The Tears of Princess Prunella
There is no doubt that the Princess Prunella would have been the most charming little girl on either side of the sun, if she had not been so exceedingly cross and discontented. She was as pretty as any one could wish to see, and as accomplished as all the gifts of Fairyland could make her; and she had every bit of happiness that the love of her parents and the wit of her fairy godmother could put in her way. And yet she grumbled and grumbled and grumbled!
"Can you not try to be happy, just for five minutes?" asked the Queen, in despair.
"How can you expect me to be happy, even for five minutes, when every five minutes is exactly like the last five minutes?" sighed the little Princess.
"It is tea-time, your Highness," said the head nurse, coaxingly, "and there are pink sugar cakes for tea!"
"There were pink sugar cakes yesterday," pouted the Princess. "There are always pink sugar cakes unless there are white sugar cakes, and I am equally tired of them both. Can you not tell me something new?"
"Let her go without her tea," said the King, who was rather tired of having such a cross little daughter. But the Queen only smiled.
"The child wants a change," she remarked. "It must be very dull to play alone all day."
"Dull!" exclaimed the King. "Why should it be dull? Has not her godmother given her such wonderful toys that they can play with her as well as be played with?" This was quite true, for the very ball that the Princess threw to the other end of the nursery could catch itself and throw itself back to her; and it is not every ball that can do that. "What more can the child want?" demanded the King, crossly.
The Queen, however, thought there might be something more. "We must find her a playfellow," she said wisely.