REAL PRINCESS

REAL PRINCESS

Once upon a time, sitting beneath a lily tree, there was a handsome young man who happened to be a real prince. He looked at the sun in the lilies, watched a caterpillar crawl along a branch, and he thought that his land was a wonderful place for such a happy prince. It would be an even happier land if it had a real princess.
He wiped the sparkling water off of his blue leather boots, and stood up tall. No matter where he traveled on the back of his beetle he would bump into a princess. His beetle, Jeffrey, would chirp whenever they saw a princess, but none of them seemed just right. Indeed, his land was full of princesses
They would come and live under the many lily trees that were known to be the most beautiful in the world. He must find the perfect princess to be his wife, because one day she would be the queen of this enchanted kingdom.
By the time he arrived back at the palace, which was entirely built with tins of spice, he was no longer so happy and no longer felt nice. In fact, he now felt quite downcast. No matter how far he traveled on his beetle he might never find his wife. He sighed. It was quite difficult to find a real princess.
A few days later an ice storm tore across the land. Everything shone and sparkled like silver. The Prince stayed in his room and curled up like a cat in front of a roaring fire. He listened to the wind and the crackling of the branches. He jumped occasionally when a branch from one of the great trees snapped from its trunk and thudded onto the ground.
This must be the worst ice storm that had ever hit the land and it came at such a strange time of year. He felt magic in the air. The storm grew worse and he heard banging coming from the door of the palace. It was only after a few minutes that he thought that the banging sounded more like knocking.
After a few more minutes he became quite sure. Almost an hour had passed before he finally decided that this strange knocking couldn’t be the snow or the wind and nor could it be a tree or a branch. It must be a person!
He leapt to his feet and put on his royal robes and dashed to the door. As soon as he turned the handle the wind blew in and he almost fell to the floor. It wasn’t the wind that knocked over the prince. It was the sight of a beautiful princess who was almost frozen in the cold. She stood in front of him dressed entirely in pink silk and precious jewels. She said her name was Kayla and she was lost in the storm.
She asked if she could come in for a warm drink of milk with nutmeg sprinkled on the top. She said she was a real princess. A voice called out from behind a stone pillar. "Let the young princess in from out of the cold. She will stay the night." It was the Queen, the prince's mother.
"Perhaps this is the one", thought the Queen, and she turned to go back to her chambers. "We will see if you are what you say you are," the Queen muttered to herself as she walked down the large corridor. "We will see."
The Queen had never told anyone that she had three magic peas. No one, not even the King, had any idea that she was a Fairy Queen with magical powers. Before she reached her chambers she called out to the servants and told them to bring the princess to the small sleeping quarters near her chambers. The Queen was rushing.
She must have everything in order before the Princess went to bed. The Queen clapped her hands six times and a portal opened in the wall. The air sizzled with magic. She walked through the shimmering portal and down several stairs into a small cavern. At the end of the cavern and sitting on top of a mantle was a golden box.
The box was protected by a spell but she used her white magic to open it. She took the three magic peas. A real princess would think that she was sleeping on three rocks, and only an honest princess would ever dare to tell me," said the Queen. "We shall see, we shall see..."
She ran back to where the servants were busy preparing the room. She ordered that the mattress be taken off the bed. She placed the three peas carefully beneath it. The Queen then asked that twenty more mattresses of the finest quality in the palace be brought to the room and be placed over the peas.
The Queen was moving so fast that she began to glow. A set of wings suddenly appeared from beneath her gowns. Stardust sprinkled down from the tips as she flew around the room. Other servants entered the room with white sheets to be put over the mattresses.
The Queen made several short noises and clapped six times and they knew that this was a special guest and left with the white sheets and returned with sheets that were all the colors of the rainbow. When the servants came back they couldn’t believe their eyes. The room was already ready and their Queen was flying through the air! The servants looked on with astonishment.
The bedroom was absolutely perfect, and the servants left to get Kayla. Before the princess could see her, the Queen dashed out and headed back to her chambers. She locked her door, folded her wings, and went to bed. The next morning the Queen asked Princess Kayla if she had slept well. Princess Kayla, a very young princess, thought three times before speaking to such a magnificent Queen.
She thought how dreadful her night was and muttered a few words. The Queen didn’t understand a thing she said. "Did you sleep well my dear?" the Queen asked again. "Fairest Queen" the young princess sobbed, " your sleeping quarters are so beautiful and your bed so luxurious." The princess gave a tired, sad sniffle. She could not go on. Kayla burst into tears!
"Oh Fairest Queen," she continued after clearing her throat, "everything shone with the glory of nature. It was as if the goddess of the Earth had kissed the very spot that I laid myself to sleep. But, my fairest Queen, no matter how I turned, no matter where I put my head, it was as if I was sleeping on three jagged rocks! I did not sleep a wink. Forgive me for saying such things."
The Queen burst into laughter. She had found the Perfect princess! Princess Kayla was very surprised to see a Queen giggling. The Queen clapped six more times. "Do not worry yourself over last night. I am the Queen of the Fairies and I hid three magic peas under your bed to see if you were who you said you were. Indeed you are a perfect princess! You are beautiful and honest. I am sure that my son will be happy to hear the news."
The Fairy Queen called in her son who was hidden behind the curtains of the chamber. The Prince looked into Princess Kayla’s eyes. He had fallen in love the moment he opened the door the night before. Princess Kayla looked into his eyes and knew that she was in love. The storm was gone. Everyone was happy in the land.
If you are ever traveling and you decide to visit the palace made of tins of spice, ask to see the very room where the Prince and Princess fell in love. In the palace you will find, on top of a silken pillow, the three magic peas.
There is still magic in the air. The Queen is now the Queen Mother of the Fairies. Princess Kayla is now the Fairy Queen