The Fairy's Return and Other Princess Tales Page 8

  She set to work, ignoring the sign on the door that said, “Keep out! Do not enter! Private property! Danger! Get out of here!” It took her exactly twelve minutes to pick all ten locks and another fifteen minutes to very carefully remove the spindle from the first spinning wheel she came to. When that was done, she picked the spindle up with the tongs from the nursery fireplace and carried it very carefully back to the nursery, where she dropped it in the bottom of her toy chest. She left it there, under the toys her parents had gotten for the child they expected to have—the one who wasn’t ten times as smart as anybody else.

  Every year King Humphrey II and Queen Hermione II made a birthday party for Sonora, which never turned out well. The party for Sonora’s tenth birthday began like all the rest. The lads and lasses had come only because they had to. They stood around in the tournament field, feeling silly in their party caps. Sonora tried to be a good hostess and make them feel comfortable, but every subject she brought up fell flat. Nobody wanted to discuss whether fairies and elves should obey Biddle’s laws, or who was happier, all things being equal, the knight or his horse.

  Nobody wanted to play any games either. They had played hide-and-seek last year, and Sonora had told them how to play it better. It had taken months to forget her advice and get their good old game back. The year before that she had ruined blindman’s buff.

  They all sighed, including Sonora. It would be hours before she could return to her latest project, finding out why things had colors.

  Then she had an inspiration. She called for ink, quill pens, and parchment for everyone. When the supplies came, she began to interview each guest in turn. Sonora listened and took notes while everybody who wasn’t being interviewed grumbled about how stupid and boring this was.

  When the last guest had been interviewed, Sonora cleared her throat nervously. This was the first time she had spoken before an assembly. She said, “Silence.” Gradually everybody got quiet. “From my notes, I see that none of you enjoys doing chores.”

  The lads and lasses groaned. Now the know-it-all was going to tell them how to be better children.

  “Here are seven good ways to avoid doing them.”

  The lads and lasses began to write as fast as they could. During the rest of that wonderful party, which flew by much too quickly for everybody, Sonora told them how to stay out late to play, how to get even with their enemies and not get caught, how not to eat food they didn’t like, and how not to go to bed at bedtime (Sonora’s specialty).

  When the party was over, Sonora told the guests to bring their homework next year and she’d do it for them. As they left, everyone told the king and queen that it had been the best party ever. King Humphrey II and Queen Hermione II were delighted. They told Sonora she’d be a popular queen someday.

  But Sonora knew better. When the lads and lasses grew up to be Royal Bakers or Royal Chimney Sweeps, they’d dislike her advice as much as their parents did. And they’d laugh and say the proverb to each other. “Princess Sonora knows, but don’t ask her.”

  The evening after the party, Sonora moved out of the nursery to her own grown-up bedchamber, which had only one thing wrong with it—a bed. Sonora had argued that she didn’t need a bed and didn’t want a bed and disliked beds very much. It didn’t matter, though. She was stuck with it.

  Late that night, when everybody else was asleep, she used her new fireplace tongs to carry the spindle very carefully from the toy chest in the nursery to the floor of her new wardrobe. She shoved it all the way to the back and covered it with a pile of the nightdresses she refused to wear.

  Then she tried to forget about the spindle and a hundred years of sleep.

  The right time for Sonora to prick herself didn’t come. And the more time passed, the less she wanted to do it. She was only a little frightened by the hundred years. What she was most afraid of was sleep.

  She hadn’t slept at all since the fairy Aurora made her so smart. She’d seen her mother sleep, usually when Sonora was trying to explain something. She’d seen her father fall asleep while listening to the Royal Minstrels after dinner. Sometimes Sonora yawned when they sang, but then she’d sit up extra straight and open her eyes extra wide. She’d stay awake because sleeping people were scary. They were right in the room with you, sort of. Their bodies were, but their minds weren’t, which was creepy. Sonora loved her mind, and she wanted to know where it was at all times.

  When Sonora was fourteen, King Humphrey II and Queen Hermione II decided on a husband for her, if she didn’t prick herself before the wedding. They chose Prince Melvin XX, heir apparent to the throne of the neighboring kingdom of Kulornia. He was the ideal choice. Kulornia was even bigger and richer than Biddle. Sonora would be queen over a vast empire.

