31. Honest

"Are you crying just to get attention?" 

"Yes." His three year old said.

The only thing he could was roll his eyes, the perfect balance between annoyance at her whining and amusement at her honesty. Sometimes, you just have to ignore the battle and enjoy the clamor.

So they shared ice cream. 

30. Birthday

6

Cake and candles

Ice cream pie

Decorations

Gifts oh my

26

Friends and family

Gathered round

Laughter joy and

Love abound

29. Three years old

Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuun

Stop. 

Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuun

Stop. 

Ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun

Stop.

Rollrollrollrollrollrollroll

Crash. 

I never liked that lamp anyway.

28. Antelope, Antelope, Where Do You Run?

Antelope, antelope, where do you run?

I run through the grasslands and play in the sun.

Octopus, octopus, where do you swim?

I swim in the ocean where the light is so dim.

Parakeet, Parakeet, where do you sing?

I sing from my perch while I gently swing.

Elephant, elephant, where to you tromp?

I tromp on the plain where my baby can romp.

Hummingbird, hummingbird, where do you fly?

I fly on the wind in the bright, blue sky.

Anteater, anteater, where do you walk?

I walk in the jungle where no man will talk.

Chimpanzee, chimpanzee, where do you hang?

I hang from the limbs of the trees with my gang.

Ocelot, ocelot, where do you lie?

I lie in the tree branches, way up high.

Grasshopper, grasshopper, where do you  jump?

I jump in a bush without even a thump.

Crocodile, crocodile, where do you crawl?

I crawl in the mud where the grass is tall.

Platypus, platypus, where do you play?

I play in the pond, in the mud and the clay.

Butterfly, butterfly, where do you sleep?

I sleep on a tree trunk so tall and steep.

27. Alfred pt 2

"Alfred? You had something you wished to say?"

I gulped back my nerves before answering. I used to think she would get less intimidating the more I spoke to her. She hadn't. "Yes, Your Majesty. I think we can use this glass slipper to find Prince Edmond's lady." She eyed me a bit skeptically but told me to go on, so I did. "I don't know if you ever saw the lady, ma'am, but she had a small build. Small hands, small waist."

"I'm sure every lady is small to you, Alfred." She gestured at my height and Edmond snorted. 

I smiled as politely as I could. It wasn't as if I had chosen to be so tall. "Yes, You're Majesty. But she was even smaller than you. I would wager that slipper she left behind is small, too." 

"He's right," Edmond took over. "I doubt even you could fit your foot into this shoe, Mother."

She scoffed at him. "Oh please. I don't know anyone with smaller feet than me."

"Try it," he suggested, holding the little shoe out to her.

The queen sat down and removed her own shoe, before carefully taking his lady's shoe from him. She slipped her foot into the toe, but her heel would not follow it. She tried again, angling her foot more to the side, but still it would not fit. After another attempt, she pulled the shoe off and set it on her lap. "My word," she whispered. "Alfred, tell us the rest of your plan please."

"Well, we go through the town and try this slipper on the foot of every woman who is at home. We do it now, before everyone leaves. There can't be that many women who aren't here. You know the invitations included every person. I know some people must have stayed home, especially since tonight is the third night of dancing, but there can't be that many."

Edmond got his looks from his father. But he got his mannerisms from his mother. I would have laughed at the perfection of their matching grimaces if they hadn't been so serious.

"You already sent them all home, didn't you," I said, not really asking. Edmond nodded mutely.

Silence filled the room as we all tried to come up with a new solution. Finally Edmond stepped forward. "We'll follow your plan, Alfred. But it will be every maiden, and it won't be us. If I do it, it will cause too much curiosity. I don't want anyone trying to fit into the shoe in order to be my bride. We'll send someone no one will think to connect to me."

"And what if someone who is not your lady does fit into her slipper?" The queen asked. "What will you do, then?" 

Edmond shrugged. "If she fits, she'll be taken to the court cobbler. I'll meet anyone who fits there. And it'll be easy to pick her out from the smaller selection. I'll  talk with them and find her."

"And if she refuses to come? She did run when she found out who you are."

"I can only hope the reason she ran is because she is not nobility and she was afraid I wouldn't want her. But I do. And if she doesn't come, I'll find her another way. But I think she will come."

"Well then," I said, taking the little glass slipper from him, "let's go find a foot-hunter."

26. The Legend of the Saguaros

Many years ago, when the world was new, the Gods smiled down and blessed the people with the Sun. A young boy named Saguaro devoted his life to the worship of the Gods. 

In acknowledgement of his devotion, the Gods blessed the him with immortality and power over the land. They placed him on a hill and told him to walk. His feet would move the earth. As he walked, a river sprouted at his heels. So long as he kept walking the river would flow, the Sun would never set on the land, and the land would thrive. 

So he walked and the land thrived. His people thrived in the land. Animals swarmed to his river, and life was bounteous. He walked, never sleeping, never tiring, never hungering, for the Gods nourished him as he walked. Generations passed, and though his people grew in number, Saguaro grew ever more lonely. 

For one thousand years Saguaro walked, until one day, a young boy offered him a loaf of bread. Hungry for companionship, Saguaro accepted the offer and ate with the boy.

The Gods saw it as betrayal. As punishment for abandoning his devotion to them, the Gods turned the boy into a lizard and cursed Saguaro. His feet were rooted to the ground beneath him and spines grew from his skin to ward off any other who might try to befriend him. The river ceased to flow, and the land dried up. Without the river to support them, Saguaro's people moved on. Unable to find food, most animals sought new shelter. The land became desert. 

Overcome with grief, Saguaro raised his arms to beseech the forgiveness of the Gods and beg for mercy on his land. Appeased, the Gods granted Saguaro's wish, turning him into the cactus we know today, his arms ever reaching toward the heavens, his body providing the water and shelter needed by the desert animals, including the lizard, who remained behind with him. 

