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Once upon a time, there was a king who had a beautiful wife. She was kind and gentle, and everyone in the kingdom loved her. The queen had golden hair that shone like the sun, and she was the pride of her husband. Before she died, she made the king promise that he would only marry someone who was as beautiful and as golden-haired as she was. The king, heartbroken, agreed to her wish, thinking he would never marry again. But after her death, the king became lonely and sad. His advisors begged him to marry again for the sake of the kingdom, but he could not find any woman who matched his late wife’s beauty—except one.
That one was his own daughter. The princess had grown up to look exactly like her mother, with the same golden hair and kind face. When the king noticed this, a strange thought entered his mind. He decided that she was the only one fit to be his new queen. Horrified, the princess refused and wept bitterly. She begged her father not to force her into such a marriage, but he insisted that it was the only way to honor his late wife’s promise. Desperate to escape, the princess went to her fairy godmother, who was wise and good. The fairy told her to ask her father for three impossible gifts. “If he truly loves you,” the fairy said, “he will never be able to fulfill these wishes.”
The princess did as the fairy advised. She told her father she would marry him only if he could give her three dresses: one as golden as the sun, one as silvery as the moon, and one that glittered like the stars in the night sky. She also demanded a coat made from the fur of every animal in the kingdom, thinking this would be impossible. The king, blinded by his obsession, agreed without hesitation. He ordered his tailors and craftsmen to begin immediately. They worked day and night, gathering gold threads, silver cloth, jewels, and furs from every creature—foxes, bears, rabbits, wolves, squirrels, and many more.
In a short time, the dresses were finished, shining so brightly they looked like they held the light of the heavens within them. The fur coat was made too, soft and thick, stitched together from the skins of all the kingdom’s animals. When the king presented them to his daughter, she was terrified, for he had fulfilled even the impossible. The next day, he announced the wedding. That night, the princess cried in despair and turned once more to her fairy godmother, who told her to flee before dawn. The fairy helped her pack the three dresses in a tiny golden nut so she could carry them easily. She also took a golden ring, a spinning wheel, and a reel, hiding them safely.
When everyone was asleep, the princess put on her fur coat and blackened her face with soot so no one would recognize her. Then she quietly left the castle and ran into the dark forest. She walked all night, through thick trees and cold wind, until she came upon a hollow tree. Exhausted, she climbed inside and fell asleep. The next morning, hunters from another kingdom found her. At first, they thought she was a wild creature because of her fur coat, but when they looked closer, they saw she was human. They called her “All Kinds of Fur” because her cloak was made from every type of animal skin. They brought her to the royal kitchen of their king.
The king of this new land was young and noble. He was kind but had no idea who this strange creature was. Since she appeared dirty and poor, he allowed her to stay in the castle kitchen to work. There, she was given the smallest tasks—carrying water, peeling vegetables, cleaning the pots, and sweeping the floors. The kitchen maids laughed at her, and she slept on the ground beside the hearth in her fur coat. No one suspected she was a princess. She worked quietly and humbly, speaking little, but inside her heart, she still carried sorrow for her lost home.
One day, a grand ball was announced at the castle. All the servants were excited, but “All Kinds of Fur” was told to stay behind and cook the soup. When everyone had gone, she washed her face clean and opened her golden nut. From it, she took out the dress that shone like the sun. She put it on, and in an instant, she looked like a princess from heaven. Then she went to the ball. The moment she entered, everyone turned to look at her. The king was amazed by her beauty and could not take his eyes off her. He asked her to dance, and she agreed. They danced together all evening, and the king felt a strange warmth in his heart, not knowing who she was.
But before the ball ended, the princess slipped away quickly, running back to the kitchen. She took off her golden dress, covered herself again in her fur coat, and blackened her face with soot. When the servants returned, she was sitting by the fire as if she had never moved. The next day, the king could think of nothing but the mysterious lady from the ball. At dinner, he ordered the cook to prepare a special soup. When “All Kinds of Fur” was cooking it, she secretly dropped her golden ring into the pot. When the king tasted the soup, he found the ring at the bottom and sent for the cook. The cook said it was not he who made it but the little creature called “All Kinds of Fur.” The king summoned her, and she appeared shyly, her face covered in soot. He asked if she was the one who had made the soup, and she nodded. The king looked at her curiously, but she bowed and said nothing more.
A few days later, another ball was held. Again, when everyone left, “All Kinds of Fur” cleaned herself and put on her dress that shimmered like the moon. She looked even more beautiful than before and went to the ball. The king recognized her at once and ran to greet her. They danced together again, and his heart was filled with joy. He tried to ask her where she came from, but she only smiled and said little. As the night drew to an end, she quietly slipped away once more. The king searched for her, but she had vanished. When she returned to the kitchen, she made the soup again and dropped her golden reel into it. When the king found it, he again sent for her, puzzled and intrigued.
The third ball came soon after. Once more, she waited until the servants had gone and then dressed herself in her gown that sparkled like the stars. Her golden hair shone so brightly it seemed to light the whole room. When she appeared, everyone gasped in wonder. The king was enchanted and told her, “You must never leave me again.” She smiled sadly, but when he turned to speak with another guest, she slipped away. This time, she was in such a hurry that she left behind one of her golden rings. Back in the kitchen, she put on her fur coat again and dirtied her face. The next morning, the king declared he would marry the woman whom the ring fit.
He ordered every lady in the land to try it on, but none could wear it. Finally, he remembered the strange creature in the kitchen. The cook laughed and said, “It cannot be her! She is too dirty and wild.” But the king insisted. So they brought “All Kinds of Fur” to him. She hesitated, but the king gently took her hand and slid the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly. The king looked into her eyes and suddenly saw a glimpse of the beauty he had seen at the ball. He ordered her to wash her face. When she did, her golden hair fell down like sunlight, and her true face was revealed. Everyone gasped in awe.
The king realized that she was not a servant but a princess. She told him her story—how her father had wanted to marry her, how she had fled wearing the fur coat, and how she had come to live in his kitchen. The king was moved to tears. He comforted her gently and said she would never suffer again. Soon, a grand wedding was held. The princess wore her shining star dress, and everyone in the kingdom rejoiced. The young king and the princess lived happily together, ruling with kindness and wisdom. The fur coat was kept in a golden chest as a reminder of her courage and the trials she had overcome.
In their castle, laughter and music filled the halls once more. The princess, who had once hidden beneath a coat of furs, now shone brighter than the sun, moon, and stars combined. The king loved her deeply and thanked fate for bringing her to him in such a strange way. And from that day on, the people said that true beauty and goodness can never be hidden, not even beneath all kinds of fur.