I actually laughed when the middle son told the old woman that he was carrying a snake 😂. That's hilarious, how did that come to his mind.

The theme of this episode is on importance of being sincere and truthful. The youngest son's truthfulness was what helped him to scale through. And even more important is that he wasn't embarking on the adventure just so he could marry the king's daughter, but because he wanted to provide for his aged mother. That's so thoughtful of him.
He still has a lot of trials to undergo, but I trust that the old woman has rewarded him for his truthfulness by equipping him with all that is needed for face his trials.

Just hearing about Zucchini today, I'll have to look it up, it really looks good, I guess it tastes good to.