by Chris Colfer
The older sister was a mean and selfish girl. She called the castle servants horrible names and threw tantrums whenever she didn’t get her way. The younger sister was sweet and kind. She had a big heart and was nice to everyone she met.
One day, the older sister took a stroll through the castle gardens by herself. She was playing with her favorite toy, a small sphere made of pure gold. The princess practiced tossing it into the air and catching it. She accidently dropped it into a small pond, and it sank to the bottom.
“Oh no!” the older sister said. “I’ll never retrieve it!”
Right when she turned to head back to the castle, a frog leaped out of the pond clutching the golden ball in his mouth.
“Hello, princess,” he said. “I believe this belongs to you.”
“That was nice of you,” she said. “Is there anything I could give you in return? A soft lily pad to lie on or a nice jar of flies?”
“Actually, there is something you could give me, something I desire very much,” the frog said. “A kiss would be much appreciated.”
The older princess was disgusted that the frog would request something so disturbing. To teach him a lesson, she picked him up by the leg and threw him against a brick wall in the garden.
“How dare you ask such a thing from a princess,” she said and walked away.
The younger princess had been watching the whole thing from a tower. She hurried outside to see if the frog was hurt.
“You poor thing,” the younger princess said. “I’m terribly sorry she did that to you. Will you be all right?”
“Oh, yes, I’ll be perfectly fine,” the frog said.
“My sister can be cruel,” she said. “Perhaps I could make it up to you. I’d be delighted to give you a kiss.”
The younger princess placed the frog in the palm of her hand and raised him up to her face. She kissed the frog’s lips and set him back on the ground.
“There you are,” she said. “I hope you have a lovely—”
Suddenly, the frog began to twist and turn; he shimmied and he shook. His body stretched to ten times his size, and his green skin peeled away. The frog magically transformed into the handsomest young man the young princess had ever seen.
“Good heavens!” the young princess gasped. “You’re a man?”
“Indeed,” he said. “I was once the prince of a powerful kingdom, until an evil witch cursed me to live as a frog. She said the only way to break the spell was to receive a kiss from a princess.”
The young princess and the prince traveled across the land to his home, and the kingdom rejoiced at his return. The prince and the younger princess were married and eventually became the king and queen.
The older princess stayed at home and spent the rest of her life kissing every frog and toad she could find. However, none of them turned into a handsome prince. She never found a husband, but she did receive many warts.
The End
PUSS IN BOOTS
ADAPTED FROM CHARLES PERRAULT
Once upon a time, there was a miller who had three sons. Just before he died, the miller wrote a will so there would be no confusion over where he wished his possessions to go.
The oldest son received the mill, so he could continue his father’s work. The middle son received all the horses and animals, so he could start a farm of his own. The youngest son, who was named John, inherited his father’s cat.
At first, John felt snubbed by the inheritance. He loved his father very much and had always been good to him. John didn’t understand why his father would leave his brothers so much and him so little.
What John didn’t know yet was that the cat happened to be his father’s most prized possession. He knew John and the cat would accomplish great things together.
The cat in question was named Puss. He was a brown tabby with green eyes and black stripes. He was a conniving little fellow and by far the smartest cat in the land.
“Looks like I’m stuck with you, kitty,” John said with a sigh.
“I’m not thrilled about this either,” Puss said. “After all the mice I caught and the snuggles I gave your father, I can’t believe he left me with you.”
“You can talk?” John said.
“I’ve always talked, you’ve just never listened,” Puss said. “Now listen to this: Your father obviously put us together for a reason. We might as well make the most of it. I’ve put together a plan that will make us rich!”
The cat definitely had John’s attention. “What’s your plan?”
“Part of my plan is never speaking of my plan,” the cat said. “But I will need your absolute trust and cooperation if it’s going to work.”
John didn’t have anything better to do, and he figured any plan was better than no plan at all.
“I’m here for whatever you need,” he said.
“Good,” Puss said. “First, I will need you to take me into town to purchase a new wardrobe. I must look my best for the first step of the plan.”
John and Puss went into town and shopped at the fanciest stores in the village. Puss purchased tall leather boots, a smart feathered hat, and a long silver sword. It cost John every penny he had.
“Are you positive you need such fancy things?” John said. “There are plenty of cheaper options.”
“Sometimes you’ve got to spend what you’re looking to earn,” Puss said. “Besides, I will need to look presentable for the king.”
“The king?” John said. “You didn’t tell me your plan involved the king!”
“That’s because you never asked,” the cat said. “Now we must gather some carrots and go into the woods.”
They stole carrots from a farmer’s garden and then traveled into the forest. They laid the carrots out on the ground and waited behind a tree.
“What are we doing?” John asked.
“Step two, hunting,” Puss replied.
Just then, a plump rabbit climbed out from its hole in the ground and began eating the carrots. Puss snuck up behind it and snapped its neck.