25. Sister to an army

My brother went to war today. They all decided to go together. There are only a handful of boys left in the city. A few are sick. A few chose not to go. Even little David went. He only just reached his twelfth year. Mother says we will see them again. I am not as certain, but I hope she is right. They have gone to defend our freedom. Father tried to stop Benjamin, but Benji said God would protect him. They all kept saying that. I hope they are right. Otherwise there will be no one for me to marry. 

24. Spelling is nonsense

Tourney tot

Corny caught

Mourny mot

Forny fought

Slouchy slime

Couchy climb

Grouchy grime

Louchy lime

23. Alfred

"She left her shoe behind?" I asked incredulously? 

"She fell," Edmond explained. "The heel was wedged between two cobblestones when I got to it. I saw her fall, but she was too far away. I guess she took the other off and carried it, because she didn't seem hampered at all. Then she turned a corner, and by the time I reached this, she had disappeared. There's no trace of her, Alf. She's gone."

He looked lost. Just sitting there, staring at her shoe in his hands. 

"And you really have no idea who she might be? She gave you no hints? No names of any sort?"

He moaned as if in pain. "No. Nothing. And I didn't ask. How could I ask her to reveal information I was not willing to give? If I'd asked her name, she would have asked mine. I don 't know why she she hid who she was, but it kept me from having to reveal myself. I was going to tell her tonight, Alf. You know I was. I just..."

He trailed off into a sigh and I waited patiently for him to continue. I knew not to interrupt. He'd finish his thought when he found the right words. He was funny like that, even as a kid. Most boys would prattle on, trying to impress others with their sometimes faulty knowledge. Never Edmond. He would wait until he was sure about something and then be most precise in his presentation. 

"I was enjoying her company. I loved the ease that I felt talking with her. Being with her. I was afraid if she knew who I was then it would end." He sighed again, leaning his back against the wall behind him. "I guess I was right. As soon as she found out, she bolted. She doesn't want a prince. I was foolish to think she would."

I pitied him, sitting there forlornly, agonizing over his loss. He was the prince, heir to the throne. All our lives he had had girls eager to be by his side. As far as I knew, this was the first time one had run from him.

It gave me an idea, and I took the little glass shoe from him. "She ran? Where did you lose sight of her?"

"Just past the bridge. The cobbles are bigger there, the design poorer."

"So she ran past all of the carriages? Into town?"

"Yes."

"She ran." I said it again, hoping he would catch on.

"Yes, Alfred. I told you that already. She ran away as soon as she heard that girl say I was the prince." 

He didn't seem to understand. I crouched down in front of him so that we were eye-level. "Ed." I waited for him to look up at me, and I offered the dainty glass slipper as I spoke. "She ran. In these. She didn't get into a carriage. She ran."

His eyes lit up as he realized what I was saying. "She lives nearby." I nodded. He stood and spoke quickly, excitement growing in his voice. "She must live in town. Or just outside. She disappeared so quickly, she must have known where she was going. Of course. That's why she knew so much about the ambassadors and court proceedings and my father. Do you think she's nobility?"

I had reached this point in my own thoughts before him but I still hadn't decided. "I'm not sure. From what you've told me about her, she seems too knowledgeable not to be. How many bakers or cobblers or washerwomen do you know who know about Pion's Crest or The Figure of Escon? But if she came on foot...even Lord and Lady Danelly came in a carriage. No one has a shorter distance to travel than they do."

"A bookkeeper's daughter?" He suggested. 

"Possibly," I agreed. "Or the servant of a generous Lord." 

A knock sounded at the door and the queen entered. I bowed to her and removed myself to a corner while she spoke quietly with Edmond. 

Truthfully, I had no idea who this girl might be. She was a walking contradiction. She spoke too well to be a servant, but cared more about the lower classes than any noblewoman I'd ever met. What noblewoman would run away after finding out she was with the prince? But what servant could afford shoes as fine as hers?

"The shoe!" I nearly shouted, startling myself even more than Edmond and the queen. I hadn't meant to speak at all. I blushed at the queen's surprised look. It had been years since I'd spoken out of turn in her presence. Edmond and I were always so much less for formal when we were alone and she had chided us about it several times as boys. Now I stood, abashedly waiting for her approval, the young, brash boy again. 

The queen spoke to a page quietly and waited for him to leave the room before turning her attention back to me. "Alfred? You had something you wished to say?"

22. A recipe for bath time.

Ingredients:

1 mother

3 days of sickness

1 7 month old boy, crawling

1 2-3 year old girl

Approx 25 dirty dishes

Hot water

1 large bottle of dish soap

1 box of skittles

3 boxes of crayons, separated 

Several sheets of paper

100% chance of rain

Chipmunk (optional)

Directions:

1. Coat mother's head with three days of sickness. Pound her, stuff her, strain her, rub it all over her. Leave no part of her uncoated.

2. Allow unwashed dishes to sit in the sink for several days until unbearably smelly. Mother will decide she can't put them off any longer. Set aside.

3. Place 2-3 year old girl at kitchen table with 1 box of crayons and paper. Add 100% chance of rain. 

4. Place 7 month old boy with age-appropriate toys in living room to entertain himself. 

5. While mother is washing dishes, have girl decide she wants the 2 remaining boxes of crayons instead of the 1 she has been given. Girl must get them on her own. When girl has pulled all the crayons out of their boxes, have her decide that paper is not a good enough material for her artworks. Combine girl, crayons, and boy. Spread mixture evenly on tile floor.

6. While boy is chewing on crayons, have girl decide she wants skittles. Inside is too bland. For better flavor mix girl, skittles, and 100% chance of rain.

