Once upon a time there was a sweet little girl. Everyone loved her. Most of all her grandmother. So one day she gave her a red velvet hat. The girl always wore the hat and since then she has been called Little Red Riding Hood.

One day her grandmother was ill. So Little Red Riding Hood went to bring her wine and biscuits. That would surely make her feel better. Her mother told her not to go off the path and to be careful. She also had to be polite and say goodbye to grandmother.

Little Red Riding Hood promised to do so and went on her way. Grandmother lived deep in the forest, more than half an hour’s walk from the village. In the forest Little Red Riding Hood encountered the wolf. She did not know he was dangerous. So she was not afraid at all.

“Good morning Little Red Riding Hood,” the wolf said. “I’m going to bring Grandma wine and biscuits because she is sick,” said Little Red Riding Hood. “Where does your grandmother live?” the wolf then asked. “Less than half an hour further into the forest, in the cottage under the three big oaks,” said Little Red Riding Hood.

The wolf, meanwhile, was thinking of something else entirely: that Little Red Riding Hood was a nice tender morsel and would probably taste even better than the tough grandmother. If he was smart, he could eat them both. So the wolf came along and said, “Look at these beautiful flowers. Don’t you want to look around for a bit?”

Little Red Riding Hood wanted to pick a beautiful bouquet for grandmother. It was still early, so she had plenty of time. And so she left the path and wandered deeper and deeper into the forest.

Meanwhile, the wolf walked straight to grandmother’s house and knocked on the door. “Who is there?” “Little Red Riding Hood with wine and biscuits, open up!” “Come in. I can’t get up,” said grandmother.

When the wolf was inside, he jumped onto the bed and….ate grandmother in one go. Then he put on her nightgown, put on her nightcap and got into bed with the curtains closed.

When Little Red Riding Hood arrived at the cottage with her arms full of flowers, she was surprised to find the door open. Inside, everything seemed so strange. She became afraid but did not know why. “Good morning,” Little Red Riding Hood said, but no one answered. Then she opened the curtains. In the bed lay Grandmother but she looked so strange with her sleeping cap over her face.

“Oh, grandmother,” she said, “what big ears you have.”
“The better to hear you with, my child,” was the reply.
“But, grandmother, what big eyes you have,” she said.
“The better to see you with, my dear.”
“But, grandmother, what large hands you have.”
“The better to hug you with.”
“Oh, but, grandmother, what a terrible big mouth you have.”
“The better to eat you with.”

The wolf jumped out of bed and swallowed up Little Red Riding Hood. With his belly so full, he slept soundly and snored like a king.

A hunter came by. He thought: “That old woman is snoring very loudly. I’ll go and have a look”. He saw the wolf and said, “So here you are, you old sinner. I’ve been looking for you for so long.”

He wanted to shoot the wolf with his rifle but suddenly realized that the wolf might have eaten grandmother. Who knows, he might be able to save her. He cut open the belly of the sleeping wolf with a pair of scissors and immediately saw a red cap. The girl jumped out and cried: “I was soooo afraid in the wolf’s belly. It was soooo dark there.” And after that the aged grandmother came out alive also, but scarcely able to breathe.

Then the hunter filled the wolf’s belly with stones. When the wolf woke up, he wanted to run away. But the stones stopped him. He fell to the ground and never woke up again.

The hunter, grandmother and Little Red Riding Hood were happy. The hunter took the wolf’s fur home. Grandmother drank the wine, ate all the biscuits and soon felt a lot better. And Little Red Riding Hood said to herself, “I will never leave the forest path again for as long as I live and I will always listen to my mother.”

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

“Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”

The End

by Clement Clarke Moore

Once upon a time, a single drop of sunlight fell from the heavens. From that drop of sunlight a magic flower grew, which had the power to heal the sick and wounded. An old woman named Mother Gothel selfishly kept the flower hidden and used its magic to keep herself young and beautiful for many years.

In a nearby kingdom, the Queen was about to have a baby, but she grew very ill. The people went out in search of the miraculous Golden Flower of legend, in hopes that it would heal their Queen. They found the flower and scooped it out of the ground. They used it to make a medicine that healed the Queen and she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl with shining golden hair. They named her Rapunzel.

Mother Gothel was angry that the flower was taken from her, so she snuck into the palace. She realized that Rapunzel’s golden hair held the power of the magic flower, so she tried to cut some. But when the hair was cut, it turned brown and lost its power. Mother Gothel had no choice but to take the whole child. She stole Rapunzel and hid her away in a tall tower in the forest.

The King and Queen were distraught that they couldn’t find her. So every year on her birthday, the kingdom lit floating lanterns and flew them into the sky in hopes that one day Rapunzel would find her way home.

Rapunzel grew up thinking Mother Gothel was her real mom and Mother Gothel told her lies about how awful and cruel the outside world was, to make Rapunzel afraid of leaving the tower. But still, Rapunzel grew up a kind and curious child. Every year on her birthday she snuck out of her room to look out the tower window and watched as lights floated up into the sky. She wondered what they were and wanted to go see them up close.

On her 18th birthday, Rapunzel asked Mother Gothel to take her to see the floating lights, but Mother Gothel said, “You are not leaving this tower, EVER!”

Meanwhile, a thief named Flynn Rider and the Stabbington brothers had stolen the Princess’s crown from the palace and were being chased through the forest by the palace guards, led by the Captain’s horse, Maximus.

Flynn betrayed the Stabbington brothers, took the crown and escaped them all by climbing a tower he found hidden in the forest. Rapunzel’s tower. When he got inside, Rapunzel smacked him in the head with a frying pan and hid him in the closet. She was scared of him, after all the tales Mother Gothel told her about mean and evil people. But he didn’t look evil. So when he woke up, Rapunzel made a deal with him.

“Take me to see the floating lights and return me here safely,” she said. In return, she would give Flynn back the satchel with the crown, which she’d hidden under some floorboards. He reluctantly agreed.

The world outside her tower was wonderous and Rapunzel loved everything about it. But she was still a bit frightened of it. Flynn thought he could scare Rapunzel into giving up her quest and get his satchel back quicker, so he brought her to the Snuggly Duckling, a tavern filled with ruffians and thugs.

Rapunzel was afraid at first, but she was kind-hearted and compassionate. She found that she had something in common with all of those big, burly, scary men. They all had a dream. Rapunzel wanted to see the floating lights, one of the men wanted to be a pianist, one wanted to bake cupcakes, one collected ceramic unicorns.

In the end, they helped her and Flynn escape when the Palace Guards came. They ran down a tunnel and Rapunzel used her hair to swing herself and Flynn to safety. But they ended up trapped in a cave that was flooding with water! Rapunzel used her magic hair to light the darkness and find a way to escape.

Flynn was amazed that her hair magically glowed. “It doesn’t just glow,” Rapunzel said. She then used her hair to heal a cut on his hand.

Meanwhile, the Stabbington brothers met up with Mother Gothel, who’d realized Rapunzel had left the tower, and they chased after Flynn and Rapunzel together. Mother Gothel tried convincing Rapunzel that Flynn only wanted the crown and didn’t actually care about her. She dared Rapunzel to return it to him and see what happened. Then she left.

