IF: multiple

This is an old illo, inspired by a fairy tale called: The 12 worn out dancing shoes. It's about a king who has 12 daughters. Every night they are locked in a big bedroom, yet every morning they wake up feeling tired, and their dancing shoes are totally worn out. The king calls for young men to try and solve the mystery, and offers one of his daughters and his kingdom as prize. But if they fail, after 3 nights he cuts off their heads. Many guys try and end up dead, untill a young soldgier arrives. Before he enters the palace he meets an old lady, and she gives him a cloack that turns him invisible, and advises him not to drink the night cup that the ladies will bring him. The king welcomes him and orders him to watch at the bedroom door. At midnight one of the girls offers him a glass of wine. The soldgier spills the wine and pretends to fall asleep. But through his eyelids he peeks and sees the girls put on their party dresses, comb their hair, and wear their dancing shoes. Then they move one of the beds, and open a large door in the floor. They enter this door and disappear. The soldgier wears his cloack, and hurries after them. The door leads to a long staircase, that ends in a giant cave under the ground. They walk through a forest of trees with silver leaves, than gold leaves, and finally diamond leaves. The soldgier picks up a leaf of each kind and hides it under his cloack. Then they reach a big lake, and by the lake there are 12 little boats. In each boat sits a handsome prince. The princesses climb into the boats and the princes sail them to the other side of the lake. The soldgier jumps in the youngest princess' boat. In the other side of the lake there's a palace with music and food. The princes and the princesses enter the palace and dance without stopping all night long...
Well, you can guess how it all ends. Turns out that they were under a spell, the soldgier breaks it and gets the girl and the kingdom. Hurray!



P.S. - Klick on the pictures to enlarge and see all the small details.