7. Cover girl and boy with rain-soaked skittles. Let soak until girl yells in delighted squeal, "Mama! Look at me!" brandishing fingers, hair, and faces of boy and girl, completely covered in sticky, colorful mess. 

8. Mother should now be foggy-headed, stuffy-nosed, and cover in soap bubbles. Mother should slip on loose crayons, splashing soapy water everywhere as she falls firmly on her bottom.

9. Garnish with chipmunk, if desired. 

Recipe makes 3 servings of laughter, tears, and baths. 

21. The First Stepsister

I'd narrowed it down to just five men. I was rather proud of myself. Of all the men at that ball, I'd figured out which ones could not be Prince Edmond. And there were only five left. I told Mother what I'd learned. 

"Are you absolutely certain, Muriel?" She asked me. Of course I was certain. I had danced and talked and eyed my way through all of these men the past three nights. I hadn't been wasting my time with unsuitable men like Denise had. As soon as I knew he wasn't the prince, I'd moved on to the next. It wasn't hard, really. Most of them had willingly unmasked themselves before I got to them anyway. 

"Yes, Mother. I am certain. If Prince Edmond is here, he is one of those five." I pointed them out to her. I had done the hard work. Now it was her turn to introduce us. It would be a waste of my time if she approached the wrong man. 

"That man, there, with the red cape. He says he is from Dunningshire, but it may be a ruse. His voice matches the description of the prince. The rest I haven't yet been able to determine anything about. By the third pillar, there's a man with a blue mask and matching trousers, do you see him?"

She stood on her toes to see. "With the black mask or the green?"

I rolled my eyes at her ignorance. "The the green. The black masked man is far too short to be Edmond." Edmond. Yes, I would call him that some day as his wife.

"Alright, who else?" She huffed so much I wondered if she would actually be any help with this. 

No, I decided. Let her try those two and I'd take the others. Those were the least likely of the five, anyway. 

"Now, Mother, you must remember to be careful. You mustn't scare him away with a direct approach. Edmond mustn't know we are looking until we have found him."

She nodded and disappeared into the crowd. Now it was my turn. 

I had only three men left, and of these, my Edmond could be any. 

I took my closest option first. Green trousers. Green doublet. Green mask. Green hat. Green feather. This man liked green. I looked fabulous in green. I pictured myself dazzling everyone at our wedding, draped as I would surely be in green gemstones if this were my prince. 

I walked up to his side and gave my deepest curtsy. 

"Sire, would you honor me by allowing me to dance with you?" I looked up in time to see him knock his neighbor's drink from his hand. Not a good sign.

"M...mm...m...me?" Definitely not a good sign. He grabbed at his throat as if he were choking. "Y...you want..ttt...to d...dance with m...m...me?"

I had to get out. "No." 

On to the next. 

Only two left. Should I go with bird mask man or black and slim? I decided on the bird mask. I'd seen him wandering around among the other visitors most of the last few days. That's what a prince would do, right? Observe the revelers. Well, if I was wrong, at least I'd know. 

I strode toward the man with the bird mask. I was determined not to waste any more of my time being without my prince. The rest of this night all eyes would be on Edmond and I as we danced the night away. I had been working up to this moment for years. 

I approached. He was unmoving. Tall, proud, strong. Exactly like a prince should be.

His mask gave me the idea. "You like birds? I adore them. They're so free and delightful. My father owns hundreds of all sorts of birds." That wasn't the least bit true, but he didn't have to know that. "Which is your favorite?"

He said something I couldn't understand. I didn't know anything about birds. For all I knew it was the name of some rare bird.

"Oh, those are lovely," I replied in my flirtiest voice, laying my hand on his arm.

He put his hand on mine and I knew instantly that this could not be Edmond. These hands were coarse and calloused. These were workers' hands, not royal hands. 

I walked away without even a word. He was a tradesman. A worker. He should count himself lucky that I spoke to him at all.

I scanned the crowd for Mother and quickly found her. She was watching me and as soon as our eyes met she shook her head. No. Well, I didn't think they were him anyway. So that just left one.

There he stood, in black cloth from head to toe. He was like a lovely, dark beacon. How could this be anyone else? Regal. Handsome. Tall. Everything I dreamed of. Of course, it was hard to tell for sure if it was him. I knew what he looked like, but his defining features were hidden by that little black mask. But he was perfection itself. 

Now I just had to figure out a way to gain his attention. He was talking to some little trollop who was quite obviously not his equal. She was diminutive and flighty. Even smaller than our scullery maid, if possible. She looked so pathetic next to him. Her dress was nice, but it did not have nearly fabric to it. There's no way she could have been nobility. Not in that. I had to admit, though, I did envy her shoes. I'd never seen anything like them.

Whoever she was, she was taking far too much of his attention. I fanned myself elegantly. He didn't look up. I brushed his arm with mine. He didn't notice. I even coughed a little, hoping for some reaction - any reaction. Nothing! 

So much for subtlety. I had to get him to notice me. So I tripped. Mother would have been proud, if she were watching. I fell right across him and he caught me, just at the right height. He really was perfect. But so was I. Because I managed to pull his mask off on my way. And I was right. It was my Edmond!

"Oh, my goodness!" I feigned embarrassment. I was quite the good actress. "I am so sorry, Your Highness. Thank you for catching me." He looked much too surprised to have me in his arms. But he wasn't looking at me. He was still looking at that mite! 

"Your Highness?" She asked him. What a moron. 

"What else would you call the prince, girl?" I laughed, gripping his coat. And then she just turned around and ran! She really was stupid.

He tried to run after her, so I cling tighter. I had to distract him quickly. I grabbed my ankle and cried, "Oooh! I think I've twisted it. Please, sire, can you help me to a seat? I think I had better rest a while." 