Maximus the horse caught up with Flynn and Rapunzel, but Rapunzel convinced him to let Flynn show her the lights first, then they could chase each other to their heart’s content. Flynn then showed Rapunzel around the kingdom. Some girls braided her hair with flowers so it wouldn’t get tangled up everywhere and Flynn thought she looked beautiful. He took her to read books in a library, they ate cupcakes and she drew a beautiful mural with chalk.

When it was time to go watch the lights, Flynn took Rapunzel out on the water in a little boat. Flynn had gotten them lanterns to light too, and they watched them soar up into the sky, lighting up the night like stars. Rapunzel gave him back the satchel with the crown because she trusted he wouldn’t abandon her. But Flynn realized he didn’t want riches anymore, he just wanted to be with Rapunzel. He put down the satchel and took her hands. But before they could kiss, Flynn saw the Stabbington brothers appear on the shore.

“I’ll be right back,” he promised Rapunzel, and left her on shore with the boat. He took the satchel and went to meet the brothers. He tried giving them back the crown so they’d leave him alone, but Mother Gothel had told them about Rapunzel’s magic hair and they decided they wanted her instead. So they tied Flynn up on a boat and sent him across the water to be arrested by the guards.

They went after Rapunzel, but Mother Gothel jumped in and stopped them. She wanted Rapunzel to think she’d saved her, when really she’d been the one to send the brothers after Rapunzel in the first place. Rapunzel, thinking Flynn had betrayed her, went back to the tower with Mother Gothel.

In the jail, Flynn saw the Stabbington brothers in another cell. He grabbed them through the bars.

“What did you do to her?” he demanded.

“It wasn’t us,” they said. “It was the old lady.”

Flynn realized Mother Gothel was behind the whole thing and Rapunzel was in danger! Luckily, Maximus had gone back to the Snuggly Duckling and got Rapunzel’s new thug friends to come help Flynn escape. Flynn rode Maximus through the forest and climbed the tower. Once inside, he saw Rapunzel tied up in the corner and Mother Gothel stabbed him from behind!

Mother Gothel tried pulling Rapunzel out the back door, but she struggled and fought.

“Stop fighting, Rapunzel!”

“No!” Rapunzel said. “I will never stop fighting to get away from you. But, if you let me heal him, I will go with you. I won’t ever try to escape. I promise. Just let me heal him.”

Mother Gothel agreed. She tied Flynn up so he wouldn’t follow them and Rapunzel went to heal him. But Flynn stopped her. He knew if she went with Mother Gothel, she’d be unhappy for the rest of her life.

So Flynn took a shard of a broken mirror and cut off all her magic hair! That way, Mother Gothel couldn’t use Rapunzel and keep her prisoner.

Without the magic, Mother Gothel turned to dust. Rapunzel’s hair lost its golden color and turned brown. And she couldn’t heal Flynn. She bent her head and cried, singing her magic song. But, even without her hair, Rapunzel still had magic in her. One tear fell onto Flynn’s cheek and the magic flowed through him and healed him!

He woke up and they kissed and they went back to the palace together. Rapunzel met the King and Queen, her father and mother, and they knew right away she was their lost Princess. They pulled her and Flynn into a big hug.

The Kingdom rejoiced. Their lost Princess had returned, and she was loved by all. Especially Flynn. He asked her to marry him… and she said yes! And they all lived happily ever after.

The End.

A long time ago, a girl named Mulan lived in a village in China with her mother and father. She tried her best to be a good daughter and bring her family honor, but she was a girl who spoke her mind and stood up for herself, in a time when her culture valued silence.

When China’s enemies, the Huns, invaded the country, the Emperor’s secretary came to her village to call one man from each family to join the army to protect China. Mulan’s father had already served China’s army and had a limp in his leg that made it painful for him to walk. Mulan rushed forward to beg the secretary to excuse her father from more service.

The secretary was offended that Mulan spoke to him and Mulan’s father was embarrassed by her outburst.

But that night, Mulan decided she couldn’t let her father go to war. To save him, she would pretend to be his son and go join the Army in his place. She cut her hair short and stole her father’s armor. She took her family’s horse, Khan, and rode off to join the Army camp.

The spirits of the family’s ancestors lived in the pagoda behind their house. When they saw what Mulan had done, they called a meeting to discuss what to do. They sent Mushu, the tiny dragon messenger, to wake the Great Stone Dragon to go and stop Mulan from causing her family dishonor with her deception.

But instead of waking the Dragon, Mushu accidentally broke the statue! He hid the broken dragon from the other Ancestors and went off to take care of Mulan on his own. Mushu decided that instead of stopping Mulan and bringing her home, he would help her become a hero. That way, Mushu would be a hero as well and the other Ancestors would stop making fun of him.

When Mushu caught up with Mulan she was startled by the tiny dragon and smashed him with her shoe. But he convinced her to let him help.

Mulan’s time in the Army didn’t go well at first. She didn’t make any friends and in fact, many of the men disliked her because she was a little bit clumsy.

Captain Shang made the company work hard. Mulan, who told everyone she was a boy named Ping, was so bad at all the drills, Captain Shang told her to leave and go home. But Mulan didn’t give up. She worked even harder and eventually, she and the rest of the company made the Captain proud. And in the process, Mulan made friends with her fellow soldiers Yao, Ling and Chien-Po.

As the company traveled through the mountains to meet up with the main Army, they were attacked by the Huns. They were going to be overrun!

Mulan had an idea. Instead of shooting the last rocket at the Huns, she took it and ran toward them. Then she turned and shot the rocket up toward the mountains.

“You missed,” the Hun general, Shan Yu, said with a smirk. But Mulan’s rocket caused an avalanche that wiped away all of the Hun army. It nearly wiped away her own company too, but Mulan and Khan leaped off the edge of a cliff in order to rescue Captain Shang, who would have been knocked off the side of the mountain.

Mulan was wounded in the battle and the doctor discovered that she was actually a girl. The punishment for lying to an officer was death, but Captain Shang spared her life, because she had saved his.

“A life for a life. My debt is repaid,” he said. Then the company left her, on their way to the Imperial City, to be honored by the Emperor for defeating the Huns.

But as Mulan made a small fire on the snowy mountain and resolved to go back home, she saw that the Huns were not defeated. They were coming back out of the snow and heading to attack the Imperial City!

Mulan, Khan and Mushu raced to the Imperial City to warn everyone. But Mulan was dressed as a woman again and no one would listen to her. Not even Captain Shang and her soldier friends.

Then, the Huns attacked. They surprised the Imperial Guards and took the Emperor prisoner inside his own palace. Mulan had an idea. She asked Yao, Ling and Chien-Po to help her rescue the Emperor and they agreed. Even Captain Shang came to help. Mulan dressed her friends up as women and used the skills they had learned together in the Army to climb the palace walls.

In their disguises, they tricked the Hun guards into letting them in, then knocked them out and tied them up. Mulan and her friends found the Emperor and helped him escape by sliding down a rope off the balcony.

To keep the Shan Yu from going after the Emperor, Mulan cut the rope, trapping herself on the balcony. Mulan scrambled up to the roof and Shan Yu followed. Mulan cleverly used her fan to take the sword from Shan Yu, then she pinned his coat to the roof.

Then Mushu, strapped to a firework, used his dragonfire to light the fuse and shot the rocket toward Shan Yu. The explosion flung Mushu down onto Mulan and Shan Yu off into the rest of the fireworks, which exploded and lit up the night sky.

