for forgiveness for their betrayal. The king took his youngest son in his arms and said, "It was your courage, your kindness, and your honesty that gave me my life back. You shall inherit the crown when my time is done."

So they lived happily. The youngest prince ruled wisely, the princess stood by his side, and whenever anyone called for help, he always remembered the dwarf's words and the night when the Water of Life sprang forth in the moonlight.