But he didn't help me. He didn't help me at all. He just thrust me into the arms of some tall bumbling fool he called over, Albert, I think he called him, and then he left! My plan had failed. I had searched and searched for him. I had found my Edmond. And then I lost him. 

20. A bit of yellow

It's yellow. Not happy, sunshiny yellow. Give a bit more orange to it. And some brown. But not too much or you've got the wrong shade. Now speckle it with that dark brown you were thinking of. Only a few here and there. Take that besmattered yellow and fold it into a tube. Point your ends. Now stretch one end out a little. Don't pull it too far or you'll ruin it. Just a small tug. Perfect. Square out that end a bit. Now the other. Just the tip, mind. Just the tip. Now bend that tube. Not that far! Easy does it. Like a spoon, not an unbrella hook. Smooth out the sides a bit. Just a bit. No, they don't have to be even. How many? Hard to say you don't want definite creases. More like bends. Those squared ends -- make them brown. That same speckley brown you used before. Perfect. Now rip off that longer brown end. Pull it down, down, down. Pull that yellow. Down. Take your first bite. What do you taste?

19. Engaged

Yellow flowers

White dress

Knee to floor

I say yes

Laugh and hug

Love him so

He's my favorite

Jacob Grow

18. Follow the Prophet, verses 10-12

To the tune of "Follow the Prophet"

https://www.lds.org/music/library/childrens-songbook/follow-the-prophet?lang=eng

Samuel got older, went to visit Saul.

He was running late; Saul had to make the call.

The sacrifice was started. It was the wrong choice.

God prefers obedience. It makes Him rejoice.

Nathan was a prophet, sent to scold the king.

David took Uriah's wife, then they had a fling.

Nathan said "That's naughty. You should stop right now!"

David said, "You're right, man. I'll go kill a cow."

The prophet Jeremiah, he was very sad.

Jews were taken captive. They were being bad.

He tried really hard to get them to repent.

They were just too stubborn, so he did lament.

17. The Queen Pt 2

The queen eyed him flatly. "Excuse me?"

"I don't know her name," he admitted after a pause.

"Is she nobility?"

Silence.

"Is she from one of nearby villages?"

Still he didn't answer. 

The queen sighed, shaking her head to cover her laughter as she asked "does she look like anyone we know?"

His response was quiet, but firm. "I don't know. She hasn't taken off her mask. I couldn't very well ask her to remove hers without expecting her to request the same thing. I don't know why she hasn't asked me to, but I'm grateful." He chuckled to himself and smirked. "We've spent the last two nights talking about everything from farming techniques to war to the great philosophers, and yet I don't know anything about who she is. I know what she thinks and feels, but I don't know what she does with her days. I feel like our souls know each other intimately, but our faces remain a secret. Isn't it odd? So many of the people I meet as the royal heir only let me see a facade. I have no idea what is hidden behind their faces. And yet, with her, I have seen her heart, and her face is a mystery to me."

She considered her son for moment before answering. Here he was. The future king. Her baby boy. But he wasn't a baby anymore, she realized. He had grown up and was beginning to shoulder the responsibilities of his role. 

"You're so much like your father," she said. He smiled at the compliment and she sighed again, throwing her hands up in defeat. "Alright, so you've found your queen. You do know you'll have to tell her who you are eventually if you want her to marry you."

"I know that," he replied. "I'll tell her tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" She questioned. "Why not tonight? There is the possibility, however small, that she may not wish to marry the prince. If she refuses you, you'll not have much time to find someone else if you really don't want to marry Gianette. You know your father wants to see you married before..." She choked on her words, unable to finish.

"I know," he said placing a hand in his mother's shoulder. "And I will. No matter what she says. But I can't tell her tonight. She's already gone."

16. Game of Tag.

Tag, you're it.

Tag, I'm it. 

Now it's you and now it's me.

Tag, you're it.

Tag, I'm it.

Run around, now set free!

15. The Queen

"Edmond? Are you alright? Albert said you wanted to speak with me." The queen shut the door behind her as she entered the small library. "Why aren't you out there dancing with the others?" She put her hand gently on his shoulder when he didn't answer. "What is it?"

The prince turned toward her and licked his lips."I'm not going to marry Gianette," he replied simply.

Confused, she sat down slowly across from him and watched as he chose his words. She sat silently, waiting for him to continue.

"You know as well as I do that she's not a good match for me. Not as a queen and not as a wife." He paused, waiting for some kind of sign from his bother but she revealed nothing so he continued. "I know I agreed to marry before the year is over. I intend to honor that agreement. But it won't be Gianette."

"You've found someone here at these balls? Someone who will make you happy? Someone who will help you lead your kingdom into a better future?"

He nodded solemnly.

"And it's not Gianette?"

"No."

"Gianette is beautiful. She'll bring a handsome dowry to your treasury. Your marriage could help forge a stronger alliance with her father. You've known her since before you could walk."

"I am not marrying Gianette."

"You're sure?"

"I am."

The queen let out a gust of breath and stood, laughing as she hugged her son. "Well, I, for one, am glad to hear it."

Edmond was stunned. He blinked and sputtered, "you are?" 

She laughed at his surprise and patted his cheek. "I can't stand her. And I never thought she was good enough for you. But then a mother never does think anyone is good enough to marry her boy. But tell me, who is this girl whom you seem to think is good enough? Do we know her parents? Is she of royal birth?" She stopped, confused by his sudden reticence. "What is it?"

He shuffled his feet, obviously uncomfortable.

"Edmond?"

"I...I don't know who she is," he answered awkwardly.

The queen eyed him flatly. "Excuse me?"