The Emperor was grateful to Mulan for rescuing him and banishing the Huns from China. In front of the whole crowd of people, the Emperor bowed to Mulan, then all the rest of the people did too.

Mulan declined the Emperor’s offer to stay and become his Advisor. She wanted to go home. So the Emperor gave her gifts.

“Take this,” he said, removing his pendant necklace and placing it around Mulan’s neck. “So all of China will know what you have done for me. And take this,” he said, handing her Shan Yu’s sword, ” so the world will know what you have done for China.”

When Mulan got home, she gave the gifts to her father, to honor him and her family. But her father pushed the gifts aside and hugged Mulan.

“The greatest gift of all,” he said, “is having you for a daughter.”

Just then they heard Captain Shang. He’d come to return Mulan’s helmet, which actually belonged to her father, and Mulan invited him to stay.

Mulan had earned the respect of the Emperor and the whole country, but that didn’t matter to her as much as keeping her family safe. And in the end, they all lived happily ever after.

The first that went off met a Man with a bundle of straw, and said to him, “Please, Man, give me that straw to build me a house”; which the Man did, and the little Pig built a house with it.

Presently came along a Wolf, and knocked at the door, and said, “Little Pig, little Pig, let me come in.”

To which the Pig answered, “No, no, by the hair of my chinny chin chin.”

“Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house in!” said the Wolf. So he huffed and he puffed, and he blew his house in, and ate up the little Pig.

The second Pig met a Man with a bundle of furze, and said, “Please, Man, give me that furze to build a house”; which the Man did, and the Pig built his house.

Then along came the Wolf and said, “Little Pig, little Pig, let me come in.”

“No, no, by the hair of my chinny chin chin.”

“Then I’ll puff and I’ll huff, and I’ll blow your house in!” So he huffed and he puffed, and he puffed and he huffed, and at last he blew the house down, and ate up the second little Pig.

The third little Pig met a Man with a load of bricks, and said, “Please, Man, give me those bricks to build a house with”; so the Man gave him the bricks, and he built his house with them.

So the Wolf came, as he did to the other little Pigs, and said, “Little Pig, little Pig, let me come in.”

“No, no, by the hair of my chinny chin chin.”

“Then I’ll huff and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your house in.”

Well, he huffed and he puffed, and he huffed and he puffed, and he puffed and he huffed; but he could not get the house down.

When he found that he could not, with all his huffing and puffing, blow the house down, he said, “Little Pig, I know where there is a nice field of turnips.”

“Where?” said the little Pig.

“Oh, in Mr. Smith’s home-field; and if you will be ready to-morrow morning, I will call for you, and we will go together and get some for dinner.”

“Very well,” said the little Pig, “I will be ready. What time do you mean to go?”

“Oh, at six o’clock.”

Well, the little Pig got up at five, and got the turnips and was home again before six.

When the Wolf came he said, “Little Pig, are you ready?”

“Ready!” said the little Pig, “I have been and come back again, and got a nice pot-full for dinner.”

The Wolf felt very angry at this, but thought that he would be up to the little Pig somehow or other; so he said, “Little Pig, I know where there is a nice apple-tree.”

“Where?” said the Pig.

“Down at Merry-garden,” replied the Wolf; “and if you will not deceive me I will come for you, at five o’clock to-morrow, and we will go together and get some apples.”

Well, the little Pig woke at four the next morning, and bustled up, and went off for the apples, hoping to get back before the Wolf came; but he had farther to go, and had to climb the tree, so that just as he was coming down from it, he saw the Wolf coming, which, as you may suppose, frightened him very much.

When the Wolf came up he said, “Little Pig, what! are you here before me? Are they nice apples?”

“Yes, very,” said the little Pig; “I will throw you down one.” And he threw it so far that, while the Wolf was gone to pick it up, the little Pig jumped down and ran home.

The next day the Wolf came again, and said to the little Pig, “Little Pig, there is a Fair in the Town this afternoon: will you go?”

“Oh, yes,” said the Pig, “I will go; what time shall you be ready?”

“At three,” said the Wolf.

So the little Pig went off before the time, as usual, and got to the Fair, and bought a butter churn, and was on his way home with it when he saw the Wolf coming. Then he could not tell what to do. So he got into the churn to hide, and in doing so turned it round, and it began to roll, and rolled down the hill with the Pig inside it, which frightened the Wolf so much that he ran home without going to the Fair.

He went to the little Pig’s house, and told him how frightened he had been by a great round thing which came down the hill past him.

Then the little Pig said, “Hah! I frightened you, did I? I had been to the Fair and bought a butter churn, and when I saw you I got into it, and rolled down the hill.”

Then the Wolf was very angry indeed, and declared he would eat up the little Pig, and that he would get down the chimney after him.

When the little Pig saw what he was about, he hung on the pot full of water, and made up a blazing fire, and, just as the Wolf was coming down, took off the cover of the pot, and in fell the Wolf. And the little Pig put on the cover again in an instant, boiled him up, and ate him for supper, and lived happy ever after.

And all round the palace, for miles and miles, there were lovely gardens and pleasure-grounds, with terraces and green lawns, and ancient trees where the birds would sit and sing all day and all night long, and more flowers than you could ever think of if you were to think a whole summer through. There were peacocks and birds of paradise on the broad lawns, and pretty slender brown deer in the shady glades, and gold and silver fishes in the ponds and fountains, and great red and yellow fruits ripened in the orchards.

There was everything there that heart could wish—except just one, and that was the one thing in all the world that this King and Queen wanted to make them perfectly happy. For there was no little child to run and play about the sunny gardens and pick the flowers, and pet the birds and beasts that wandered there. And this would often make them very sad.

But at last, after many years, they had their wish, and a little baby daughter was born to them—a tiny child with a face like a blush rosebud, eyes like violets, and a little red mouth like the pimpernel flowers that grow in the cornfields and by the wayside in summer-time.

Now, you can easily think how glad this King and Queen were, and what great rejoicings were made over all the country.

Bonfires as big as haystacks were kept burning all night, fat oxen were roasted whole in the market-place of every town, the church-bells were rung and rung again until the ringers were out of breath and their arms were aching, and every little child in the kingdom was given a beautiful present for the baby Princess’s sake.

In the palace, of course, all was bustle and hurry to make ready for the christening-feast; the maids were busy putting flowers all about the halls and chambers, and sprinkling the shining floors with sweet-smelling leaves and petals.

For the most important guests invited to this christening were seven very powerful fairies, and you know, I am sure, how particular fairies are about what they eat and drink. Not that they are greedy; but they are used to such delicate food that even the very best of ours seems strange to them. So the Queen was very anxious that they should be pleased; for they had been asked to be godmothers to the baby Princess, and she wanted them to be in a good humor so that they should be kind to her little one.

It was a beautiful summer afternoon, and the roses on the palace terrace were nodding their heads sleepily in the warm breeze, when the fairies’ chariots came into sight, sailing through the blue sky like a flight of bright-winged butterflies.

They were all good fairies, and had known the King and Queen all their lives long, and as they had not seen them for some time there was a great deal to talk about and much news to tell. And, dear me! how pleased they were with the baby! They all agreed that she was the prettiest little darling they had ever seen—almost as pretty as a real fairy baby—and that was a compliment indeed, I can tell you.