The following day, Puss traveled to the king’s castle wearing his new clothes. A talking cat in high boots and a hat was such an odd sight, none of the king’s men stopped him from going inside. Puss walked right into the throne room and laid the rabbit down at the king’s feet.
“A gift for His Majesty, from my master,” the cat said and bowed.
The king was just as surprised as anyone to see him.
“You can talk?” he said.
“Of course I can talk,” Puss said. “I imagine His Majesty is so magnificent, most animals are speechless around him.”
This answer pleased the king greatly, and he smiled down at the charming cat.
“Who did you say this was from?” the king asked.
“My master, the great Marquis of Carabas,” Puss said. “Your Majesty is so well traveled, I’m positive you know him.”
The king did not recall such a man, but he pretended to be familiar with him so he wasn’t embarrassed in front of his court. Besides, he had met so many people throughout the kingdom, it was possible they were acquainted.
“Of course, the Marquis of Carabas,” the king said. “Please thank your master kindly for me.”
Puss bowed again and left the castle. With step three of his plan a success, he immediately went on to step four.
Every Sunday afternoon, the king enjoyed a carriage ride through the kingdom with his daughter, the princess. Puss was fully aware of this and planned to take advantage of the king’s routine. He took John to a lake on the edge of the road he knew the king’s carriage would travel down.
“Now take off all your clothes and get in the lake,” Puss said.
“Do what?” John said. “How on earth is that going to help us get rich?”
“We don’t have time to argue; the king is on his way!” Puss said. “Quickly, undress and get into the lake.”
John was starting to think that following the cat’s plan was a terrible idea. He stripped
down until he was naked and then hopped into the freezing water of the lake. Puss stashed his clothes behind a large boulder so they were out of sight.
“Now throw yourself around in the water as if you’re drowning,” Puss said.
“But the water isn’t even that deep—”
“Just do it!”
Against his better judgment, John threw himself about in the water as if he were in distress.
Soon, the king’s carriage traveled down the road beside the lake. Puss ran out in front of it, waving his paws in the air, and got the driver to stop.
The king poked his head outside. “What’s going on?” he asked.
“Thank heavens you’re here, Your Majesty!” Puss said. “My master, the Marquis of Carabas, has been robbed! The assaulter stole his clothes, pushed him into the lake, and took off with his carriage! He’ll drown if we don’t rescue him.”
The king was alarmed. “Guards, rescue the man in the lake immediately!” he ordered.
The king’s guards threw John a rope and pulled him out of the water. By the time John was out of the lake, he was so cold that his body was blue and he was shivering madly. The guards wrapped him in their coats and let him sit in the carriage with the king and the princess where it was warm.
John couldn’t believe he was in the presence of royalty. He was afraid Puss’s plan would end horribly if he didn’t know what he was doing.
“Are you all right, my boy?” the king said.
“Thanks to you, Your Majesty,” John said. “I can’t thank you enough for stopping to help me.”
“What a horrible thing, to be robbed of one’s clothes and pushed into a lake,” the king said.
“Umm…” John said, because he was unaware that this was what the king had been told. “Yes, it’s been a very rough day.”
The princess was quite smitten with John. She blushed and giggled as she sat across from him.
“Father, may we give the Marquis of Carabas a ride back home?” she asked. “It would be tragic if he had to walk after what he’s been through.”
“Of course we may,” the king said. “Where is your estate located?”
“My what?” John asked with large eyes.
“Poor Master, you have left your senses in the lake,” Puss said quickly. “His estate is just down the road on the other side of the village. Allow me to run ahead and prepare it for the king’s arrival.”
Puss ran down the road as fast as he could. As he passed through the village, he warned all the villagers that the king’s carriage would be passing through shortly.
“Good people, the king is approaching with the Marquis of Carabas,” he warned. “They are very close friends! Make sure to give your respects to the marquis, or the king will punish you!”
The people had never seen a puss in boots running through their town before, so they all came out to see him. Then, taking his warning very seriously, the villagers bowed and cheered as the king’s carriage passed them.
“God bless the Marquis of Carabas!” a lady cried.
“Long live the Marquis of Carabas!” a man shouted.
No one had ever cheered for John before in his life. He was starting to think he actually was the Marquis of Carabas.
“They sure like you around these parts,” the king said.
“Apparently so,” John said.
Meanwhile, Puss arrived at a large manor at the edge of the village, but it wasn’t the home of a marquis. The manor was the home of a horrible ogre that was feared throughout the kingdom.
Puss was intimidated by the ogre’s home. This was the final step in his plan. If it worked, he and John would be rich forever. If not, they might both be dead by nightfall.
The cat mustered all the bravery he could and burst through the front door of the manor.
“Prepare to die, hideous ogre!” Puss declared and withdrew his sword.
