by Tracey Glasspool –
Princess Maude lived with her mother and father, the Queen and King.
She was very clever, very pretty and very funny.
But she was also very bossy, very demanding and she had very bad manners.
She wanted everything to be magnificent – nothing else was good enough.
“I want a cake,” she said to the Baker. “Make it magnificent!”
So the Baker baked a delicious strawberry cake and…
“Lovely!” said everyone.
“Not good enough!” said Princess Maude. “Do it again.”
So the Baker worked all day and made a scrumptious strawberry and chocolate cake and…
“Wonderful!” said everyone.
“Still not good enough!” said Princess Maude. “Do it again.”
So the Baker stirred and whisked and mixed all day and all night until she had baked a glorious strawberry, chocolate and raspberry cake, covered with whipped cream and marzipan and honeycomb chunks and…
“MAGNIFICENT!” said Princess Maude.
“I want some flowers,” Princess Maude said to the florist. “Make them magnificent!”
So the Florist arranged some pretty yellow roses and…
“Lovely!” said everyone.
“Not good enough!” said Princess Maude. “Do it again.”
So the Florist worked all day, arranging some beautiful yellow roses and white lilies and…
“Wonderful!” said everyone.
“Still not good enough!” said Princess Maude. “Do it again.”
So the Florist trimmed and picked and pruned all day and all night until he had arranged some stunning yellow roses, white lilies and orange tulips with feathery green leaves, bright red berries and glittery twigs and…
“MAGNIFICENT!” said Princess Maude.
“I want a dress,” Princess Maude said to the Dressmaker. “Make it magnificent!”
So the Dressmaker made a dazzling pink satin dress and…
“Lovely!” said everyone.
“Not good enough!” said Princess Maude. “Do it again.”
So the Dressmaker worked all day and made an amazing pink satin and cream silk dress and…
“Wonderful!” said everyone.
“Still not good enough!” said Princess Maude. “Do it again.”
So the Dressmaker snipped and pinned and stitched all day and all night until she had made a spectacular pink satin, cream silk and white lace dress covered with sequins and pearls and feathers and…
“MAGNIFICENT!” said Princess Maude.
It was the day before Princess Maude’s birthday.
“I must have a party.” said Princess Maude. “Fetch the Baker, the Florist and the Dressmaker.”
But the Baker now screamed every time she saw an egg and wasn’t allowed anywhere near the royal kitchens.
The Florist started sneezing and wheezing whenever he saw a flower and wasn’t allowed anywhere near the royal gardens.
And the Dressmaker was twitching so badly she definitely wasn’t allowed anywhere near the royal scissors.
“Bother!” said Princess Maude.
“Well,” she said, “I shall have to do it myself. After all, how difficult can it be?”
But, even though Princess Maude spent all day and all night mixing and whisking, pruning and picking, pinning and stitching…
Her cake exploded all over the kitchen.
Her flowers made the castle look like a compost heap.
And as for her dress –
“Why are you wearing the curtains dear?” asked the Queen.
Princess Maude’s birthday party was a complete DISASTER!
“I’m sorry,” said Princess Maude in a tiny voice.
“I had no idea how difficult everything was. Or how hard everyone worked.”
Then she clapped her hands.
“I will hold a party for the Baker, the Florist and the Dressmaker – to show them all how sorry I am,” she said.
The Queen went pale.
“Are you sure dear?” she said.
“Well,” said Princess Maude, “perhaps I might need a little help?”
The Queen smiled, and with everyone’s help the party was soon ready.
The three guests of honour were brought in…
The Baker (who whimpered ever so quietly when she saw the delicious freshly baked cake),
the Florist (who blew his nose ever so gently when he saw the beautifully arranged flowers),
and the Dressmaker (who twitched ever so slightly when she saw the pretty new dress).
“I am very sorry,” said Princess Maude. “I didn’t realise how clever you all are.” She looked around.
“I promise,” she continued, “never to be so fussy again!”
And everyone, even the Baker, the Florist and the Dressmaker, clapped and cheered.
“Princess Maude,” they all shouted, “you are …
MAGNIFICENT!”
the end
Question Time:
1. What was the princess like?
2. What kind of cake did she order the Baker to make?
3. How many times did the Florist have to make the flower arrangement for the princess?
4. How did the princess finally realize how hard the Baker, the Florist and the Dressmaker had all worked?
5. Who was the party for?