14. The Prince pt 3 -- The Second Ball

"Where did you go last night? I came back like I said I would but you weren't here? I looked for you the rest of the night but I couldn't find you."

Her head bowed as if in shame as she offered her apology. "I'm so sorry. I had to return home early. It couldn't be helped and I didn't know how to find you to say goodbye. 

He lifted her chin until he could see her eyes. Their color was beautiful and he wondered what other beauty lay behind the delicate mask she wore. "Then, you did not leave because I offended you in some way? You were not avoiding me ?"

She laughed lightly as she twirled away from him with her arms outstretched, taking in the night air and he thought she looked and sounded like a fairy must, though he had never met one. "No, of course not. I had a wonderful time last night. I only wish I had been able to stay longer." 

He followed her toward the balcony's edge. "Good," he said, "because I've been worrying about it all day. I've been wondering 'What did I say to displease her? Did I step on her toes? Did I slight her father? Did I have bad breath?'"

She laughed again at his playful concern and he mocked pain at her amusement. "Did I have vegetable stuck in my teeth? Did she not like the way my hair fell or the brass of my buttons?"

"Ah, you caught me. I am morally opposed to brass of any sort. Don't you know? You are sorely outdated in your fashion. Why, the King would never knowingly allow any of his subjects to wear brass buttons. They represent the tyranny of evil rulers. They're the stuff of dark times of the past. They are the theft of kings who have preyed on those weaker than them." She playfully toyed with the button on his starched cuff as she feigned displeasure.

He wondered at how much of what she said was truly jest and how much covered her real feelings. He asked casually, hoping he wouldn't give away his real intention, "do you believe King Rupert is like that? A tyrant and a thief?"

"Oh, not at all!" She quickly turned serious and he could see she meant what she said. "He is a wonderful leader. He listens to the people. He encourages learning among his subjects. He has kept us from war far longer than most kings would in his situation, not because it is costly but because he cares for his people! I have never met him, but my father did and he always talked about how kind and generous the king is. I only hope Prince Edmond will rule similarly."

Edmond smiled to himself as he fiddled with the brass button. He was used to hearing his father praised, but he wasn't used to hearing sincerity behind it. When people knew the were speaking to the heir to the throne, they became formal and told him only what they thought he wanted to hear. This girl was different. She didn't know and so her praise was honest, and therefore, to Edmond, more precious.

"Well then, these buttons will have to go," Edmond said. He ripped the button off and threw it over the balcony ledge as far as he could. 

He laughed heartily as her hands flew to her mouth and she gasped. "No, you can't!" She tried to stop him as he reached for the matching button of his other cuff, but he tore it from his sleeve and pressed it into her tiny hand.

"Down with tyranny and oppression," he whispered into her ear.

13. Learning letters

Monster, monkey, magic, mud.

Crayon, cookie, cricket, crud.

Black bear, baby, bathroom, bud.

Dragon, donut, donkey, dud.

Hippo, hunger, hairspray, hay

Lion, lemon, leopard, lei.

Queen bee, quilting, quarter, quay

Tiger, teapot, taco, tray

Salmon, soda, sandwich, sea

Penguin, parsley, potty, pee

All these words you hear from me,

I teach preschool, tee hee hee

12. Lullaby

Sleep, little baby,

Your mother is here.

I'll love you always.

You've nothing to fear.

Dream, little baby,

Of roses and bugs.

Father is coming

To share gentle hugs.

Smile, little baby,

For joy and for love.

Jesus is watching

From Heaven above.

Live, little baby,

Your life full of glee.

Live and be happy

Your spirit is free. 

11. Laban's Sword

He went to town. He found a sword

Beside a very drunken lord.

He knew his people long would live

But to a war their lives would give.

An angel told him "slay that man,

And take his sword into your land. 

Your people need his plates of brass

To teach their kids about the past."

He slew the man and took his clothes,

Rich garb he wore from head to toes.

To Laban's servant, Nephi ran

And got the scriptures from the man.

But with the sword what should he do?

The weapon would bring swords anew.

And with these swords much death would come.

He prayed, God said "One battle's done.

"This sword one day will do more good

Than riches, gold, or bounteous food."

Then Nephi took the sword a plates

And exited the city gates.

10. Motherhood

dirty diapers poo

spit up fevers mushy food

the life of a mom

9. The Prince pt 2 - The First Ball

Edmond adjusted his mask one last time before he followed a group of giggling girls into the grand ballroom. The black mask was simple and followed the curves of his face without covering his ears, and leaving his jaw free move as he wished. He planned to find a bride he could talk to, someone well-informed and interested in the world.

As the last notes of a waltz died, he watched his father stand and welcome those in the room. The speech was short and dignified. Edmond had always been impressed with the way his father could say so much in so few words. He hoped he would be able to handle the pressures of the kingdom when it was his turn to rule as well as his father had. He made a mental note to ask his father for advice on speech-making the next day and then turned to the woman standing next to him as the orchestra began the introduction to the next piece. 

"May I have this dance, my lady?" He asked with a bow. The slender woman looked him up and down and turned her back on him without even a word. 

He laughed quietly to himself at her arrogance, muttered "I guess not" under his breath and walked away to find another partner to dance with. 

He was rejected three more times before he spotted Alfred's lion-headed mask bobbing above the crowd. He edged his way around groups of nobles until he reached his friend. "Surely you are having better luck than I am," he jested as Alfred removed his mask.

"I doubt it," Alfred replied. "It would seem I'm 'much too enormous' to be the prince. Do you know they are all waiting for you to show up?"

Edmond laughed. "I do. See that girl in the flashy purple dress and the giant gold feather coming out of her head? She told me she couldn't dance with me because she was going to marry me. Apparently we're the best of friends and I would be devastated if she wasn't available for my first dance."

