Section 1
There was a poor woman who gave birth to a baby boy with a caul on his head, and it was foretold that he would marry the king's daughter when he turned fourteen. Shortly after the baby was born, the king visited the village, and he asked the villagers for any news. They informed him about the child who had been born with a caul, which was believed to bring good luck to whatever the child did, and that he would marry the king's daughter when he was fourteen years old. The king, who was displeased with the prophecy, had an evil nature and went to the child's parents. He pretended to be friendly and said to them, "You poor people, let me take care of your child." The parents were hesitant at first, but when the king offered them a large sum of gold for the child, they thought that their child was destined for greatness and agreed to the king's request. They handed over their child to the king.
The king placed the child in a box and rode away with it until he reached a deep body of water. He then threw the box containing the child into the water, believing that he had rid his daughter of her unwanted future husband.
The box, surprisingly, did not sink but instead floated like a boat on the water, not allowing even a single drop of water inside. It eventually stopped at a mill-dam located within two miles of the king's chief city. By chance, a miller's boy was standing nearby and saw the box. He used a hook to retrieve it, thinking that he had found a great treasure, but when he opened it, he found a pretty and lively baby boy inside. The miller's boy took the baby to the miller and his wife, who were childless, and they were pleased and grateful, believing that God had given them the baby. They took great care of the foundling, who grew up to be a good and virtuous person.
One day, during a storm, the king sought shelter in the mill and asked the miller and his family if the tall and handsome youth was their son. The miller and his wife replied that he was a foundling who had been rescued from a box that had floated down to the mill-dam fourteen years ago, and that they had taken him in as their own.
The king realized that the youth he had thrown into the water was the same fortunate child who had returned to him. He asked if the youth could take a letter to the queen, promising to reward him with two gold pieces. The people agreed and instructed the boy to prepare himself. The king wrote a letter to the queen, instructing her to kill and bury the boy as soon as he arrived with the letter, before the king returned home. The boy set off with the letter, but got lost and stumbled upon a cottage in a large forest while following a small light in the darkness.The boy entered the cottage and found an old woman sitting alone by the fire. She was startled when she saw him and asked where he came from and where he was going. The boy replied that he came from the mill and was on his way to the queen with a letter, but had lost his way in the forest and needed a place to stay for the night. The woman warned him that he had stumbled into a den of thieves who would surely kill him when they returned home. The boy, however, was not afraid and said that he was too tired to go any further. He lay down on a bench and quickly fell asleep.
After some time, the robbers arrived and asked about the strange boy lying there. The old woman replied that he was an innocent child who had lost his way in the forest, and she had taken pity on him by letting him stay. She also mentioned that he had a letter to deliver to the queen. The robbers read the letter and found out that it ordered the boy's execution upon arrival. However, the robbers were moved by pity and decided to rewrite the letter, stating that the boy should be married to the king's daughter upon arrival. The boy was allowed to rest on the bench until the next morning, and then the robbers gave him the letter and showed him the correct direction to continue his journey.
Upon receiving the rewritten letter, the queen followed the instructions and arranged a magnificent wedding banquet. The king's daughter was then wedded to the fortunate child who had delivered the letter. The youth was pleasant and good-looking, and he and the king's daughter lived together in happiness and satisfaction.
When the king returned to his palace, he discovered that the prophecy had been fulfilled and that the child had indeed married his daughter. He was surprised and questioned how this had come to pass, as he had given a completely different order in his letter.
The queen handed the letter to the king and told him to read it for himself. Upon reading the letter, the king realized that it had been replaced with a different one. He questioned the youth about the letter that he was entrusted with and why he had brought a different one instead. The youth denied any knowledge of the switch, stating that it must have been done while he was asleep in the forest.
