What is the real story of the Buddha?

http://www.buddhanet.net/
http://www.thebigview.com/

Siddhartha Gautama was a prince. He was sheltered all his live from the outside world – his father didn’t want him to know the suffering and pain which really exists. When he had grown, married and had children he went outside the walls of where he had lived his entire life and saw for the first time with his own eyes what life was really like. He decided he had to understand how to be free from suffering. He gave up his family and riches to become enlightened. He traveled for years, often fasting and meditating. Once he came to the understanding that enlightenment came from the wisdom of emptiness he returned to his family, shared his knowledge and taught it to others. “Buddha” means enlightened.
I recommend a book about Buddha (his bio) by Osho.

It all starts with Buddha, also known as the enlightened one, who was born about 560 B.C. in India. His mom named him Siddhartha, try living that one down through junior high. He was the son of a rajah, a king. Back then kings had wise men around to give them advice about running their kingdom. The wise men here told Siddhartha’s dad that Siddhartha would be a great king if he followed his dad to the throne. But they also said that if he left home he would become savior of the world. His dad didn’t want a savior; he wanted a king. He wanted his son to take up the family business, so to say. The king tried to keep him by spoiling him rotten. Siddhartha got anything he wanted. He lived in luxury and never had to see anything painful or sad. When Siddhartha hit his twenties, he got married and had his son. He still hadn’t left the palace. One day he told his dad, “I want to see the world.” Since he got whatever he wanted, his dad said, “Okay.” Little did the king know that this trip would change everything, because when Siddhartha was out on those streets he saw old people, poor people, and death. He was puzzled by it all because he had never seen any of it. But then it all became clear. Siddhartha decided then and there that he was leaving the palace. He went straight home and told everyone he was going to search for enlightenment. He packed up, said goodbye, and left the palace forever. He was about twenty-nine years old. His followers call this day the Great Renunciation.