by Shari L. Klase –
Princess Posh was tired of having four brothers. They never wanted to do any of her favorite things.
“Want to have a tea party?” she’d ask Prince Paul, and he’d say, “That’s sissy stuff.”
“Let’s go pick some flowers,” she’d suggest to Prince Peter, and he’d say, “Are you out of your mind?”
She’d ask Prince Philip if he’d like to play dress-up, but just the word “dress” would send him running away.
Even Prince Percy, who was her youngest brother, didn’t want to play with her. So when the four princes came to her one day and asked if she would like to go on a quest with them, she jumped at the chance.
“What sort of adventure are we going to have?” Princess Posh asked.
“We are going to slay a dragon,” Prince Peter told her.
“A dragon?” Princess Posh asked in a trembling voice. “Don’t they have sharp teeth?”
“Of course they do,” Prince Paul replied.
“And claws like razors,” Prince Philip added.
“And fiery breath,” Prince Peter went on.
Even Prince Percy chimed in. “Don’t forget the spikey tail.”
“That sounds dangerous,” Princess Posh warned them. “Do you even know where there is a dragon?”
“Of course we do,” Prince Peter answered. “It lives in a cave by Lookover Hill.”
But when they got to the cave, the boys seemed reluctant to enter the darkness.
“Perhaps I should go in,” Princess Posh suggested.
“Since you are a lady, I suppose we should let you go first,” Prince Paul agreed.
Princess Posh stepped into the black cavern with some hesitation. After she had ventured in a ways, she called out, “Hello, dragon, are you in here?” She wasn’t sure how to address a dragon and hoped she didn’t sound impolite.
“Yes,” she heard a voice say. “What is it you want?”
“Well, I don’t really know,” Princess Posh replied. “I came here with my brothers and they seem to want to slay you.”
“I’m certainly not coming out for that. I hate violence of any kind,” the dragon answered with a long sigh.
“But don’t you like to bite people with your sharp teeth?” Princess Posh asked.
“After I’ve just brushed them? You must be joking,” the dragon answered in a huff.
“Aren’t you going to try to scratch us with your razor claws?”
“And break a nail?” the dragon snapped back.
“What about your fiery breath?”
“I’ll have you know my breath is as sweet smelling as flowers!” the dragon said angrily.
“Then I guess there is no danger from your tail either,” Princess Posh suggested.
The dragon finally came out from the shadows. Princess Posh was amazed to see a pretty pink bow around the dragon’s tail.
“Does this look dangerous to you?” the dragon asked with a friendlier voice.
“You don’t seem like a frightening dragon at all,” Princess Posh remarked.
“And you don’t seem like someone who slays dragons.”
“Of course not,” Princess Posh said. “I really like tea parties and picking flowers and playing dress-up.”
“Oh, I adore tea parties, and flowers, and dress-up!” the dragon squealed.
“Then you must come with me,” Princess Posh replied.
As Princess Posh and her new friend exited the cave, the dragon approached the boys with a big toothy grin. Unfortunately, the young princes mistakenly took the grin as a sign of combat, dropped their play swords, and dashed away as fast as they could go.
“I’m sorry. It seems I’ve frightened off your brothers,” the dragon apologized.
“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about them,” Princess Posh reassured the dragon. “They hate tea parties.”
the end.
Question Time:
1. Why didn’t Princess Posh like having four brothers?
2. What did her brothers invite her to do?
3. What did she find out about the dragon?
4. What did Princess Posh and the dragon do at the end?
