Many leagues below the surface of the world, beyond common knowledge, a realm exists unseen by all. In it lies three forests. In the outer most woods the trees forever gleam of autumn sunshine. The bark, the roots, the leaves, it is all gold. Beyond the gilde lies proud trees glistening of winter ice. All comprised of pure silver. Beyond even that exists the night sky on earth. Bright gems encrust the wood as though they were scabbards. If one were to finally pass through the tempting trees, he would find a large river surrounding a grand castle.

Within the palace lived princes. Twelve young, handsome, strong princes. The servants tend to their every need while staying unseen. For a prince shouldn't sully his sight on low born servants. Day and night were unknown to the lads. The trees always glistened, but even that view became boring after the first few centuries. One day, or night, strangers came into the lands. No one knows exactly how they got into the realm, but they disregarded the trees and traveled to the castle.

The group was welcomed into the castle. The princes gave them counsel. Using the odd devices that they had brought along with them, the created strange noises. But the sounds were beautiful. The princes were compelled to move. The eldest prince demanded to know what strange devices of magic they were. The group leader simply said it was music that they made.

The weeks passed and the group played music for the princes. The royal dozen soon learned the movements that went along with the music. The group, who called themselves musicians, said it was dancing. The princes enjoyed it greatly. What they did not enjoy was dancing with each other. They wanted dance partners. The musicians told them of creatures called humans who lived on the surface world. They have seen them with their own eyes. There were also princesses would would happily dance with them, if only they were invited.

The princes did just that. They sent out a messanger to find 12 human girls for them to dance with. In two days time, the messanger returned. He informed the princes that he had found the girls, all sisters and daughters of a king. They would arrive that very evening. The servents went into a frenzy trying to to prepare the ballroom for the royal guests. It was a dream come true for the brothers.

When the rest of the human kingdom was tucked away for the night, the princesses travelled down to the dark kingdom of the princes. The messanger had used special magicks to create a pathway specially for them. The girls were mesmerized by the treasure forests. But they moved on, hurrying in anticipation to see the princes that awaited them. And there they were, each at his own little rowboat to take them across the river. The eldest princess went with the eldest prince, the youngest with the youngest, and all the rest went to who she found most handsome.

The evening went splendidly. The girls had never had such fun. They danced and danced until each shoe was worn full of holes. It ws then that the princesses travelled back to the surface kingdom. Sad to see them go, the princes made them promise to return the next night. So much in love were they that the princesses agreed without hesistation.

And such did their nights pass. Eventually the surface king was puzzled as to how the shoes of all his daughters always were full of holes. At first they blamed mice. Twelve cats were brought into the castle to take care of the mice. And still the shoes were full of holes. The royal advisors proclaimed that the holes looked like they had been made by dancing. So the king beseeched the kingdom for someone to find where his daughters went to dance.

Frightened that they migh be found out, the daughters told their princes of their father's challenge. Much in love with the princesses, the princes gave them a sleeping draught. All they needed to do was slip it into the drink of whoever was to watch them. He would then fall into a deep sleep and not awake till morning. The princesses were delighted, all fear removed. All except for the youngest princess, who was always afraid.

A month passed and all princes of nearby kingdoms were killed after failing to find the cause of the holes in the shoes. The royal treasurey was also beginning to empty, trying to repair the worn out shoes time and again. That was when an old soldier came. He had been given a magic cloak that would make him invisible by an old woman he had helped on the road. He was also warned not to drink anything the princesses gave him. For the woman was a wise old crone who saw through the deception of the girls.

The soldier followed the advice of the woman and followed the princesses into the underground kingdom. He frightened the youngest princess many times that night. He stepped on her dress as he followed them, snapped twigs from the treasure forests, and rode in the boat of her prince. He watched them dance all that night, distrusting the princes. He believed them to be demons or monsters of some sort. For three nights he watched them. On the third, he stole a goblet belonging to the eldest prince. He had all the proof he needed to show the king.

When he showed the treasures to the king, the princesses confessed. The pathway to the underground kingdom was destroyed and the soldier married the eldest princess. He would have married the youngest for she was the sharpest of her sisters, but she was just too young for him. Never again did the princesses see their princes.

Never again did the princes see their beloved princesses. They sent a scout to see why their loves had not returned. He returned saying the pathway was gone and they had been married off. Distraught over the news, the princes wept. And they never danced ever again.