Full Text: The Twelve Brave Huntsmen
One story, four ways to read it
Every story comes in its original version plus several simplified reading levels, so it grows with your child.
The original text is the full story with rich vocabulary and descriptive language, ideal for reading aloud together and for kids who are ready for longer sentences.
The simplified levels retell the same story in shorter, simpler sentences matched to your child's stage. Ages 2-6 uses a few short sentences per scene, perfect for first time readers. Ages 4-8 adds simple dialogue and everyday vocabulary for kids beginning to follow along. Ages 6-10 keeps the language accessible while bringing back more of the story's detail, a natural bridge to the original.
Start at the level where your child is comfortable, and move up when they're ready. Hearing the same story told in richer language each time is one of the best ways to build vocabulary in any language.
Original Text: The Twelve Brave Huntsmen
There was a king's son who loved a brilliant maiden, not just for her beauty, but for her sharp mind and brave spirit. One day, a messenger brought grave news:
‘Your father is dying. He wishes to see you before the end.’
The prince had to leave immediately.
‘Take this ring,’ he told the maiden. ‘It is a promise that no matter what the court demands of me, my heart belongs to you. I will return for you.’
At the palace, the dying king whispered his final wish.
‘Son, the kingdom is fragile. To prevent war, you must marry the Princess of the North.’
The prince felt the weight of a thousand lives on his shoulders. He could not start his reign with a war.
‘I will do my best to ensure the peace of our people, Father,’
he answered, though his heart grew heavy with the sacrifice he felt he must make.
The old king passed, and the prince was crowned. Bound by duty, he sent for the Princess of the North. When the maiden heard this, she did not despair. She knew the king’s court was full of advisers who would never let him marry a ‘commoner’ like her. To save their love, she knew she had to show the kingdom she was his most capable ally, not just a distant memory.
‘Father,’ she said, ‘the King is surrounded by those who would use him. If I go as myself, I will be dismissed. But if I go as a strategist, I can protect him and prove my worth to his people. I need eleven friends who are as brave and focused as I am.’
Her father, seeing her determination, replied,
‘You shall have them. Choose those you trust most.’
She gathered eleven brilliant friends, and they trained until they moved with perfect synchrony. They donned sturdy, tactical huntsman’s gear that hid their identities.
‘We go not to trick the King,’ she told them, ‘but to serve him so well that he cannot imagine ruling without us.’
They arrived at the palace and asked to serve in the King’s guard. The King, exhausted by political pressure, did not recognise his love in her rugged uniform, but he was struck by the group's poise.
‘I have never seen a unit so disciplined,’ he said,
and he appointed the maiden as his Chief Huntsman and adviser.
The King had a loyal companion-a wise Lion who saw through every mask. The Lion whispered,
‘Your Majesty, these are not the soldiers you think they are. They are twelve women in disguise.’
‘Impossible,’ said the King.
‘Test their integrity,’ the Lion suggested. ‘Scatter jewels and silk in the hall. If they are seekers of vanity, they will falter. If they are seekers of power, they will stop to count the cost.’
A servant, who admired the huntsmen’s work, warned the maiden. She laughed softly. ‘We are not here for gold or silk,’ she told her friends. ‘We are here for the King’s safety. March as though the floor were made of stone and the jewels were merely dust.’
The next morning, the twelve huntsmen marched through the hall. They did not glance at the treasures; they kept their eyes on the horizon and their hands on their gear.
‘You see?’ the King told the Lion. ‘They have the discipline of true veterans. Your suspicions are baseless.’
The Lion was not convinced.
‘One final test of focus. Place twelve complex mechanical puzzles in the hall-devices that require hours of tinkering. It is said that soldiers are too restless for such tasks.’
Again, the servant warned the maiden.
‘Our focus is the King’s peace, not games,’ she said. ‘We shall pass them without a single look, for our mission is greater than any puzzle.’
The huntsmen passed the puzzles with perfect indifference. The King was now certain of their character.
‘Enough, Lion. They have proven their dedication. I will hear no more of your theories.’
The Lion bowed his head, realising that the maiden’s discipline was even stronger than his own intuition.
For months, the Chief Huntsman served at the King’s side, helping him navigate the laws of the land. One day, a messenger rode up:
‘The Princess of the North is at the gates to sign the marriage treaty!’
The maiden, hearing that the moment of truth had finally arrived, felt her strength waver. The pressure of her secret and the fear of losing him finally took its toll, and she fainted.
The King rushed to catch her. As he pulled off her glove to check her pulse, the sunlight caught the ring on her finger-the promise he had given in another life.
He looked at the face of the ‘huntsman’ who had protected him, advised him, and stood by him through the hardest months of his reign.
‘It was you,’ he whispered. ‘You did not just wait for me; you fought for us.’
The King spoke honestly to the Princess of the North, who confessed she also wished for a marriage of love, not just politics. Together, they signed a trade treaty that ensured peace without a forced wedding. The King then introduced his new Queen, not as a maiden he had found, but as the hero who had helped him save the kingdom. Even the Lion agreed: the truth had finally found its rightful place.