  King Humphrey II sent a dispatch to King Stanley CXLIV, the prince’s father. He also sent a portrait of Sonora. King Stanley CXLIV sent back his answer.

  King Humphrey II opened the dispatch and read it. “King Stanley CXLIV has agreed to the wedding,” he told Sonora and Queen Hermione II. “The prince is coming for a visit.” A piece of foolscap fell to the marble floor of the throne room. King Humphrey II picked it up. “Oh, look. Here’s a letter from the prince.” He started reading.

  My dear Princess,

  My father, King Stanley CXLIV, says I’m going to marry you. I believe him. He always tells the truth, so I believe him. If he were a liar, I wouldn’t.

  King Humphrey II nodded. “He sounds sensible.”

  He sounds like a fool, Sonora thought.

  The king went on reading.

  I believe in honesty. The fairies made me Honest when I was born. Besides, I do what my father tells me. If he says to marry someone, I marry her. I’m Traditional. The fairies made me that too when I was born. Below is a list of all the other things they made me.

  1. Brave.

  2. Handsome.

  3. Strong.

  4. A Man of Action. (I used to be a Baby of Action.)

  5. A Good Dancer.

  6. Tall.

  Plus Honest and Traditional, as shown above. I trust you will find me as described.

  Honestly,

  Prince Melvin XX

  “Sweetheart!” Queen Hermione II said. “He’s just right for you. He’s handsome and you’re beautiful. He’s a good dancer and you’re graceful.” They would have so much to share. The queen felt weepy. Her baby was leaving her.

  Sonora also felt weepy. They had nothing in common. Nothing important. The fairies hadn’t made him smart. They hadn’t given him a loving heart. Was it time to get out the spindle and prick herself?

  Five

  In her room, Sonora reached into her wardrobe. She touched the nightdresses that covered the spindle. Her heart raced. The moment had come.

  But she didn’t want to go to sleep.

  Maybe the moment hadn’t come. Maybe Prince Melvin XX wasn’t so bad. His letter was so bad. But maybe he wasn’t. Maybe he was just not a talented writer. He probably wasn’t brilliant, but that might not matter. At least people wouldn’t make up horrible proverbs about not asking him the things he knew. Besides, maybe he was really wonderful.

  He couldn’t be.

  Maybe he was. If she went to sleep now, she’d never find out. He’d get old and die before she woke up. And she’d have missed the great romance of her life.

  It wouldn’t hurt to find out. He was coming soon. She could always prick herself after she met him.

  Prince Melvin XX came, following forty pages blowing trumpets. Sonora met him in the courtyard as he stepped down from his carriage. Probably he was handsome, but he was so tall she could hardly see his face, because it was too far away. He had dark hair and broad shoulders. She couldn’t tell what color his eyes were. She’d have to wait to see them when he sat down.

  She curtsied.

  He bowed. He thought, I guess she’s pretty. She’s puny though. The fairies didn’t make her Tall.

  They had no chance to talk because they had to hurry t
o a banquet in the prince’s honor. Sonora sat at one end of the banquet table with her mother. Prince Melvin XX sat with her father at the other end.

  The prince ate, chewing very slowly. Sonora watched his mouth. He ate more slowly than anyone she had ever seen before. While he ate, he talked to the king. The prince spoke so slowly that King Humphrey II forgot the beginning of each sentence by the time Prince Melvin XX got to the end. Prince Melvin XX told the king about every second of his journey to Biddle. He explained how he had decided on each item he had brought from Kulornia. He said what he had been doing when his father had agreed to the marriage.

  King Humphrey II wished there weren’t so many courses. Another half hour of this and he’d faint.

  The meal finally ended. King Humphrey II stood up quickly. “Sonora, sweet, show your guest the garden.” Get him out of here!

  Sonora curtsied and led the prince away. Queen Hermione II headed for her daughter’s bedchamber to see what Sonora needed for her trousseau. The king decided to take a nap.

