The Journey of the Three Princes of Serendip

«The Journey of the Three Princes of Serendip» — an anonymous collection of Italian fairy-tale novellas, published in 1557 and enjoyed widespread fame across Europe. It became a source of motifs that appear in various literary works — from Voltaire's... «Zadig» to Umberto Eco's «The Name of the Rose». The plot follows three young princes from Serendip (the ancient name for Sri Lanka) who embark on a journey to understand the customs of other peoples and learn wisdom. On their travels, they encounter proud sultans, beautiful queens, and cunning sorcerers, unravel clever riddles, and through their insight save kingdoms from ruin. Magical transformations coexist here with moral teachings, and violence and cruelty — with arguments in favor of humility and piety.