After I was born, the fairies gathered around my cradle, and they said that it was written in the Books of Fate that I should die by a crocodile, a serpent, or a dog. Nothing could save me, they said.

Well, I have met all three and I am still here. Why?

I will tell you. It’s because of love, the love of my wife.

The Much-Loved Prince in The Prince and the Three Fates, Brown Fairy Book. Illustration by H.J. Ford.