  Prince Melvin XX held the door to the garden open for Sonora. “My father says you’re smart,” he said slowly. “And I believe him. He always tells the truth. If he were a liar, I wouldn’t believe him.”

  “That’s reasonable.” Sonora tried to smile, but she couldn’t. I can’t smile because I’m sad, she thought. If I were happy, I would be able to. Aaa! I’m thinking the way he talks. “Our roses are over here.”

  “I see them. The red ones are very red.” He went on. “I’m glad you’re smart. When I’m king, you can write my proclamations. I’ll tell you what to say.”

  “If you tell me what to say, why—”

  “Thinking gets in the way. People can be too smart. I’m a Man of Action. The fairies made me that way. I always know what to do. Father had to write a proclamation the other day . . .”

  Sonora bent over to sniff a peony. Here was another person who would never want to listen to her.

  The king couldn’t fall asleep. His head hurt too much. Compared to the prince, Sonora was a pleasure to listen to. He rolled over onto his stomach.

  In Sonora’s room, Queen Hermione II began to take gowns out of the wardrobe and spread them across Sonora’s bed. The child needed new ones for her trousseau. Five or ten new gowns. The prettiest gown Sonora had was blue, embroidered with seed pearls. Where was it? She turned back to the wardrobe.

  Sonora and Prince Melvin XX stood next to the weeping cherry tree. He was talking as usual. She had stopped listening an hour ago. He was saying very slowly that he didn’t see much use for flowers. Vegetables were different. He saw a use for them. He began to list all the vegetables he could think of.

  Sonora wondered how bad sleep could be. A hundred years of sleep would be shorter than five minutes with the prince. As soon as she got away from him, she’d go to her room and prick herself.

  No! If she did, he’d fall asleep too, and in a hundred years she’d still have to marry him. But then she wouldn’t have a hundred years of sleep to look forward to. So she couldn’t prick herself now. She’d have to wait and do it when he went back to Kulornia to get ready for the wedding.

  “I especially like boiled corn in the . . .”

  But meanwhile she didn’t have to spend hours with him. She could think of an excuse to get away. She wasn’t so smart for nothing.

  “Do you like corn too?”

  He’d stopped talking. He was looking at her, waiting. He must have asked her something.

  “I’m sorry. What did you say?”

  “I said do you like corn too?” Was she hard of hearing? That wouldn’t be good. His own hearing was perfect.

  “Not particularly.” Maybe he wouldn’t want to marry her if she didn’t like corn.

  “Oh.” He shrugged. “I never met anybody who didn’t like it before.”

  “Sir, I fear I must leave you for a while. The king likes me to use this hour for quiet meditation in my room. I will—”

  “Corn might be my favorite—”

  She fled.

  The queen lifted the last gown off its hook. Where was the blue one? Was that it on the floor of the wardrobe? She bent down to see. But it wasn’t the gown. It was a pile of old nightdresses. How could the Royal Chambermaids have left them in such a heap? They could have been there for years. Queen Hermione II started pulling them out. She’d fold them up and shame the wenches with them.

  Something underneath. What—

  “Aaaaa! Aaaaa! Aaaaa! Help! Treason! Aaaaa! Aaaaa!” Have to get it out of here! “Aaaaa!” Protect Sonora! “Aaaaa!” She grabbed the spindle. “Aaaaa!” Had to run! She ran around the room, not knowing where to go. “Aaaaa!” The shed! She had to get it to the shed! “Aaaaa!” She ran out of the room.

  Sonora heard her mother’s screams and thought, Spiders! She started running. Tarantulas! The screams sounded like they were coming from her own room. She thought, Black widows! I warned Father just last week. I have to reach Mother! I’m the only one who knows what to do if she’s bitten.

  The king sat up in bed. Was someone yelling?

  The prince lifted his head. Someone was screaming. Was there a dragon? He looked up at the sky. He didn’t see a dragon, so one couldn’t be there.

  “‘AAAA!’ THE QUEEN TURNED THE CORNER.

  “‘COMING! DON’T WOR—’ SONORA TURNED THE CORNER.”

  “Aaaaa!” The queen raced down the north corridor, away from Sonora’s room.

