(Note: Please keep in mind that this is a very brief summary of a detailed story.)

There was an emperor who could never eat the fruit from his golden apple tree because each morning the tree was bare. His first 2 sons fell asleep standing guard, so it was the youngest that discovered the 9 peahens. That night, and for many following, 1 of the peahens turned into a beautiful woman and gave him 2 of the apples to share with his father. And they fell in love. His brothers became jealous and enlisted a witch who made the peahens fly away and not return. The youngest had the witch put to death then, after much grieving, went in search of his lost love.

Eventually, he came upon the palace and the empress was his love. She gave him keys to amuse himself, but told him not to enter one room - which he, of course, did. In it was a dragon in a barrel which he, with his kind heart, accidentally let free. The dragon took the princess and the man went in search, again.

On the way, he saved and befriended a fish, a fox, and a wolf and then a man showed him the way.

At the dragon's palace he found the empress alone, but their first attempt at escape failed because of the dragon's talking horse. Next, the empress cajoled the dragon into telling the secret of the horse and her lover followed the directions to get his own.

On top of a high mountain, he found a witch who would give him pick of her horses if he could care for the mare for 3 full nights. With the help of his 3 animal friends he did manage to bring the mare and foal back all 3 nights and he took the ugliest horse (brother of the dragon's ride), who turned into the most beautiful and strongest.

He returned to the dragon's palace, took the empress, and outran the dragon's horse. The dragon was thrown from the horse and killed and that horse, too, ran away.

• Flower Queen's Daughter

Further Reading:

• The Violet Fairy Book Pgs 50-64