by Ann Burnett –
There was once a princess who would not eat. “But you must eat,” said her mom who was the queen. “You’ll fade away to nothing.”
“I don’t care,” said the princess.
“If you don’t eat, you won’t grow up into a big strong princess,” said her pop the king.
“I don’t want to be a big strong princess.” Nothing would convince her to eat. Her parents stopped her pocket money, put her to bed without any tea, (she didn’t mind that) and even kept her inside (she did mind that). But still she did not eat.
One Sunday, the queen called for her chief chef. “Chief chef, can you make a dish that the princess will eat?”
“Most certainly, Queen,” said the chief chef. “Right away.” He worked in the kitchens all day and then presented the dish to the queen. “French fries, slaw, and wieners covered in tomato ketchup,” he said. The queen showed it to the princess.
“Yuck,” she said. “I’m not eating that.” And she threw it over the chief chef.
On Monday, the chief chef tried again. “Ice cream, chocolate sauce, raspberries, and cherries,” he announced, offering the dish to the princess.
“Pooh!” said the princess. “I don’t like that.” And she pushed the chief chef’s face into it.
On Tuesday, the chief chef was very busy. “Custard and hamburgers with rhubarb and cheese sauce,” he said. The princess sniffed at it.
“Hmmm,” she said. She took a mouthful and spat it out. “It tastes horrible!” she yelled and threw it to the royal cat.
On Wednesday, the chief chef was looking worried. At last, he marched up the stairs from the kitchens with a large dish. “Fish heads with orange Jell-O, peanut butter, and teabags.”
“Do try some dear,” said the queen. “It looks…delicious.”
The princess poked it with her finger. “It smells dreadful,” she said and put it on her pop’s throne. Squelch! went the king when he sat down.
Thursday was a busy day in the kitchens. All sorts of cooking smells wafted up through the palace.
“Roast beef,” sniffed a maid.
“Treacle pudding,” said a footman.
“Meaty bones,” snuffled Rex the king’s dog.
“Salmon soufflé,” purred the royal cat.
At last, the chief chef came out with his latest dish. “Tutti-frutti ice cream with marshmallows, meringues, and marzipan mayonnaise,” he said, feeling very pleased.
“That looks scrumptious,” said the king, helping himself to a spoonful.
“You can have it then,” said the princess. “I’m not eating that.”
The king ate every mouthful of it and then he was sick.
“Serves you right for being greedy,” said the princess. “I’m glad I didn’t eat any.”
“I think it was a bit rich,” the queen told the chief chef. “Something simple for tomorrow.”
On Friday, the chief chef read every recipe book he had. Then he read them again. He scratched his head and worried all day until he had no time left to cook. Quickly, he opened a can of tomato soup.
“Er, tomato soup,” he said, setting it down in front of the princess.
“Is that all?” she yelled. “How boring! I’m not eating that!”
The chief chef took off his chief chef’s hat. “I’m leaving,” he said to the king and queen. “I’ve had enough.”
“Don’t go,” begged the king. “What will we do? Our daughter is getting thinner and thinner. How can we make her eat?”
“Send for Jack, the wisest man in the world,” said the chief chef.
“Fetch him right away,” ordered the queen.
On Saturday, Jack, the wisest man in the world, who was the chief chef’s brother, was very busy when the messenger arrived.
“Oh, dear,” he said when he heard the news. “I was going to cut my corn and milk my cows today.” But Jack had to go to the palace instead.
“What do you want?” he asked the king and queen.
“Our daughter won’t eat,” they said. “Can you help?”
Jack looked at the princess. She was sitting on her throne pulling the loose threads out and kicking the footstool. “I’m bored,” she said. “There’s nothing to do and nothing I want to eat. It’s all boring.”
“I know where the most delicious food in all the world is to be had,” said Jack. “But only a few special people can eat it.”
“Where’s that?” asked the princess.
“I don’t know if you will be able to get there,” said Jack. “It’s a long way.”
“Of course I can do it,” said the princess. “Let’s go.”
The princess set off with Jack. They walked for miles and miles.
“Is it far now?” asked the princess.
“Yes,” said Jack. “Very far. I told you it would be.” They walked on and on.
“I’m thirsty,” said the princess. “And hungry. Can I have something to eat?”
“Not until we reach the most delicious food in the world,” said Jack.
At last, they reached his cottage.
“First we must gather in the corn,” said Jack. The princess helped cut the corn and stack it in heaps.
“I’m starving,” said the princess. “Where is this special food?”
“Be patient,” said Jack. “We have to thresh the corn.” The princess helped thresh the corn and then grind it into flour. She helped Jack mix the flour into dough and put it near the fire to rise.
“I’m absolutely ravenous,” said the princess. “Where is this food?”
“Not yet,” said Jack. “Now we have to milk the cows.” The princess sat beside a cow and squeezed the milk into a bucket. When she had finished, she helped Jack pour the milk into a tub and add rennet to make cheese.
“I could eat a horse,” said the princess. “Can we go and find this delicious food now?”
“Wait,” said Jack, “we have to bake the bread.” The princess shaped the dough into loaves and put them in the oven. Soon a rich baking smell filled the cottage.
“Ooh,” sighed the princess. “I’ve never smelt anything so wonderful before.”
“We haven’t finished yet,” said Jack. “Fill the bucket from the well.” The princess went to the well and lowered the bucket. When she pulled it up, the bucket was full of clear sparkling water. She carried it into the kitchen. Jack, the wisest man in the world, was sitting at the table with a fresh baked loaf of bread and the cheese he had made.
“Come and taste the most delicious food in the world,” he said to the princess. The princess ate the bread and cheese and drank the water from the well. She ate and ate and ate until there was not a crumb left.
“You were right,” said the princess. “That was the most delicious food in the world! And I’ve been so busy working, I haven’t been bored all day.”
“Would you like to come back and help me again next Saturday?” Jack asked.
“Yes,” the princess said with a smile. “As long as I get to eat as much as I want when we’re done!”
the end
Question Time:
1. What did the king and queen do to try and get the princess to eat?
2. What types of food did the chief chef cook for her?
3. What did Jack, the wisest man in the world do?
4. What did the princess do in the end?
