Princess Lightfinger
Children's Story
This is a story about a princess who finds herself in terrible trouble. She thinks nobody cares about her or her problems, but in the end the storm calms and she realises how much she's always been loved.
When Princess Lightfinger was born, there was great rejoicing in the whole land. Sticking firmly to the old traditions, the king and queen chose the best possible fairy godmother for their daughter, a fairy godmother who would look after the princess at all times, and who would always have the princess's best interests at heart.
As the princess grew up, she developed a warm and loving relationship with her fairy godmother. If ever she was in trouble, Princess Lightfinger would turn to her fairy godmother, who would always listen patiently and never scolded the princess.
Being a princess, Lightfinger had almost everything she wanted. She had beautiful clothes, all the latest CDs and video games, and a lot of pocket money every week. But there was something she wanted, which she couldn't have.
The woodcutter's daughter, who lived in a tiny cottage in the palace grounds, and who was about the same age as the princess, had a new puppy. The puppy was gorgeous, small and cute and fluffy. And it was full of fun. When the woodcutter's daughter threw a ball, the puppy would race after it, bring it back and drop it to be thrown again. And when the woodcutter's daughter held up a biscuit, the puppy would sit on its hind legs and beg, and even shake hands with the girl. The woodcutter's daughter was so happy with her new puppy, she played with him all day long.
Princess Lightfinger longed for a puppy of her very own. Although she was a princess, she was quite lonely, because she wasn't allowed to play with children who weren't royal, and there weren't many other princes or princesses around.
She begged the king and queen for a puppy, but they were adamant. "Sorry, Lightfinger," said the king. "We go away too often on state business. It wouldn't be fair to have a puppy and then just leave it for somebody else to look after." And however much Lightfinger pouted and sulked, shouted and stamped, the king wouldn't give in.
Lightfinger took to wandering down to the woodcutter's cottage, and hiding behind one of the big trees, just to see the puppy. How she longed to pat him and cuddle him and take him out for a walk in the forest.
Then one day, the woodcutter's daughter was called in from the garden. She ran in through the door of the cottage, leaving the puppy romping on the front lawn. Before she knew what she was doing, Lightfinger had climbed the fence, run to the puppy and thrown her arms around him. He licked her face and squirmed delightedly in her arms. In an instant, Lightfinger had picked him up and slipped out of the gate. Scarcely aware of herself, she ran down the track into the forest.
When she was well out of sight, Lightfinger set the puppy down and threw a pinecone for him. The puppy raced after the cone and brought it back, just as if it was a ball. Lightfinger had the best afternoon of her life, playing with the puppy.
When dusk began to fall, Lightfinger remembered the woodcutter's daughter, and had a momentary twinge of guilt. Perhaps the girl was missing her puppy. Lightfinger picked up the pinecone for the final time, resolved to have one last throw then take the puppy back. She threw the cone as hard as she could in amongst the trees. The puppy scampered after it - and didn't return.
Lightfinger called and called, but the puppy never came. The princess began to run into the trees, searching and calling, but there was no sign of the puppy. The princess shivered. It was cold now. Darkness had fallen, and she had no idea where she was. She'd never been this far into the forest before. She sat down on a log and started to cry.
How she wished she'd never taken the puppy! How she wished she'd never ventured alone into the forest! How she wished someone would come and help her! Then she began to think of what they'd say at home, and she sobbed even harder. Then she thought of how the woodcutter's daughter must be feeling. And the princess realised that if she ever got home again, she'd have to face the woodcutter's daughter. She felt sick. She who had everything had taken the only possession of the poor woodcutter's daughter, and now she'd lost that beloved puppy.
The princess wondered whether anyone would come looking for her. But there were no welcoming lights and no friendly voices, just the ghostly rustlings of small night-time animals. It was getting rather scary.
Lightfinger began to realise nobody cared about her. They were probably all glad she was lost in the forest. It was a fitting punishment for her badness. She heaved a huge, sad sigh, then she said out loud: "O please, someone, help me!"
At once there was the whisper of a breeze in the air as fairy-light wings flitted through the darkness. Within seconds, Lightfinger's fairy godmother was there beside her. "Hush now, why are you crying?" asked her fairy godmother. "Did you think I didn't care? Did you think I'd stop loving you because you've been selfish and thoughtless? You only had to ask, and I'd be with you. Come now, let's get you home. Your mother and father are growing anxious about you."
They walked back through the forest together. When they reached the gate of the woodcutter's cottage, Lightfinger stopped. "I must go in and tell them about the puppy," she said, bravely. Her fairy godmother squeezed her hand. "I'll come with you."
As the door opened, something came hurtling out of the cottage and flung itself into Lightfinger's arms. A wet nose pushed into her face and a rough tongue began to lick her cheek. "You're home!" cried Lightfinger. "Oh, you're home! I'm so glad. And I'm so very sorry I took you."
"It's alright," said the woodcutter's daughter, smiling. "He knows his way home from the forest. He's been there hundreds of times. And he likes you. You can come and take him out any time you want."
Lightfinger gasped in amazement. After all she'd done, and the awful way in which she'd treated her, the woodcutter's daughter had forgiven her already. Suddenly, the princess knew one thing for certain. However much she wanted it, she'd never take anything without permission ever again.