  Sonora raced up the west corridor, toward her room. Let me reach her in time!

  “Aaaaa!” The queen turned the corner.

  “Coming! Don’t wor—” Sonora turned the corner.

  The spindle pierced Sonora’s outstretched hand.

  Six

  In the meadow across the moat, Elbert watched his father’s flock of sheep. It was a boring job. The only time it was interesting was when the castle drawbridge was lowered. Then Elbert could watch who was going in and coming out, and he could also see into the castle courtyard.

  The drawbridge was lowered now. A team of oxen was crossing with a wagonload of peaches. Juicy, ripe peaches. Elbert’s mouth watered. Inside the courtyard, a butcher was cutting up a spring lamb. Elbert’s stomach rumbled. He could almost taste it—roast lamb followed by peach pie.

  On the drawbridge, the oxen stopped, and the driver slumped forward.

  Huh? Elbert stared.

  The driver almost fell off his bench. The heads of the oxen drooped. In the courtyard, the butcher stopped cutting. His head lolled to one side.

  Arrows! Had to be arrows! Elbert spun around. No arrows were flying. He spun back. No arrows were sticking out of the wagon driver. None stuck out of the oxen.

  He jumped up. Maybe he could help! Maybe he could get a few peaches and that lamb.

  What was that? Something was growing along the outer rim of the moat. He started running. Whatever it was, it was growing fast—as high as his knee already. But he didn’t have far to go. He ran faster. The hedge was as high as his waist. He’d jump over, grab the wagon driver, and drag him to safety.

  He reached the moat. But the hedge was now up to his neck. He could still climb it, but he’d never get the driver out, and he’d get caught inside too. He stood before the hedge, panting. In his last glimpse of the drawbridge, Elbert saw one of the oxen switch its tail to brush away a fly. The ox was alive! It was—it was—asleep!

  The hedge zoomed up, taller than Elbert. Taller than twice his height. Tall as the old maple in front of his cottage. Tall as the church steeple.

  Elbert turned back to his sheep. Now herding was going to be completely boring, without the drawbridge and courtyard to watch.

  The queen’s last wide-awake thought was: The child will spend the next hundred years lying on a cold stone floor.

  The king’s last thoughts were: Our headache’s gone. We feel sleepy. We could sleep for a hundred years.

  The prince’s last thought was: I could take a nap. Sleep is good for you. My father told me that
. . .

  Sonora’s last thought was: Oh no, I’ll have to marry him. Aaaaa!

  The fairy Adrianna appeared in the courtyard. The hedge looked good. It was high and dense and prickly, with thorns as long as her wand.

  In the castle she stood over the sleeping forms of Sonora and Queen Hermione II. I can’t leave them on the floor, she thought. She waved her wand, and the queen floated to the bed in the royal bedchamber, next to the king. Then she moved Sonora to her room and arranged her gracefully on the bed. She placed a wooden sign on Sonora’s stomach. In flowing script it said, “I am Princess Sonora. Kiss me, prince, and I shall be yours forever.”

  Sonora wouldn’t have liked that, not one little bit.

  Prince Melvin XX was sneezing in his sleep, stretched out in a bed of clover. The fairy moved him to a wooden bench. Then she left without making anybody else more comfortable. They weren’t royal, and they could make the best of wherever they happened to be.

  In the next hour she appeared here and there throughout Biddle. She told everyone she saw that the royal family had gone on a journey. She said she had created the hedge to keep things safe while they were away.

  Everyone believed her—everyone except Elbert the shepherd.

  That night Elbert started building a very tall ladder, the tallest one in Biddle. A week later, when the ladder was finished, he dragged it to the hedge and climbed up.

  The peaches were brown and rotten. The dead lamb was covered with flies. But everything else was the same. The oxen stood on the drawbridge, their heads drooping. The butcher leaned over his chopping block, the knife still in his hand. While Elbert watched, the butcher lazily reached up with his other hand to scratch his nose. They were all still asleep!

  But why? Elbert wondered. Princess Sonora knows, he thought, but don’t ask her. He laughed. Don’t ask her because she’s sleeping.