"Who is she?"

"I haven't got a clue."

They laughed together before moving on to find more willing partners. Together they coaxed a pair of sisters onto the floor and joined the throng of couples. 

As the night wore on many unmasked and more and more people crowded the dance floor. Edmond found himself dancing more often than not as the women gave up the idea of danxing with the mysteriously absent prince. 

But Edmond was disappointed time after time with the character of his dance partners. None could keep his attention long. He was in the arms of a particularly large young woman who smelled like a mix fish and rose petals and who has been droning on and on about how her older sister always got the best jewels when Alfred approached.

"I think I've found her," he whispered into Edmond's ear. 

Edmond nodded and returned his attention to his partner. He let her finish her sentence about the her sister's five-gemmed necklace before he cut in. "If you'll excuse me, ma'am, this gentleman here has some rather urgent business he needs to discuss with me. Please allow me to beg your pardon, but I must leave. I do wish you the best of luck tonight." She shrugged her shoulders and turned away. Before Edmond had rached the watching throng she had found herself a new partner and was chatting away.

Edmond followed Alfred through one of the smaller, adjoining ballrooms and onto an outer balcony. 

Alfred spoke as they walked. "I overheard her discussing the looming war with General Whitney, first. Not many of these ladies even know war is coming, let alone who is threatening us and why. Then she asked him if he thought the war would hurt the harvest or not. The next time I saw her she had Lord Buxley laughing, which I've never seen anyone do before. But the thing that made me know I needed to drag you away from your lovely lady back there was hearing her speak with Linos. Apparently she knows a physician who thinks he's found a way to help with this plague we're dealing with."

"She seems too good to be true," Edmond thumped him on the back and laughed "If you tell me she's got a beautiful nose, I'll tell my father to pack Gianette's bags right now."

"Well, that I don't know. She hasn't removed her mask yet," Alred rubbed his own nose as he considered his friend. "But she does have nice shoes." 

He stopped and pointed to a girl a few feet away from them, chatting with the court physician. 

The girl was delicately built. Her gown was elegant, but stood out in its simplicity. Where most of the dresses at the ball had layers and layers of frills and folds, this one fell gracefully to the floor, barely revealing a glass slipper underneath. She seemed to Edmond to shimmer in the light pouring out from the noisy hall. 

"Thank you, Alfred. I hope that you are right." Alfred nodded and moved forward to engage the physician in conversation , dragging him away from the girl.

Edmond watched as she leaned against the balcony and looked over the lake below. He approached her side and and followed her gaze with his.

"Hello," he said. 

8. The Prince pt1 -- the plan

Prince Edmond stood hidden behind the curtain separating the hallway from the balcony overlooking the main ballroom. The room was beginning to fill with the night's revelers. This was one of his last nights of freedom and it was going to be very free. His father had given him an ultimatum. Not a fatherly ultimatum -- a kingly ultimatum. He had run out of time and this was his last hope. 

Edmond scanned through the growing crowd, his eyes pausing occasionally on a group of girls or a family or a pair of sisters. They all looked so frivolous, standing around in their massive gowns with their huge, ornate masks. One of these girls would be the next queen and it was up to him to decide which. Surely most of these would he better choices than Gianette, the bratty teenager he would be married to if he didn't make a decision before Sunday. 

That was his ultimatum: announce his bride before Sunday, or he would marry Gianette. Edmond shuddered at the thought. Sure, she was pretty. Beautiful, even. But the girl cared only for her appearance. She didn't care if the farmers were struggling to bring in crops. She didn't care that the kingdom was being threatened with war. She didn't care that a plague was taking the lives of children who were too far for the palace physicians to get to in time. She only cared that her face was properly painted and her dresses finely stitched.

No , Edmond would find someone, anyone at one of these balls. He had to. 

Gianette had been furious when she'd been told the balls would be masked balls. Edmond smirked at the memory of her reaction. What good would all of her fancy paints be if her face were hidden? Edmond wouldn't want to marry her if he couldn't see her. What if he chose someone who was disfigured?

Well, Edmond thought, a queen with a disfigured face is better than a queen with a disfigured heart. 

But as he peeked out from his hiding place Edmond worried that finding the good heart he was looking for would be harder than he has thought. He had hoped that being masked would allow the women to be themselves. Everyone could be on the same footing. But no, they had just out all tier beautifying efforts into making their gowns and their masks all the more flashy.

"And this," he spoke out loud to himself with a sigh, "is what our next queen will be."

"Sire, the king has asked for your attendance. He wishes me to inform you that It's time to greet your guests and open the ball." Alfred was a thin, tall man whom Edmond had always thought was too kind for his position as his father's aid. The king did not deserve Alfred's patience or his generosity. But when Alfred's father had died, the king had offered him the position, even though he was only a few years older than Edmond.

Taking a simple black mask from the seat beside him, Edmond said "Please remind my father that I will not be gormally greeting my guests tonight as that would defeat the purpose of this being a masked ball. Please remind him that he is welcome to open the ball himself but that I will be just another mask in the crowd." He placed the mask on his face with a flourish and a bow. "How do I look?"

Alfred grinned and replied. "Completely ordinary, Sire. Almost too ordinary, if you must know. You won't be able to get a single one of those ladies to dance with you. They'll be much too distracted by me."

"You're a good man, Alfred," Edmond said as he rested his hand on his friend's shoulder. "That's exactly what I'm counting on. You take all the ones with golden dresses and I'll be able to find the one with the golden heart. I'll see you downstairs."

7. The Grand Duke

"Geoffrey, this shoe belongs to the maiden my son has spent the last three nights with. You must take it and try it on the foot of every girl in the kingdom until you find the one my son is in love with. Every girl. Leave no one out. Do you understand?"