When Princess Lightfinger was born, there was great rejoicing in the whole land. Sticking firmly to the old traditions, the king and queen chose the best possible fairy godmother for their daughter, a fairy godmother who would look after the princess at all times, and who would always have the princess's best interests at heart.
As the princess grew up, she developed a warm and loving relationship with her fairy godmother. If ever she was in trouble, Princess Lightfinger would turn to her fairy godmother, who would always listen patiently and never scolded the princess.
Being a princess, Lightfinger had almost everything she wanted. She had beautiful clothes, all the latest CDs and video games, and a lot of pocket money every week. But there was something she wanted, which she couldn't have.
The woodcutter's daughter, who lived in a tiny cottage in the palace grounds, and who was about the same age as the princess, had a new puppy. The puppy was gorgeous, small and cute and fluffy. And it was full of fun. When the woodcutter's daughter threw a ball, the puppy would race after it, bring it back and drop it to be thrown again. And when the woodcutter's daughter held up a biscuit, the puppy would sit on its hind legs and beg, and even shake hands with the girl. The woodcutter's daughter was so happy with her new puppy, she played with him all day long.
Princess Lightfinger longed for a puppy of her very own. Although she was a princess, she was quite lonely, because she wasn't allowed to play with children who weren't royal, and there weren't many other princes or princesses around.
She begged the king and queen for a puppy, but they were adamant. "Sorry, Lightfinger," said the king. "We go away too often on state business. It wouldn't be fair to have a puppy and then just leave it for somebody else to look after." And however much Lightfinger pouted and sulked, shouted and stamped, the king wouldn't give in.
Lightfinger took to wandering down to the woodcutter's cottage, and hiding behind one of the big trees, just to see the puppy. How she longed to pat him and cuddle him and take him out for a walk in the forest.
Then one day, the woodcutter's daughter was called in from the garden. She ran in through the door of the cottage, leaving the puppy romping on the front lawn. Before she knew what she was doing, Lightfinger had climbed the fence, run to the puppy and thrown her arms around him. He licked her face and squirmed delightedly in her arms. In an instant, Lightfinger had picked him up and slipped out of the gate. Scarcely aware of herself, she ran down the track into the forest.
When she was well out of sight, Lightfinger set the puppy down and threw a pinecone for him. The puppy raced after the cone and brought it back, just as if it was a ball. Lightfinger had the best afternoon of her life, playing with the puppy.
When dusk began to fall, Lightfinger remembered the woodcutter's daughter, and had a momentary twinge of guilt. Perhaps the girl was missing her puppy. Lightfinger picked up the pinecone for the final time, resolved to have one last throw then take the puppy back. She threw the cone as hard as she could in amongst the trees. The puppy scampered after it - and didn't return.
Lightfinger called and called, but the puppy never came. The princess began to run into the trees, searching and calling, but there was no sign of the puppy. The princess shivered. It was cold now. Darkness had fallen, and she had no idea where she was. She'd never been this far into the forest before. She sat down on a log and started to cry.
How she wished she'd never taken the puppy! How she wished she'd never ventured alone into the forest! How she wished someone would come and help her! Then she began to think of what they'd say at home, and she sobbed even harder. Then she thought of how the woodcutter's daughter must be feeling. And the princess realised that if she ever got home again, she'd have to face the woodcutter's daughter. She felt sick. She who had everything had taken the only possession of the poor woodcutter's daughter, and now she'd lost that beloved puppy.
The princess wondered whether anyone would come looking for her. But there were no welcoming lights and no friendly voices, just the ghostly rustlings of small night-time animals. It was getting rather scary.
Lightfinger began to realise nobody cared about her. They were probably all glad she was lost in the forest. It was a fitting punishment for her badness. She heaved a huge, sad sigh, then she said out loud: "O please, someone, help me!"
At once there was the whisper of a breeze in the air as fairy-light wings flitted through the darkness. Within seconds, Lightfinger's fairy godmother was there beside her. "Hush now, why are you crying?" asked her fairy godmother. "Did you think I didn't care? Did you think I'd stop loving you because you've been selfish and thoughtless? You only had to ask, and I'd be with you. Come now, let's get you home. Your mother and father are growing anxious about you."
They walked back through the forest together. When they reached the gate of the woodcutter's cottage, Lightfinger stopped. "I must go in and tell them about the puppy," she said, bravely. Her fairy godmother squeezed her hand. "I'll come with you."
As the door opened, something came hurtling out of the cottage and flung itself into Lightfinger's arms. A wet nose pushed into her face and a rough tongue began to lick her cheek. "You're home!" cried Lightfinger. "Oh, you're home! I'm so glad. And I'm so very sorry I took you."
"It's alright," said the woodcutter's daughter, smiling. "He knows his way home from the forest. He's been there hundreds of times. And he likes you. You can come and take him out any time you want."
Lightfinger gasped in amazement. After all she'd done, and the awful way in which she'd treated her, the woodcutter's daughter had forgiven her already. Suddenly, the princess knew one thing for certain. However much she wanted it, she'd never take anything without permission ever again.
