Giant Wee Apple-Pip

Continued from Selfish Secret, the story of The Apple-Pip Princess:

“Inside the box were seven magical things that the queen had collected when she was a little girl.

There was a scattering of raindrops, a splash of sunlight, a fragment of rainbow, a starbird’s feather, a spider’s dewy web, a burst of nightingale song, and at the bottom, an embroidered silken bag that held a tiny apple pip.

Serenity liked to look carefully at all the things inside. They helped her remember her mother and how beautiful their land had once been.

Time passed, and one day the king called his daughters to him.

‘I am old now, so I must choose which of you will be the best ruler of our kingdom after I have gone,’ he said. ‘I have decided to set you a task. You must each do something to make your mark – something to make me proud. After seven days and seven nights, I will look at what you have done and I will make my decision.’

Suzanna was clever and knew straightaway what she wanted to do. ‘I will build the tallest tower in the world,’ she said. ‘It will be so tall that it will reach the moon. People will see it and remember what a very important person I am. They will be so proud to be ruled by me that they won’t mind being hungry at all.’

She sent orders for people to bring her all the wood in the kingdom – even if it was the roof over their heads or the fences that kept their animals safe. And if anyone even thought of arguing with her, she would throw them into the dark and crumbling royal dungeon!

Miranda was clever, too, but rather vain and far too busy admiring herself in the mirror to have any ideas of her own.

‘If Suzanna is building a tower tall enough to reach the moon, I will build one to reach the stars,’ said Miranda. ‘If her tower is made from plain old wood, mine will be made of shiny metal. People will see my lovely tower and rememeber how beautiful I am. They will be so honored to be ruled by me that they won’t mind being poor at all!’

Immediately, Miranda sent orders for people to bring her all the metal in the kingdom – even their cooking pots and tin pans, copper bells and birdcages. And if anyone argued, Miranda would stamp her foot and throw them into the dark and crumbling royal dungeon!

Now, I expect you are wondering about Serenity, the youngest princess. Maybe you think that I’m going to tell you that she was the cleverest, or the most beautiful. or her father’s favourite, because that is often the way with fairy tales.”

To be continued….

Similar articles

Boundless Apple-Pip Apple-Pip of Her Eye The Selfish Secret For You, For Me, For You