by Suzanne Purvis –
Once there was a young Princess named Camelia who lived in a very strange and colorful kingdom. It looked like a normal, everyday kingdom, with castles, and moats, and a dragon or two. But in this kingdom the sun shone not only a glorious gold, it shone many different colors. And the color of the sun depended on the mood of the royal family.
Now most of the time, Princess Camelia and her family were happy and the sun shone a bright, bold, daffodil yellow. Of course, there had been a few boring brown days. And there had been plenty of plumy pink days. But today was different.
In the morning, when Princess Camelia slid from under her royal quilt, the first thing she heard was, POP. SNAP. CRACK. Her palace had crumbled. Not the actual palace where she lived, but the one she had just stepped on. The one that had taken her three days and three hundred pieces to build. The one that had been absolutely perfect.
“Oh no!” Princess Camelia cried. “How could this have happened? I’ll never build it again so perfectly.” She wanted to scream. She opened her mouth to let out a wail when she heard…
“Oh, Camelia darling. Please hurry and get dressed,” her mother, the Queen said.
Princess Camelia snapped her mouth shut and growled.
And the sun shone a little less lemony.
Princess Camelia hurried to her cabinet of crowns and gowns. But when she opened the cabinet door, she found her pet dragon Darcy surrounded by smoke. “Darcy! What are you doing?” she shrieked.
“I’m practicing my fire breathing. You know I need a lot of practice,” Darcy said, sputtering and coughing.
“Not in here,” Princess Camelia cried. “Look at my gowns and crowns. They’re sooty. And stinky. And singed.” Princess Camelia clenched her fists. She wanted to scream. She opened her mouth to let out a wail when she heard…
“Camelia dear, breakfast,” the Queen called.
Princess Camelia snapped her mouth shut and growled.
And the sun turned a fierce orange.
But that wasn’t all. Princess Camelia’s day got worse.
Prince Victor, her brother, had used her toothbrush to polish his armor.
“Yuck!” Princess Camelia spit out the polish and paste, and chased after her brother. Running down the stairs, she found the palace peacocks scampering inside the castle. “Oops.” Princess Camelia remembered she had been the last one to close the peacocks’ gilded cage.
Then during her art lesson in the garden a flock of swans flew overhead. But the swans must have been molting because feathers rained down like snow and stuck everywhere. Feathers in her hair, feathers on her dress, and feathers glued to her almost perfect painting.
Princess Camelia ground her teeth together. She wanted to scream. She opened her mouth to let out a wail when she heard…
“Camelia, it’s time to go. We’re launching the Royal Navy’s newest ship,” the Queen said.
Princess Camelia snapped her mouth shut and growled.
And the sun turned the darkest shade of orange.
Then the day got even worse.
Down on the royal docks, with the entire kingdom watching, Princess Camelia caused the most disastrous mishap. All she was supposed to do was lightly swing a bottle of bubbly juice at the bow of the ship. But because she’d had such a royally rotten day, she swung the bottle too hard.
SWOOSH. CRASH! SPLAT! The ship rocked, causing a gigantic wave to splash over the docks.
Princess Camelia, the Queen, and most of the kingdom stood drenched, dripping, and soaked.
Then Princess Camelia saw the Queen’s face flush. She saw the Queen’s fists clench. She heard the Queen’s teeth grind. The Queen looked upset. And she was. Because the Queen had not been having a golden day either.
It had all started that morning when the Queen had thrown open the brocade drapes and heard…SMASH! CRASH! Her favorite potted plant had fallen to the floor. “Not my blooming violets!” the Queen cried. “It’s taken me two years and two different-sized pots to get these violets to grow and bloom.” But then she heard…
“Mom, now what will I wear? Darcy, my dragon has singed all my clothes!”
When the Queen went to the royal dining room, she heard…
CRUNCH. MUNCH. YUM. Peacocks pecking at the family’s breakfast.
Then the Queen heard…
“Mom, Victor used my toothbrush!”
But that wasn’t all. The Queen’s day got worse.
Swan feathers filled the garden and stuck to the royal feast that had been set up in honor of the ship launch.
The royal trumpeters all had colds and could not play at the ship launch.
And the King sent word. He was delayed on his journey. He would not be back for the ship launch.
Then at the ship launch, the day got even worse—Princess Camelia’s disastrous mishap.
SWOOSH! CRASH! SPLAT! SPLASH!
Now both the Queen and the princess stood soaked and upset.
And the sun darkened to a deep fiery red.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.” The Princess and the Queen wailed. “What a royally rotten red day I’ve had,” they both said.
Princess Camelia looked at the Queen. The Queen looked at Princess Camelia. And the whole kingdom looked up at the raging red sun, which was getting hotter and hotter and redder and redder.
“We have to do something,” the Queen cried. “We’re much too upset.”
Suddenly, Princess Camelia had an idea. They had to get rid of the swirling red in both their heads. “Do you know how I feel?” Princess Camelia said. “I’m as mad as a bull.” So she stomped and snorted just like a bull.
The Queen stared at her daughter. But she had to agree, she was as angry as a bull too. So the Queen stomped and snorted just like a bull.
And the blood red sun dimmed to crimson.
Princess Camelia pawed at the air. “I’m as mad as a bear,” she said.
The Queen stared. But she had to agree she was as irked as a bear too. So she pawed the air.
And the sun cooled to a rusty maroon.
Princess Camelia said, “I’m as steamed as a snake.” So she wiggled and hissed.
The Queen stared. But she had to agree she was as steamed as a snake too. So she wiggled and hissed.
And the sun cooled to orange.
Princess Camelia looked at her mother wiggling and hissing, and she couldn’t help but giggle. And the Queen looked at Princess Camelia and she giggled too. Soon the whole kingdom was laughing as hard as a herd of hyenas.
And the sun transformed back to a gleaming glorious gold.
Everyone returned to the palace where they feasted in the garden, being careful to pick the feathers from their food. And when the King arrived, the royal family proclaimed a new family rule. When your mood turns bad, it’s best to stomp, snort, wiggle or hiss—before the day turns royally rotten.
the end
Question Time:
1. Why did Princess Camelia have a rotten day?
2. Why did the Queen have a rotten day?
3. What happened at the ship?
4. What did they do to make their day better?