Do I understand? What is he talking about? How is this supposed to help? A shoe. This shoe could fit half the girls in any town for leagues. And that's how I'm supposed to find this girl? How about narrowing it down some? What color is her hair? How tall is she? Is she thin or far? Short or tall? I know she was wearing a mask, but that only covered part of her. And whose inane idea was it to make these balls masked balls anyway? Why, Your Highness, if you wanted your son to find a bride did you have them all cover their faces? And why do I have to try this shoe on all their feet? Can't I just ask if they have the other shoe? I hate feet! Feet are gross! Feet are disgusting! Feet smell! Especially feet that have been dancing for three nights in a row! Why don't I just ask them all to rub their sweaty armpits on my face while they're at it? Or why don't we just say we'll have a fourth ball and see who comes with only one shoe? Or at least then that would narrow down the search a little! Why do I have to try it on the foot of every girl? Surely the pig-farmers' daughters didn't come. Or if they did, they could not have paid for a dress like hers. So that could narrow down the search. How many hundreds of feet would that spare me? I hate feet. Feet are disgusting! Why could they not have just stopped her when she was running out the door? How did they let her disappear? She was a young girl running with only one shoe! And her one shoe was glass! On what was probably a nasty sweaty foot! She cannot have been running that quickly. And no one stopped her? What is the matter with you people? Why am I the one who has to fix your mistake? Why do I have to try this stupid shoe on every girl's foot? I hate feet. I should be making charters or making sure the visiting royalty are comfortable right now, not touching all these feet. I hate feet. 

Of course, all that came out of his mouth was "Yes, Your Majesty," before he took the glass shoe in its wool-filled case and walked out the door to perform his duty.

6. Last breath

Mind, body, power, might.

What do you need to win this fight?

Love, fear, darkness, light.

What will you win upon this night?

Fight for love. Fight your cry 

Fight through pain, just one more try.

For tomorrow you will rise

And see you brand new baby's eyes.

5. Night Guard

Snuggle, snuggle Teddy Bear.

Let me feel your fur so fair. 

Be with me now while I lie here.

If I I cry, please wipe my tear.

All night long my dreams you keep. 

Protect me, Teddy, while I sleep. 

4. Isn't it obvious, Daddy? Ariel's in love.

"Do you think she swam away with him?" Arista asked, anxiously chewing her fingers.

"I doubt it," Andrina replied. "She's always been way too attached to that Flipper kid to leave everything behind."

"Flounder," Atina corrected. "And he hasn't been seen since she left, either. Father sent someone to his school to see if he knew where she is."

Aquanta interrupted, pushing her sister aside. "But where else would she disappear to other than with this merman she's in love with? I know Ariel's always been a bit floatier in head, but she's never been gone this long."

Arista popped her head between her sisters, bobbing up and down with each of her rapid questions. "Who do you think it is, Quanti? Have you ever heard her mention anyone? Do you think it's one of Queen Harmony's nephews? Is it Mak? Tuber? Gem?" 

Adela flicked her tail at her chatty sister's face in agitation. "Chill, Ris! Yikes, you're obnoxious."

"She's got a point though," Atina separated her sisters as with a gentle hand. "If Ariel did swim away with a merman, it probably was one of her mother's nephews. They're always swimming around her trying to win Father's favor."

Andrina snorted in derision. "And it's not like Harmony does anything to stop them. Mother never would have allowed that kind of behavior from her relatives if she were still alive. The polyp doesn't fall far from the coral."

"That's not fair, Dree. Ariel is our sister, too. And Father wouldn't have married Harmony if he thought she was unworthy. She makes a very good queen and Father loves her. She's never been unkind to any of us. You have no reason to be unkind to her."

"But if Ariel did swim off with her lover, what is Daddy going to do? Can he make her come back if they find her? Will they get married? Why wouldn't she tell Daddy who he is?"

Atina caught Adela's tail before it reached Arista's face a second time. "We don't know if she swam off with anyone. It's just as likely that she's on another one if her adventures and has lost track of time."

"Three days? Really, Tina?" Aquanta laughed at her sister's innocence. "Ariel comes in here obviously in love and that's the last any of us see of her. You know Ariel. When she decides she wants something, she gets it." 

"Human!" Alanna rocketed into the clearing, panting from her quick swim. Her sisters spun around at her urgent call. "Ariel's marrying a human!"

3. The Second Stepsister

People ask me why I don't like the princess. The short short answer to that is because it's hard to dance in glass slippers when you're missing a toe. 

You see, I was only five when my father died. I don't remember much about him, honestly, but I do remember liking him. And that he was tall. Well, I don't know if I actually remember that or I just assume it because Muriel and I are tall. 

We were happy for a while. Four years we were fine on our own. At least, I was. I didn't realize then how quickly we were running out of money. But then Sir Eccles came along with his big horses and his fancy carriage and mother was sold. She married him right off for his money. We moved to his estate, leaving everyone and everything we knew behind us. He dragged us to that horribly over-elegant house and introduced us to his daughter. 

Ella. Sure, she was nice, I guess. But Sir Eccles adored her. She had the most beautiful dresses. He gave her everything she could ask for. Really. One time we were playing market together. She asked me if I would sell her a ruby-covered pet parrot. I told her I was all out of ruby parrots but I had a few emeralds left. Sir Eccles must have overheard because a few months later a man showed up at the estate with a bright red parrot with a ruby-studded collar on it. 

And then one day he wasn't there anymore and Ella was living in the cellar with the rats and I was wearing her dresses. Sure, she was three years older than me, but like I said, I've always been tall. And she was small. 

