In the Brothers Grimm tale “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” what do the princesses wear out every night?
Answer
Their dancing shoes
In the Brothers Grimm tale “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” the princesses wear out their dancing shoes every night.
The king notices that his twelve daughters’ shoes are worn through each morning, even though their bedroom appears locked. He promises a reward to anyone who can discover where they go at night, while warning that failure brings serious consequences.
A soldier uses a magic cloak to follow the princesses secretly. He sees them descend beneath the palace and dance in an underground realm with twelve princes. The shoes are damaged by the repeated dancing, providing the physical clue that begins the mystery.
The tale was included in the Grimms’ Kinder- und Hausmärchen. It is sometimes called “The Worn-Out Dancing Shoes” in English. Versions differ in the number or identity of the underground companions, but the twelve princesses and their ruined shoes are stable features of the best-known Grimm version.