And when they went in to the great banqueting-hall and sat down to table, they were even more delighted than at first. For each one of them there was a set of six golden dinner things—knife, spoon, fork, cup, dish, and plate—made on purpose as a present for each, and all different. One was set with pearls, another with diamonds, the third with rubies, the fourth with opals, the fifth with amethysts, the sixth with emeralds, the seventh with sapphires; and nobody could tell which was the most beautiful.

They were just going to begin, and everybody was as happy as happy could be, when, all of a sudden, there was a clashing of brazen claws and a rushing of wings, and something like a black cloud seemed to pass before the tall windows and darken all the room, so that the guests could hardly see their plates. Then the great doors burst open with a terrible bang, and an old fairy in a long trailing black gown, with her face almost hidden in a black hood, jumped out of a black chariot drawn by fierce griffins, and stalked up to the table.

The King turned pale, and the Queen nearly fainted away, for this was the spiteful fairy Tormentilla, who lived all alone, an immense distance away from everywhere and everyone, in a dismal black stone castle in the middle of a desert. The poor Queen had been so happy and so busy that she had forgotten all about her, and never sent her an invitation.

However, they all tried to make the best of it, and another chair was brought, and another place laid for Tormentilla; and both the King and Queen told her over and over again how very, very sorry they were not to have asked her.

It was all in vain. Nothing could please her; she would eat and drink nothing, and she sat, scowling and looking angrily at the other fairies’ jeweled cups and dishes, until the feast was over, and it was time to give the presents.

Then they all went into the great tapestries room where the tiny Princess lay sleeping in her mother-o’-pearl cradle, and the seven fairies began to say what they would each give her.

The first stepped forward and said: “She shall always be as good as gold”; the second: “She shall be the cleverest Princess in the world”; the third: “She shall be the most beautiful”; the fourth: “She shall be the happiest”; the fifth: “She shall have the sweetest voice that was ever heard”; the sixth: “Everyone shall love her.” And then the wicked old cross fairy strode over to the cradle with long quick steps, and said, shaking her black crooked stick at the King and Queen: “And I say that she shall prick her hand with a spindle and die of the wound!”

At this the Queen fell on her knees and begged and prayed Tormentilla to call back her cruel words; but suddenly the seventh fairy, the youngest of all, who knew Tormentilla well, and had hidden herself behind the curtains for fear that some such thing might happen, came out and said:

“Do not cry so, dear Queen; I cannot quite undo my cousin’s wicked enchantment, but I can promise you that your daughter shall not die, but only fall asleep for a hundred years. And, when these are past and gone, a Prince shall come and awaken her with a kiss.”

So the King and Queen dried their tears and thanked the kind fairy Heartsease for her goodness; and all the fairies went back to their homes, and things went on much as usual in the palace. But you can imagine how careful the Queen was of her little girl; and the King made a law that every spindle in the country must be destroyed, and that no more should be made, and that anyone who had a spindle should be heavily punished if not executed at once.

Well, the years went by happily enough until the Princess Miranda was almost eighteen years old, and all that the six fairies had promised came true, for she was the best and the prettiest and the cleverest Princess in all the world, and everybody loved her. And, indeed, by this time Tormentilla’s spiteful words were almost forgotten.

“Poor old thing,” the Queen would sometimes say, “she was so angry at having been left out that she did not know what she was saying. Of course, she did not really mean it.”

Now, the King and Queen had to go away for a few days to a great entertainment that one of their richest nobles was giving at his country house; and, as the Princess did not wish to go, they left her behind with her ladies-in-waiting in the beautiful old palace. For the first two days she amused herself very well, but on the third she missed her father and mother so much that, to pass the time till they came back, she began exploring all the old lumber-rooms and out-of-the-way attics in the palace, and laughing at the dusty furniture and queer curiosities she found there.

At last she found herself at the top of a narrow winding stairway in a tall turret that seemed even older than all the rest of the palace. And when she lifted the latch of the door in front of her she saw a little low chamber with curiously painted walls, and there sat a little old, old woman in a high white cap, spinning at a wheel.

For some time she stood at the door, watching the old woman curiously; she could not imagine what she was doing, for the Princess had never seen a spinning-wheel in her life before, because, as I told you, the King had ordered them all to be destroyed.

Now, it happened that the poor old woman who lived in this tower had never heard the King’s command, for she was so deaf that if you shouted until you were hoarse she would never have been able to understand you.

“What pretty work you are doing there, Goody? And why does that wheel go whirr, whirr, whirr?” said the Princess. The old woman neither answered nor looked up, for, of course, she did not hear.

So the Princess stepped into the room and laid her hand upon the old woman’s shoulder.

Goody started then, looked up, and rubbed her eyes.

“Deary, deary me!” cried she, in a high, cracked voice. “And who may you be, my pretty darling?”

“I’m the Princess Miranda,” screamed the maiden in her ear, but the old woman only shook her head—she could hear nothing.

Then the Princess pointed to the spindle, and made the old woman understand that she wanted to try if she could work it.

So Goody nodded, and laughed, and got up from her seat, and the Princess sat down and took the spindle in her hand. But no sooner did she touch it than she pricked the palm of her hand with the point, and sank down in a swoon.

Immediately a deep silence fell on all around. The little bird that only a moment before had been singing so sweetly upon the window-sill hushed his song. The distant hum of voices from the courtyard beneath ceased; even Goody stopped short in the directions she was giving the Princess, and neither moved hand nor foot towards the poor little maid, and all because she had fallen fast asleep as she stood.

Below in the castle it was just the same. The King and Queen, who had that moment returned from their journey and were inquiring for their daughter, fell asleep before the lady-in-waiting could answer them, and as to the lady herself she had begun to snore—in a ladylike manner, of course—before you could have winked your eye.

The soldiers and men-at-arms slumbered as they stood. The page-boy fell asleep with his mouth wide open, and a fly that had just been going to settle on his nose fell asleep too in mid-air.

Although the sun had been shining brightly when the Princess took the spindle in her hand, no sooner did she prick herself with the point than deep shadows darkened the sunny rooms and gardens.

It was just as though night had overtaken them, but there was no one in or near the palace to heed whether it were dark or light.

This sudden darkness had been caused by a magic wood which had sprung up all around the palace and its grounds. It was at least half a mile thick, and was composed of thorns and prickly plants, through which it seemed impossible for anyone to penetrate. It was so thick and high that it hid even the topmost towers of the enchanted castle, and no one outside could have dreamed that such a castle lay behind it.

Well, and so the years went on, and on, and on, until a hundred years had passed, and the palace and the story of it were all but forgotten. And it happened that a King’s son from a neighboring country came hunting that way with his men, and horses, and dogs. And in the excitement of the chase he rode on and on until he became separated from his servants and attendants, and found himself in a part of the country where he had never been before. In vain he tried to retrace his steps; he only seemed to wander farther away in the wrong direction.

Presently he came to a woodcutter’s cottage, and dismounted to ask his way. An old, old man lived in this hut, and after he had directed the Prince as to the best way back, the young man pointed to a thick wood ahead, and asked what lay beyond it. Then the old man told him that there was a legend that beyond the wood was an enchanted palace where a beautiful Princess had lain sleeping for a hundred years, and whom a Prince was to awaken with a kiss.