Muriel and Mother told me that Ella was to be our servant from then on. She did all the washing, the cooking, the cleaning. She helped us get ready for parties. One time when she was dressing me I yelled at her because she covered my new dress with cinders from the fire I had just ordered her to start. I was so angry that I called her Cinderella. Muriel loved it, and the name stuck.

I think deep down I knew the way I treated her was wrong, but that's what Mother and Muriel did, so that's what I did. I didn't have any reason to question them. 

I remember very clearly the day we heard about the balls the king was holding for the prince. How could I forget it? Ever since Sir Eccles had brought us to his estate Mother had talked about us marrying into the royal family. We could see the palace from our land. One of, it didn't matter which, would marry the prince and take her to the palace to live with us. We'd be rich and powerful and beautiful and queens. 

For a child, it was a nice dream. For her, it was a goal. It wasn't until much later that I found out how much she had done to get to know the right people. She had even met the late queen once. 

So when the herald arrived with the invitations to the balls, it was business as usual. Mother had dresses made, the finest we'd ever had. She got out her most beautiful jewels. Muriel got most of them. She was seventeen then, much closer to the prince in age than I was, but I got some pretty ones too, just in case, Mother said. 

We thought Ella was crazy when she asked Mother if she could come with us. But then she showed up at the ball in her beautiful gown and those ridiculous glass slippers. I still don't understand what she was thinking. And then just as quickly she was gone.

Mother was furious that some girl would win over the prince and then just run off like that. Three nights in a row, no less. She had no idea that girl was our own Ella. So when she heard that the prince would marry the girl who fit that stupid glass slipper she had left behind, she came up with her plan. 

The prince came. The shoe didn't fit.  I was a bit sad, but not surprised. Being tall is great when you're trying to see over a crowd, but it's less helpful when you're trying to fit your proportionate feet into a tiny piece of glass. That was it for me. I never imagined Mother would go so far to achieve her goal of living in the palace.

I was twelve years old when my mother cut off my toe.

I left Sir Eccles' estate after that. The physician who cared for me when my foot got infected took me in. He tried to get me to engage with the nobility, go to balls and parties, and find a dutiable match for my birth, but after Ella married the prince, glass slippers become the must-have accessory. I hated them. Not only were the uncomfortable, but there was no way of hiding my marred foot. And every time I looked down, I felt ashamed. Ashamed of my feet, ashamed of Mother, ashamed of myself for following her. 

I've found peace in the years since then. I married a cobbler from a neighboring village. He had heard the story of the new princess -- Cinderella and her wicked stepsisters. So when my guardian told him about me living with him, he asked if he could make a pair of boots for me as payment for his services. We met when he came to measure my feet for the design. He managed to bring balance to my heart as well as my body.

But I still don't like dancing in glass slippers.

2. When She Gets Her Way

"Manly."

"Manly?"

"Yes. It makes you look manly."

"You mean cavemanly."

"No, sexy manly. Rugged manly. Heroic manly. I-can-fix-any-problem-you-throw-at-me manly."

"It's scraggly."

"It's developing."

"It's itchy."

"It'll stop being itchy in a couple of days."

"I look like a teenager trying to be a man."

"Oh, no you don't. You look great!"

"It's not professional."

"You're on vacation. You don't have to look professional."

"It makes me look funny."

"It makes you look manly.

"Manly?"

"Manly."

1. New

Drip. Splash. Plink.

The start of a rainstorm. One little drop. I see it shatter as it hits the rock. The grass blades tremble, the broken water falls to their tips. 

Drip. Splash. Plink. 

There's another. 

Drip. Drip. Plink. Drip. Splash.

I sit protected under the awning. The rain cannot reach me. It's coming faster now. Why does the sky bother me, so? I did nothing to hurt it. I did not shout or scold.  I did not hurl curses or taunts? So why, why does it rain? Why does it unload its wet upon me? Why does it trap me here?

I cannot go out, or it will soak me. So I sit and I wait.

Drip. Splash. Plink.

The trees don't seem to mind. They are unmoved by the rain. A torrent could fall and still they would stand there. Why are they not troubled by this rain? Are they mightier than the sky? Perhaps I will test the rain. I reach my fingers out of my covering. But, no! The rain is wet. The rain is cold. I withdraw. 

Drip. Splash. Plink. 

My fingers tips are muddied. The uniform tan of my hand is marred by swirls of dark. Why does my rock not protest? It is speckled and scarred. It is no longer the beautiful smooth stone it was this morning. The rain has damaged us both.

Drip. Plink. Drip. Drip. 

How? The rock is no longer speckled but solid again. How? How has it survived? Is the rock mightier than the sky? If a rock a

Can beat the sky, can I? 

Again I reach my hand into the cold, hard rain. I tense as my fingers touch the wetness. I recoil, the feeling too much.

And yet...

Pink.

My fingertips are pink. No longer brown and muddied, but pink. Not tan. Not brown. 

Pink. 

Out again. I brace for the cold punch of the water on my skin, but I do not feel it. I stare, mesmerized as my hand changes. Tan melts into brown. And brown runs into pink. 

I remove to my safety.

Drip. Splash. Plink.

Splash. Splash. The trees stand unmoved. The rock lies solid.

And the grass dances.

What do they know that I do not? Why does the grace move as if it rejoices? It is rain. Rain is punishment. Why does the grass dance?

Pink. I had forgotten I was pink. The dust of my life, the dust of my days. I have become tan. But I should be pink. 

Drip. Splash. 

Drip. Splash. Plink.

 The rain pours. I step out. First one foot, now another. Further from my covering. The droplets bite my skin. I am no longer protected. 

And yet, the pain becomes smooth. I amturning  pink. This is why the grass dances. This is why the trees stand unmoved. This is why the rock does not complain. This is why the grass dances. 

We are new.