Help Find My Fairytale!

[Eirth]

Hi All,

As a child, I remember one fairytale in particular. I have scoured the internet to find it, but can't even get a trace of it...

From what I remember, there is a King who set up a bunch of epic tests, and everyone goes to the castle to attempt to beat them. A young boy is one of them, but on his way he meets a man with very big ears. Most people call him ugly, but he decides to be his friend and the travel together. He then meets another man with a large appetite. People think him useless, but the boy thinks differently, and they continue....

I remember the boy meeting many other strange people, but not the specifics...

Eventually they make it to the castle, and the tests are given to them. One test requires them to eat 100 courses of food in ten minutes, or something...and so the hungry man does it. Another test is to find a pin drop, and the man with the large ears does.

In the end, everyone that seemed strange actually has a special talent. And the boy becomes king...or gets the princess...I forget...

Anyone have any idea? Thanks so much!

[Harro]

I know this tale!
Got it in a book somewhere.
It's a little different though.
The boy want's to marry the princess, but the king doesn't like the boy really.
So he (or one of his advisors) come up with those tasks and they are sure he can't do them.
But he manages to do them all. And in the end the king allows to boy to marry his daughter

[Boltleader1]

I think this tale is a grim storyif im not mistaken, did the other helpers happen to be a guy that when it was hot felt cold and when it was cold felt hot?

[AcadianSidhe]

It's definitely Grimm's or Anderson's. I want to say Grimm's.

I used to have a couple of ancient books of their tales, but I really wish I could find them now, because I know the exact story you're talking about. I think it's called the four servants or something.

[frang]

Here's the Grimm's tale that AcadianSidhe and Boltleader1 remember, "The Six Servants."

The six servants