Directly the Prince Florimond heard this, nothing would serve but he must go there and see for himself if the tale were true. So he rode and he rode until he came to the edge of the wood, and there he got off his horse and began to push his way through the thorny thicket. It was hard work indeed, for the briers were so strong and so sharp that you would never believe that anyone could get past them, and they closed up behind him as he went.

But he was strong and brave, and after a time the way became easier, until at last he came to the palace.

There everyone was sleeping—the sentinels and soldiers in the court-yard, the cooks in the kitchen, and pages and lords and ladies-in-waiting in the corridors and chambers; and, in the great throne-room the King and Queen on their golden and ivory thrones.

Prince Florimond passed on, wondering more and more, till he came at length to the narrow staircase which led to the little tower in which the Princess had fallen asleep. He mounted this, and then came the greatest wonder of all—the beautiful sleeping lady, in her glistening white robes. She was so beautiful that to see her almost took away his breath; and, falling on his knees, he bent to kiss her cheek. And as he kissed her, she opened her lovely blue eyes and said, smiling: “Oh! Prince, have you come at last? I have had such pleasant dreams.”

Then she sat up laughing and rubbing her eyes, and gave him her hand, and they went hand in hand together down the stairs and along the corridors, till they came to the throne-room. And there were the King and Queen rubbing their eyes too, and they kissed their daughter and welcomed the Prince most gladly.

And, all at the same time, the whole palace was awake. Cocks crowed, dogs barked, the cats began to mew, the spits to turn, the clocks to strike, the soldiers presented arms, the heralds blew their trumpets, the head cook boxed a little scullion’s ears, the butler went on drinking his half-finished tankard of wine, the first lady-in-waiting finished winding her skein of silk.

Everything, in short, went on exactly as though the spell had lasted a hundred seconds instead of years. To be sure, Princess Miranda’s pretty white dress was just such a one as Prince Florimond’s great-grandmother might have worn. But that gave them something to laugh at.

And now my story is done, for I need hardly tell you that the Prince and Princess were married amid great rejoicings, and lived happily ever after; and that the seven fairy godmothers danced at the wedding. So all ended well, and what more could anyone wish?

Within the foundations of BabyCorp, numerous babies are being born and are being processed through a conveyor belt. One small baby in particular goes through the motions, getting a fresh diaper and a pacifier. The tickle machine determines where babies are placed. If they laugh, they are sent to families. If they don’t react, they are sent to management. The baby boy is pushed into management and is given his own suit, watch, and briefcase before being assigned to his cubicle.

Tim anxiously looks out the window to see his parents returning in a taxi with their new baby. It’s the same baby from before, The Boss Baby, strutting up to the front door with his briefcase, to Tim’s surprise. From the moment he enters the house, Boss Baby begins to command the household.

Tim sneaks into Boss Baby’s room that night and hears him speaking with the voice of a grown man on the phone. He appears to be conspiring with someone until Tim catches him and forces Boss Baby to admit that he can talk.

Tim sets out to prove that Boss Baby is up to no good. He spies on Boss Baby as he has a play date with other baby associates – Jimbo, Staci, and the Triplets. Boss Baby gives a presentation about BabyCorp’s enemy, PuppyCo. The CEO, Francis Francis, is set to unveil their newest puppy, which could spell trouble for babies everywhere.

Tim has a tape of the babies’ conversation, but the babies catch him and set off to get the tape. Tim now has to evade the babies in the backyard as he tries to show the tape to his parents.  Boss Baby demands the tape or else he will harm Tim’s favorite stuffed doll, Lamb-Lamb.

Boss Baby goes into Tim’s room as he is crying. He decides to finally explain his situation to the boy. Boss Baby gives Tim one of his pacifiers and tells him to suck on it until he finds the answers he’s looking for. The two are then teleported to BabyCorp as projections, watching how everything works. Boss Baby explains how he got into management and how there have been many other great Boss Babies before him. His own boss, Big Boss Baby, runs her department with an iron fist.  He explains that if he doesn’t succeed in his mission to bring down PuppyCo, he will get fired and be forced to live with the Templetons forever. Tim then agrees to help Boss Baby, but only so he can leave.

The boys then try to pretend for their parents that they love each other and are playing together, while also working together to find info on the new puppy. Ted and Janice later invite the boys to “Bring Your Kid To Work Day” at PuppyCo. Once there, they invite Tim to spend time with them while they leave Boss Baby in the puppy pit. Tim thinks about it but decides to stay with Boss Baby so they can look for the new puppy. Tim has Boss Baby dress up as a puppy to get past security. They go into a room and find a file on the new puppy, but they must replace it with another file. It works until Boss Baby gets drool on the replacement, setting off a trap. The puppy file then turns out to be a fake. The boys are caught by Eugene, a man dressed as PuppyCo’s mascot.

Eugene brings the boys to meet Francis. He reveals to them that he is Super Colossal Big Fat Boss Baby, now all grown up. As a baby, he got the promotion he wanted and was at the top of his game. But because he is lactose intolerant, the formula stopped working for him, and he was booted out of BabyCorp. Now, he plots revenge against them by creating the Forever Puppy, which will stay a cute puppy for all time, stealing all the love away from babies. The only thing Francis needs is some formula for the puppy to be created, which Eugene takes out of Tim’s backpack. He then sends the boys away.

Ted and Janice leave the boys with Eugene (disguised as a housekeeper) while they go with Francis to Las Vegas to unveil the Forever Puppy. Without the formula, Boss Baby starts acting like a real baby. Tim and Boss Baby come up with a plan to escape Eugene by faking Boss Baby being sick and spewing fake vomit. The boys then ride away on Tim’s bike. Boss Baby calls Staci and has her round up Jimbo and the Triplets to help the boys. Together, they get Tim and Boss Baby to the airport while stopping Eugene. Unfortunately, the plane for Vegas takes off before the boys can stop their parents. They then argue with both throwing the blame on one another, with Tim blaming Boss Baby for being a normal baby at the worst moment, while Boss Baby argues that they would have gotten there faster if Tim could ride a bike without training wheels. Tim tells him he knows nothing about having a real family, leading to Boss Baby ditching Tim and leaving him alone at the airport.

Hours later, Boss Baby calls Tim on a phone right next to him. They reconcile and resolve to work together to get to Vegas themselves since they now know they need each other. The boys follow Elvis impersonators for a convention to Vegas, unaware that Eugene is following them as well.

The boys make it to Vegas and arrive at the convention center for the unveiling. Francis reveals the Forever Puppy to the public with Ted and Janice helping him. When the boys reveal themselves, Francis locks Ted and Janice inside a giant heart and wheels them away. Eugene tries to get the boys as they run after Francis, who is set to literally launch the Forever Puppies with a rocket. Eugene runs through a set of tubes to get to the boys, but they outsmart him and cause him to fall into a giant litter box to get scratched up by cats. The boys catch up to Francis, who tries to throw them over the ledge. Tim and Boss Baby re-enact their pirate game and throw Francis into a vat of formula. They rush to save their parents and get the puppies out of the rocket. Boss Baby then becomes a normal baby and is stuck up on the rocket .

Tim runs to the formula vat and gives Boss Baby some of it to bring him back to normal. Francis then emerges from the vat, now reverted back to Super Colossal Big Fat Boss Baby. He threatens the boys until Eugene picks him up and gives him a pacifier. Eugene tells the boys that he will raise Francis the right way this time.