The ogre was sitting by a fire when Puss arrived. He stood up and towered over the cat, nearly twenty times his size. Even for an ogre, he was very large.
“How dare you disturb me!” the ogre shouted. “You will pay for this!”
Right in front of Puss’s eyes, the ogre magically transformed into a ferocious lion. He roared so loudly that Puss was almost knocked out of his boots.
“You are powerful enough to turn into a lion, but that does not impress me!” Puss laughed. “I bet you anything you are not powerful enough to condense your size.”
“I am powerful enough to be anything I wish,” the ogre said.
“Then prove it!” Puss said. “Turn into a mouse!”
The ogre never backed away from a challenge. Just to prove the cat wrong, the ogre transformed himself into a small field mouse.
“Ha-ha!” the ogre laughed. “As you see, I am much more powerful that you— AHHH!”
Puss pounced on the ogre and gobbled him up before he could transform into anything else. It was just in time too, because the king’s carriage arrived outside.
“Welcome home, Master,” Puss said. “I’ve just started a fire for you.”
The cat escorted John, the king, and the princess into the manor and served them tea.
“What a wonderful home!” the king said to John. “How long have you lived here?”
John gulped. “It was a recent transition,” he said.
“It used to belong to a terrible ogre, until my master slew him,” Puss said.
The king was so impressed with the Marquis of Carabas that he offered John his daughter’s hand in marriage. They were married and lived happily ever after in the manor. From then on, Puss also enjoyed a very privileged life with John and the princess, and the story of his wisdom and bravery lived on forever.
Much later, when John was an old man, his grandchildren asked him about their family’s history. A large smile came to John’s wrinkled face and he said, “Well, it all started with a Puss in Boots.”
The End
THUMBELINA
ADAPTED FROM HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN
Once upon a time, there was an old widow who lived all alone. Her husband had been dead for a long while, and her children were all grown with families of their own, so the widow had become very lonely in her golden years.
One night, during a terrible rainstorm, there was a knock at the widow’s door. She answered it very hopeful it would be one of her children paying her a visit. Instead, she found an old hag shivering in the rain.
“Would you kindly provide an old woman with shelter from this storm?” the hag asked.
The widow had a big heart, so she didn’t hesitate to let the old hag inside. She fixed her a meal and sat her by the fire to keep warm.
“Thank you so much,” the hag said. “I’ve knocked on many doors tonight, and you’re the only person to let me in.”
“People aren’t as kind as they used to be,” the widow said. “We older women need to look out for each other.”
The hag reached into her pocket and placed four seeds into the widow’s hand.
“Please accept these barleycorn seeds as a token of my gratitude,” she said.
Seeing that the old hag had so little, the widow tried giving them back.
“You don’t need to repay me,” she said. “I’ve enjoyed your company.”
“No, I insist,” the old hag said. “These aren’t just any seeds—they’re magic, and they bring good fortune. But if you want their magic to work, they must never be eaten or planted in a field, and instead must be placed in a flowerpot of their own.”
The widow thought the hag was a foolish old woman, but to humor her guest, she planted the seeds in a small flowerpot and placed it by the window.
The old hag left the next morning, and the widow’s loneliness began to creep up on her again. Only one of the four barleycorn seeds started to grow, and since it was the only other living thing in her home, the widow talked to it every day as if it were a person.
“Good morning, dear,” the widow would say at the start of each day. “
Oh my, look how much you’ve grown overnight! You must be thirsty. I’ll get you some water.”
The more frequently the widow spoke to the plant, the faster it grew, as if her voice was affecting it just as much as the sun. Soon a flower bud appeared at the top of the barleycorn stem.
“I’ve never seen a barleycorn flower before,” the widow said. “I’m so looking forward to your very first bloom.”
A week or so later, the flower bloomed. The widow was amazed, for not only had it bloomed into a beautiful flower, but inside the flower was a tiny young woman the size of a thumb.
“Hello,” the young woman said.
“My word!” the widow gasped. “How did you get in there, child?”
“I grew with the flower, of course,” she said.
“What’s your name?” the widow asked.
“I don’t have a name,” the young woman said. “Would you give me one?”
The widow thought about it until the perfect name came to mind.
“How about Thumbelina?” she asked.
“I love it,” Thumbelina said.
“Are there other people like you?” the widow asked. “I’ve never seen someone your size before.”
“I don’t know,” Thumbelina said. “You might be the closest thing to a mother I have. May I call you Mother?”
“Oh, my dear, I would like that very much,” the widow said.
The widow was thrilled to have someone to look after, and she treated Thumbelina as if she were her own daughter. She made Thumbelina a bed out of a jewelry box and a dress from a handkerchief.
The small girl conveniently fit in the widow’s pocket, so she went along with the widow to all her daily errands. At night, they would sit together by the fireplace, and the widow would read her the stories she had read to her children when they were younger. Just as they had back then, the stories always put Thumbelina right to sleep.
