THREE PRINCESSES OF WHITELAND - A Norwegian Fairy Tale

Baba Indaba Children's Stories - Issue 248

ISSN: 2397-9607 Issue 248
In this 247th issue of the Baba Indaba’s Children's Stories series, Baba Indaba narrates the story of “The Three Princesses of Whiteland.”
A fisherman lived close by a palace, and fished for the Norwegian King’s table. One day when he was out fishing he just caught nothing. Do what he could,  he tried different bait and lures. When the day was spent a head bobbed up out of the water, and said: “If I may have what your wife bears under her girdle, you shall catch fish enough.”
So the man readily answered, “Yes;” for he did not know that his wife was with child, and  he caught plenty of fish. But when he got home at night and told his story and how he had caught the fish, his wife fell to weeping and was beside herself, for she said, “I bear a babe under my girdle.”
Well, when the King heard the woman’s grief and its cause, he sent down to say he would take care of the child, and see if he could save it. When it became time, the fisher’s wife had a boy; and the king took it at once, and brought him up as his own.
One day he asked to go out fishing with his father. At first the King wouldn’t hear of it, but at last the lad had his way. So he and his father were out the whole day and most of the night. Then the lad remembered he had left his handkerchief on the boat, and went to look for it; but as soon as he got into the boat, it moved off with him at such speed that the water roared under the bow. Despite rowing against it was no use. So he went the whole night, and at last he came to a white strand, far, far away. There he went ashore, and when he had walked about a bit, an old, old man met him, with a long white beard.
“What’s the name of this land?” asked the lad.
“Whiteland,” said the man, who went on to ask the lad whence he came, and what he was going to do. So the lad told him all.
“Aye, aye!” said the man; “now when you have walked a little farther along the strand here, you’ll come to three Princesses, whom you will see standing in the earth up to their necks, with only their heads out. ……and here begins the young man’s adventures on his quest to return home.
Who were the Princesses and why were they in the sand up to their necks? What other instructions did old man give him? What other adventures did the young Prince have, but more importantly, did he ever get home? Well, you’ll just have to download and read the story to find out for yourselves.

Baba Indaba is a fictitious Zulu storyteller who narrates children's stories from around the world. Baba Indaba translates as "Father of Stories".

Each issue also has a "WHERE IN THE WORLD - LOOK IT UP" section, where young readers are challenged to look up a place on a map somewhere in the world. The place, town or city is relevant to the story. HINT - use Google maps.

33% of the profit from the sale of this book will be donated to charities.
INCLUDES LINKS TO DOWNLOAD 8 FREE STORIES