The boys go home, and Boss Baby is able to leave to get his promotion. The other babies from BabyCorp wipe Ted and Janice’s memories of the baby and remove any evidence that he was there, but Tim chooses not to forget him. Boss Baby returns to work as a hero and he gets his promotion like he wanted. However, both boys miss one another and don’t feel happy even though they got what they wanted.

Tim writes a letter to Boss Baby and sends him some of his toys. Boss Baby gets excited and he runs into the main room to play with the computer and basically quit. He goes through the conveyor belt and has himself sent down the “family” chute.

Boss Baby returns to the family as a normal baby, now named Theodore Lindsay Templeton. Tim is excited to see him, as the baby appears to remember him. He runs up and grabs his new baby brother. The two then go on to have many adventures.

Young Prince Gristle wakes up his father, the King, on the day of Trollstice. All the Bergens gather around the Troll tree as Chef gets ready to cook up some Trolls. Since it is Gristle’s first time ever eating a Troll, Chef prepares to hand over the happiest Troll, Princess Poppy. When she picks from the tree, Chef finds that all the Trolls have been replaced with wooden dolls with crazy hair. The Trolls have escaped underground to a new home, while the King banishes Chef from Bergen Town. The King tells his son that nothing will ever make him happy.

20 years later, the Trolls live in the forest, with Poppy. Her dad Peppy is king, and her Troll friends include Biggie, a big Troll with a worm friend named Mr. Dinkles; Guy Diamond, who can fart glitter; Cooper, a giraffe-like Troll; Satin and Chenille the fashionistas; DJ Suki and Creek a zen-like Troll. Poppy is throwing a party that day in honor of their arrival to this home. The only Troll that is never happy is Branch. He lives in a bunker to protect himself from the Bergens, and he refuses Poppy’s invitation to the party.

The Trolls have their party, but the bursts of glitter and light and the sound of loud music is enough to get the attention of Chef, who now looks ragged and disheveled, having spent the last 2 decades searching for the Trolls. She goes stomping down into the forest and starts grabbing Trolls. She grabs Biggie, Creek, Cooper, Suki, Satin, Chenille, and a tiny troll named Smidge. The other Trolls hide in the forest by blending in.

Poppy goes to Branch’s bunker and asks for his help, but he refuses. Poppy then brings back the rest of the Trolls into the bunker, to Branch’s displeasure, as she sets off to find her friends by herself.

Poppy gets caught in a spider web. Four spiders approach her, but they are scared off by Branch as he whips his hair at them to hold them back, causing them to walk into the mouth of a bigger creature. Branch decides to join Poppy in her quest.

The two come across a tunnel that’s supposed to lead them to Bergen Town. They meet Cloud Guy, who offers to show them which path leads to Bergen Town, and which one leads to DEATH.

Poppy and Branch find their friends in the castle as they follow the light from the Trolls’ wristbands that signal the hugging hour. Chef brings the captured Trolls to Gristle, who is now king of the Bergens. She wants to bring Trollstice back, and she offers up Creek as the first Troll that Gristle will eat. He is hesitant at first until Chef shoves Creek into Gristle’s mouth, leading the other Trolls to think he’s been eaten. Chef hands over the rest of the Trolls to Bridget, a scullery maid, to keep them until it is time for Trollstice.

Bridget is awkward and nervous at first, but with some help from Branch, she starts to gain the confidence to say how she really feels about Gristle, allowing him to fall in love with her. The Trolls then see that Gristle is carrying Creek inside a jewel.

The Trolls steal Gristle’s jewel and open it to rescue Creek, but when they open it, he’s not inside. Chef recaptures them all and reveals that she is being helped by Creek. He admits that he sold the Trolls out in order to save his own skin. He steals Poppy’s cowbell and leads Chef and some other Bergens to the forest where they take the rest of the Trolls.

Chef stows all the Trolls inside a giant pot. Feeling betrayed and hopeless, Poppy becomes sad and loses her color, and the rest of the Trolls follow suit. However Branch begins to sign and his voice inspires his friends, and they, along with Branch himself, regain their color and happiness.

The Bergens are gathered for the feast, but Gristle wants to wait for his date. Chef makes them start without her, but she opens the pot and finds that the Trolls are gone. Thinking Bridget ate them all, Chef orders the guards to seize Bridget, until the Trolls crash in on Bridget’s skate. They land on her head to show Gristle she was his date. Poppy tells Gristle that he managed to be happy without eating a Troll by being with Bridget, leading the other Bergens to realize that they can be happy on their own too.

Chef tries to get the Trolls herself, but Bridget throws a wooden spoon at her head, causing her to stumble onto a cart that rolls out of the castle, sending Chef and Creek away from the kingdom.

Poppy is crowned queen of the Trolls as both Trolls and Bergens now live in harmony.

One day, as the miller was tending to his grain, the king and his men rode by on horseback, stopping to collect taxes.

“I have little money, your majesty.  I do, however, have a beautiful daughter,” said the miller.

“I have little time for beauty,” began the king.  “My true desire comes from the wealth and riches of the world,” he continued.

“Did I mention my daughter can spin straw into gold?” the old miller asked without thinking.

“Really?” the king questioned as he sat on his horse, thinking.  “If this is true, bring her to my palace tomorrow and I will put her so-called ability to the test.”

And so, the miller sent his daughter away to the king’s palace.  When she arrived, the king immediately took her to a room filled with yellow straw.  In the center of the room sat a spindle and wheel.

“Spin this straw into gold before sunrise.  If you fail to comply, you will be punished by death,” the king stated.  Then he turned on his heel, shut the door, and locked the miller’s daughter alone inside the room filled with yellow straw.

The girl turned to the heaps of straw before her and, having no idea how to spin straw into gold, began to cry.

Suddenly, the girl heard the door creak open slowly.  At first, she only saw a large nose peaking out from behind the door.  Then suddenly, in walked a strange little man.  He was humming a funny tune.

“Goooood evening, Mr.  Miller’s daughter,” he said. “You look awfully sad!  May I ask why you are crying so terribly?”

“I – I have been ordered to spin this straw into gold by sunrise!” she explained to the little man between sobs. “A – and I don’t know how.”

“Hmm…” the funny little man pondered this.  He walked back and forth across the room, kicking bits of straw in his way, “I know how to spin straw into gold…” he began.

“Oh, you do!?” cried the girl.

“What will you give me if I spin this straw for you?” he asked slyly.

“Oh!  I will give you my necklace!  Take it!  Take it!” she replied.

The odd little man took the necklace, grabbed a handful of straw, and sat down at the spinning wheel.  <i>Swoosh, swooosh, swooooosh </i>– went the wheel three times.  The little man handed the girl a spindle filled with gold thread, grabbed another handful of straw, and sat down at the spinning wheel once more.  He repeated this process until the entire room, which was once filled with straw, was now entirely filled with gorgeous gold thread.

Then, humming his funny tune, the odd little man pranced out of the room, swinging the girl’s necklace from side to side.

When the king came into the room at sunrise he was amazed to see that the miller had been telling the truth about his daughter’s abilities.  The king was pleased to see the room filled with gold; however, his pleasure was short-lived for the sight of so much gold made the king greedier than ever.

Now he took the beautiful girl into an even larger room filled with yellow straw.

“Spin this into gold, and I will let you live,” the king said curtly.  Again, he turned on his heel, shut the door, and locked the girl all alone in the room filled with straw.

