Synopsis

This tale is about envy, wicked thinking, conspiracy, deception, viciousness, and finally the triumph of good over evil. It is the tale of three unfortunate sisters sitting down to weave in their poor cabin. The first one wished to become a queen and weave a tie so that every woman and her husband can use it to hold up their pants, The second sister wished to become a queen and cook a noodle dish that everyone admires the wonderful taste of it, and the third one wished to give birth to a warrior to become a great king.

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It so happens that the king was passing by their cabin and overhears the conversation of three sisters. He marries the third sister and hires the other two to do the weaving and the cooking in the palace. King was at war and had to leave right after the marriage ceremony. It comes the time that his wife gives birth to a healthy boy. She sends a message to her husband to share the good news but the message was intercepted by her two sisters and her mother-in-law. They re-wrote the message stating that the newborn was a monster. At first, the king got disappointed and wanted to have the newborn’s life terminated but he soon changed his mind and sent a message asking the newborn to be saved until the king’s return. The conspirators intoxicated the messenger and changed the content of the king’s message to read “get rid of the newborn and the mother; leave them to the sea”.

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The newborn and mother were put in a basket and left afloat on the sea. The basket finally beaches at an island where the boy has grown into a young man. Upon beaching at the island, in search of food in the woods, he rescues a pigeon that was just about to be killed by an eagle. To return the favor, the pigeon would grant him any wish he asked for. The islanders ask him to become their prince. He often would see commercial ships passing near his island. He would ask the sailors to anchor and host them very generously. Many of these ships were coming from his father's island and sailors would tell him about their adventures.

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Upon their sail away he would feel homesick missing his father. Each time the pigeon would convert him to an insect so that he could travel unnoticed with sailors to his father’s land to see him. Each time the sailors would report to the king how greatly they were treated by the prince of the neighboring island. They would also describe the magnificent developments they would witness on the island and would notify the king that the prince has extended an invitation to the king to visit the island.

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To prevent the king from traveling to the island and meeting his son, the envious two aunts and the grandmother, each time would undervalue the developments on prince's island by saying that they have heard of something even more miraculous in other lands. The prince as an insect would sting one of the three envious conspirators each time.

Upon returning to his island, the prince would ask the dove to create the miraculous thing that conspirators were describing to the king so when the sailors visit, they would see that this magical element actually exists in the prince's island; this may convince the king to visit him.

This cycle of events happens three times and at last, the king decides to visit the prince where he also comes face-to-face with his wife and the entire plot is revealed.

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