The Blue Fairy Book

A modest gardener, whose family has tended soil for generations, is summoned to revive a barren royal garden. Within a year his skill transforms the grounds into a tapestry of blossoms and fruit, earning him the king’s gratitude and a place at court. His handsome son captures the heart of the king’s sixteen‑year‑old daughter, sparking a quiet rebellion against the arranged marriage the monarch favors for her.

Determined to keep them apart, the king devises a test: the two suitors must race to a distant land and return, the first to claim the princess’s hand. The minister’s son sets off with a fine horse and riches, while the gardener’s son rides a lame steed with only a copper purse. Along the way, compassion leads the poorer youth to share his meager wealth with a mysterious beggar, setting the stage for an unexpected challenge that could change both their fates.