At this point, the girl was hopeless.  She sobbed at the sight of even more yellow straw than there had been in the previous room.  She cried and cried until she heard the door slowly creak open.

A large nose peered around the door and moments later the little man walked into the room humming his funny song.

“Why hello there, Mr.  Miller’s daughter.” the little man said strangely.

The poor girl cried softly with no answer.

“What will you give me in return for spinning this straw into gold?” he asked.

The girl looked up at the man and searched herself for something to give him.

“I will give you this ring from my finger,” she said finally.

The little man took the ring and slipped it on his own finger.  He held his hand out in front of him, smiled with glee at his newly acquired accessory, and then danced around the room happily.  Then, he grabbed a handful of straw and sat down at the spinning wheel.  <i>Swoosh, swooosh, swooooosh</i> – went the wheel three times.  The man handed the girl a spindle filled with gold thread, grabbed another handful of straw, and sat down at the spinning wheel once more.  He repeated this process until the entire room was filled with gold thread.

Humming, prancing, and gazing at his new ring, the little man left the girl once more.

When sunrise came again, the king entered the room and was even more amazed to see so much gold before him.  Delighted but even greedier, the king led the miller’s daughter into the largest room in the palace.  This room was filled to the ceiling with yellow straw.

“If you can spin this into gold, I will have you as my queen,” the king said.

For though she is only a miller’s daughter, thought the king, I will not find a richer woman to have as my wife.

Without waiting for the girl to answer, the king turned on his heel, shut the door, and locked her all alone in the largest room in the palace, filled with straw.

The girl looked around the room, shocked at the sight of even more yellow straw than there had been in the previous two rooms combined.  Without time to cry, she heard the door creak open.  She turned and saw a large nose poking out from behind the door.  Then the funny little man pranced and danced his way into the room.

“What will you give me if I spin this straw into gold?” the man asked without greeting the girl.

“I have nothing left to give you,” she cried.

“Hmm…” the funny little man pondered this for a while.  He walked back and forth across the room, kicking bits of straw in his way.  “I know!” he said suddenly.  “If I spin this straw into gold, promise me your first born child when you are queen.”

Without thinking, the girl promised the little man her first child once she was queen.  She assumed that he would forget their deal anyway and so she happily watched him spin all the straw from the largest room in the palace into gorgeous gold thread.

As the funny little man left the room, the miller’s daughter figured she would never have to see his large-nosed face again.

In the morning when the king came to check on the girl, he was happy to see that his palace’s largest room was now filled to the brim with mounds of brilliant gold.

The king and the miller’s daughter were married immediately.  Later that year, the new queen had a beautiful baby boy.

She had forgotten about her promise to the funny little man and so, one day while she was rocking her baby to sleep, she was shocked to hear the door creak open followed by a large familiar nose peering behind.

The little man pranced into the room and said, “Now give me what you promised, my queen.”

The queen was horrified at the thought of handing her beloved child over to the odd man and, thus, she attempted to bribe him with all of the riches of her new kingdom.

“No.  I would like what you promised me.  All the riches in the world could not match the reward of a living thing,” he said.

The queen sobbed terribly and, because the little man felt sorry for her, he walked back and forth across the room, deep in thought.

“Hmm… I know!” he said finally, with an odd grin on his face.  “I will give you three days.  If you can figure out what my name is by the end of the third day, I will let you keep your child.”

The queen agreed immediately and watched as the little man skipped out of her room humming his funny tune.

That night the queen thought long and hard about all the names that she had heard throughout her life.  She collected names from the servants in the castle.  She sent out messengers to scour the kingdom for more names.  Her list grew and grew.

John and Ron.  Bill and Will.  Lucas and Joseph and Xavier and Youssef.

When the little man came on the first day, the queen recited every name that she had collected.

“Could it be Caspar, Melchior, or Balthazar?” she asked.

But no matter how many names she gave him, the little man simply replied, “No, that is not my name.”

On the second day, the queen asked the people of the countryside nearby.  She acquired some very strange names indeed.  When the little man came again, the queen recited these names.  “Could it be Skinnyribs?  Muttonchop?  Or – Or!  Perhaps it is Spindleshanks?  Yes it must be Spindleshanks!” the queen cried.

But no matter how many names she gave him, the little man replied, “No, that is not my name.”

By now the queen was desperate.  In her desperation the queen sent out her most trusted servant to search the forbidden wood for any names he could find.

When the messenger returned on the third day he told the queen that he had wandered the forest and come across a strange little man dancing and prancing around a large fire.  Her servant began to sing a song that had a very familiar tune.

She is large and I am small — but
Oh!  How I dance and prance ‘round all!

And though she’s queen
How I will glean
Her only child as I’d foreseen

For she will never ever claim
That Rumpelstiltskin is my name!

With this, the queen recognized the tune as the one that the strange little man had always been humming.  She herself danced and pranced around her room, happy with the news.  Moments later the little man bounced into her room.

“Well, my queen.  What is my name?” he asked with a sly grin on his face.

“Hmm…” the queen pondered convincingly, walking back and forth across her room.  “You said it wasn’t Bill or Will… Could it be Phil?” she asked.

“No.  That is not my name,” the man replied.

“And you said it wasn’t John or Ron. Could it be Juan?”

“No.  That is not my name,” he replied, tapping his foot impatiently.

“Hmm… Could it be, by chance, Rumpelstiltskin?”

“Impossible!  No fair!  No fair!” the little man screeched angrily, stamping his foot hard on the ground.

He scurried around the queen’s room in a fit of rage.  He smashed into walls; he thumped his foot; and he bumped his head.  He smashed and thumped and bumped and jumped.  And then, so blind with anger, the strange little man jumped right out of the queen’s window.  He was never ever ever seen again.

The End.

Now, we must not imagine that there is nothing at the bottom of the sea but bare yellow sand.  No, indeed; the most amazing flowers and plants grow there; colorful fish, both large and small, glide between the branches, as birds fly among the trees here upon land.  In the deepest spot of all, stands the castle of the Sea King.  Its walls are built of coral, the roof is formed of shells, that open and close as the water flows over them.  Their appearance is very beautiful, for in each lies a glittering pearl.

The mermaid princess, Sara, lived in this castle under the sea with her father the King and her five older sisters.  All day long they played in the great halls of the castle.  The large amber windows were open, and the fish swam up to the princesses and ate bits of food right out of their hands.
Although Sara loved her family and their peaceful blue world she longed to one day see the sky, the moon and, most especially, the humans she had heard so many stories about.
“When you have reached your fifteenth year,” said her father, “you will have permission to swim up out of the sea, to sit on the rocks in the moonlight, while the great ships are sailing by; and then perhaps you will see the humans you dream of.”
Sara waited impatiently as each of her older sisters turned fifteen and made their voyages to the surface world.

They all told her of the wonders they saw above the surface – about waves crashing on rocks, the warmth of the sun and the sounds of the seagulls in the air.  Sara’s favorite story was the one her third sister shared with her; she swam up a broad river that emptied itself into the sea.  On the banks she saw green hills where palaces and castles peeped out from amid the proud trees of the forest; she heard the birds singing and felt the warmth of the sun shining in the sky.

In a narrow creek she found a whole group of little human children playing in the water; she wanted to play with them, but they ran away as soon as they saw her.  Just as she was about to leave, a little black and white animal came up to her.  It had four legs and a waggy tail, but she did not know what it was, for she had never before seen anything like it.  The animal made such a loud “WOOF”ing noise at her that she became frightened and rushed back to her home in the sea.  But she told Sara she would never forget the beautiful forest, the green hills, and the pretty little children, who could swim in the water although they had no fish’s tails.

At last Sara reached her fifteenth year.  “Well, now, you are old enough to make your visit to the surface,” said her father a little sadly; “please be careful for I love you very much.”
Sara hugged her father and said, “Farewell,” then swam as lightly as a bubble to the surface of the water.  The sun had just set as she raised her head above the waves; but the clouds were tinted with crimson and gold, and through the glimmering twilight beamed the evening star in all its beauty.  A large ship floated calmly in the distance, with only one sail set; for not a breeze blew, and the sailors sat idle on deck or amongst the rigging.  There was music and song on board; and, as darkness came on, a hundred colored lanterns were lighted to glow prettily in the night.

The little mermaid swam close to the cabin windows; now and then, as the waves lifted her up, she could look in through clear glass window-panes, and see a number of well-dressed people within.  Among them was a young prince, the most handsome of all, with large brown eyes; he was sixteen years of age, and his birthday was the reason for all the celebration.

The sailors were dancing on deck, but when the prince came out of the cabin, more than a hundred rockets rose in the air, making it as bright as day.  The little mermaid was so startled that she dived under water; and when she again stretched out her head, it appeared as if all the stars of heaven were falling around her, she had never seen such fireworks before.  And how handsome the young prince looked, as he shook the hands of all present and smiled at them, while the music played in the clear night air.
The party was so loud and the lights so bright that the sailors did not notice the lightning flashing in the sky.  In what seemed like an instant, a raging storm blew across the ship.

“Look out!” screamed Sara, but no one could hear her over the music and the storm.  A fierce black wave crashed into the ship, tossing it violently and, to her horror, Sara saw the young prince was washed overboard, knocking his head against the railing as he fell.
Sara dove deeply under the dark waters, rising and falling with the waves, till at length she managed to reach the young prince; his eyes were closed, and he would have died had the little mermaid not come to his rescue.  She held his head above the water, and let the waves drift them where they would.
As dawn broke the storm ceased.  Sara pulled the prince onto the shore with the last of her strength.  Then she gently cradled him to keep him warm, and sang to him sweetly as the sun rose higher in the sky and the colour came back to his cheeks.
Before the morning had passed, a young girl approached on the beach, and Sara quickly hid.

As the girl drew near, the handsome prince opened his eyes and whispered, “Thank you for saving me, you have a beautiful voice.”

“It isn’t I who rescued you from the sea,” the girl replied, “but I am ever so glad I found you; the whole kingdom has been searching for you since late last night!”
Sara dived down sorrowfully into the water, and returned to her father’s castle.  She had always been silent and thoughtful, and now she was more so than ever.  Her sisters asked her what she had seen during her first visit to the surface of the water but she was too sad to share her story.  For two whole days, she wept alone in her room.  On the morning of the third day, Sara woke up having made a decision to go back to see the prince she had rescued, but she knew that her father would never allow her to return to the human world.  Sara decided that her only hope was to visit the Witch of the Ocean.
The Witch smiled when she saw the little mermaid approach knowing, in her magical way, what it was the young girl wanted.

“I warn you girl,” said the old woman turning and holding a small bottle of black liquid out to Sara, “in exchange for your wish to be human you will have to give up your pretty voice.  Unless your true love makes you his wife, you will never speak again and you shall eventually die.”
The little mermaid carefully took the bottle from the Witch and swam to the shore where she had last seen the prince.  She sighed, and looked sorrowfully at her fish’s tail.

Then Sara gathered her courage, nodded quietly to herself and drank the magic potion.  A searing pain sliced through her and she fainted.
The prince was walking dreamily along the shore.  For a moment he thought his dream about a beautiful girl from the sea had come true when he discovered a young girl lying on the beach wearing a most unusual dress of shining scales.  He raced up just as the girl’s eyes fluttered open.
“Who are you and how did you come to be here on the beach?” the prince asked gently.  But Sara could not answer as her voice was gone with the drinking of the potion so instead she smiled prettily at him and leaned on his arm as he led her to his castle by the sea.
When they arrived at the castle, the lords and ladies looked curiously at the young lady accompanying their prince but before long everyone in the castle became used to the quiet girl’s presence – despite her strange habit of eating nothing but seaweed salads for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The prince was very kind to Sara and treated her like a little sister but to Sara’s sorrow, his thoughts of love were with the human woman who found him on the beach while Sara was hiding.

“She had the most beautiful blue eyes.  She was only here for a short while, but I miss her so,” the prince shared with Sara as they were out for a walk in the garden.
After a time, Sara realized that the handsome prince would not be hers to marry.  She felt so lonely she thought her heart might break but she was still happy that the prince was such a good friend.
“I shall stay with him for as long as I can,” Sara decided.  But she knew that when he finally married the woman he dreamt about that she would die, for the witch’s curse required that she marry her true love in order to become fully human.
As winter ended and spring began the day Sara had been dreading finally arrived.  The king from the neighboring country stopped by to visit and brought with him his lovely daughter.
As soon as the prince saw her, he rushed up and gazed into her eyes.

“You!” he exclaimed, “you are the one who found me on the beach.”  And with that the couple quickly fell in love and made plans to marry.
Sara’s sisters had kept track of her throughout her adventure in the human lands and were horrified to think the dear little mermaid would die with the marriage of the happy couple.  So they swam down to make their own deal with the Witch of the Sea; in exchange for their hair, the witch gave them a magical knife.

As Sara walked alone along the beach one morning she saw her sisters out to sea.  “Whatever happened to your beautiful hair?” she asked sadly.
Her sisters replied, “We traded it with the witch for a magical knife.  You must kill the prince with it and you will be returned to us as a mermaid under the sea.  We miss you so and don’t wish to see you die!”
Sara smiled to her sisters and waved to them farewell, but threw the knife deep into the ocean for she knew she could never bring herself to kill the handsome prince who she loved with all her heart.

And so the day came when the prince and princess were married.  All of the kingdom rejoiced; even Sara who watched silently from the beach near the ocean where once she had swam freely as a mermaid.
Although she felt sorrow, Sara was happy for the days she had spent with the prince and happy that he had married his true love.
As the couple kissed to seal their vows, Sara felt a stab of pain and sank to the sand with the waves washing over her.  She thought to herself as she lay there, “So this is the end; how I wish I had longer to watch the humans celebrate their strange and exciting lives.  But alas, all that is left is for me to melt into the seafoam and rejoin the ocean that was once my home.”

Happily, the fairies of the air had been watching Sara all this time for they too were curious about the humans and had taken it as their task to watch over them.  The eldest of the fairies fluttered down to Sara and touched her lightly on the forehead.
“Fear not, dear girl, for your love and acceptance has earned you a place with us.  From now on you shall be a child of the air and watch over the humans with kindness and compassion.”

And as the elder fairy lifted her hand, Sara found herself becoming as light as a feather and sprouting wings.
The little mermaid smiled brightly for she could not think of a more wonderful life than fluttering through the air like a butterfly, and watching over the humans that she had first given up the sea to meet.

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