Princess Daffodilia
Once upon a time, in a grand kingdom, there lived a princess named Daffodilia. She was cheerful, beautiful, and most importantly, very tall.
Even though she was only 14, she was already as tall as her mother. Because of this, she became very conceited and boasted about her height to her best friend, Prince Brilliant.
An Unexpected Argument
— Prince Brilliant! Prince Brilliant! — Stop shouting! I'm here! — Oh! I didn't see you! You were too low!
— Just because you're tall doesn't mean you're so wonderful! I'm much smarter than you'll ever be!
And he truly was. Prince Brilliant read many books, learning about nature and logical things. But these things bored Princess Daffodilia so much that she would start to yawn, which annoyed the prince.
— Oh, books and more books! They say intelligence helps you see the big picture. But you're so small that even an ant blocks your view!
The Prince's Departure
Her mother, the Countess, spoke to her sharply.
— Daffodilia, that's not how you speak to a prince or anyone else! — Ha ha! You know what? So what if you're tall? Even a giraffe is smarter than you, you know!
— Brilliant, you can't talk to the princess like that!
Prince Brilliant began to feel sad. They always teased each other, but today it seemed she would win.
— Fine, you know what? I'm leaving and I won't come back until I manage to be taller than you!
Princess Daffodilia started to laugh, but when she saw that her friend was serious, she stopped.
— My dear, I was joking! Please don't go!
But the prince gave her a look and left. She tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen.
The Princess's Regret
— Prince Brilliant said he wouldn't come back until he was taller than me!
The Queen and the Countess heard her crying and quickly went to her.
— My dear, what happened? — Ha ha ha! Don't worry, child! He'll surely come back! He only said it to tease you!
But Princess Daffodilia knew that Prince Brilliant was serious and nothing could make him change his mind.
Daffodilia's Search and Transformation
And so, when evening came and the young prince still hadn't returned, the soldiers set off to search for him. They searched for him for weeks, for months, but they couldn't find him.
The kingdom was left without an heir, and Princess Daffodilia without her best friend.
— It's my fault! I teased him so much! What will I do without him?
So she locked herself in her room and started to learn as much as she could to become like him. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember anything and was always very puzzled.
The Meeting with the Gardener and the Magic of Flowers
One day, with hope lost, she went for a walk in the garden.
— Hmm, it seems this flower is dying. — I was just looking at it! A little magic and it will be fine! — What kind of magic? Show me too! — Wait a bit and you'll see!
Princess Daffodilia was interested in how the gardener worked and started to help him too.
— Fantastic, your height! Your hands are full of magic, you know?
The girl didn't understand what the gardener meant, but in time she learned how to care for flowers and plants.
— Everything looks wonderful! — Now you believe in magic, hmm?
So the princess focused all her sadness into caring for and loving the flowers.
Prince Brilliant's Adventure
Meanwhile, Prince Brilliant had walked a very long way. He was tired, thirsty, and hungry, and had arrived in a strange forest where no one had ever been before.
— Oh, what's this? Spiderwebs? My, there are so many! — Ho ho ho! And why shouldn't there be? This forest is mine! — What? Whose? — Mine, Mr. Long Legs'! How did a poor little prince like you manage to get here, hmm?
The Pact with Mr. Long Legs
Little Prince Brilliant told Mr. Long Legs about himself.
— And I won't come back until I'm taller than that silly princess, yes! — I see. Sounds interesting. And I know how to help you. But it will take a long time, years, perhaps. — It doesn't matter! I'll wait as long as it takes to be taller than Princess Daffodilia! — Alright. See that bush over there with the slightly colored spiderwebs? All you have to do is jump into that bush. — That, that's all? — Yes. Jump in there and wait for me to come and get you.
Prince Brilliant was very puzzled. But he wanted to be tall so much that he immediately jumped into the bush with spiderwebs.
The Land of Dreams
— Oh! How strange! Where, where am I?
Prince Brilliant had arrived in a very special and magical place. It was the place where dreams played and stayed together.
— This place, this place is so beautiful! — Hello! Welcome to the land of dreams! What's your name? — Me? My name is... I don't know.
Prince Brilliant had forgotten his own name. You see, this place was only for dreams and play, and the little prince only knew how to study. He had never played and thought games were childish.
Years Spent in the Dream
Soon, he began to forget everything he had ever learned, and in his head were only dreamy thoughts. He played and played with all the dreams, until he even forgot about Princess Daffodilia.
One day, Mr. Long Legs came to look for the prince. He immediately found him playing and smiled contentedly.
— Ho ho ho ho ho! Isn't this the little prince I saw a long time ago? Hmm? It seems you're not little anymore, are you? — What do you mean? I saw you two days ago. — Ho ho ho ho ho! So you think, my dear boy. You've been here for five years already! It's time to go home. — Five years?! — Ho ho ho! I think it's time to leave this dream!
And in a few seconds, the prince began to fall and fall. He fell onto a very soft and fresh meadow, in an extraordinarily beautiful garden.
Return and Reunion
— Now, now I remember! I left the kingdom to be taller than Princess Daffodilia. But I wonder if I really am taller.
Just then, a young woman came. She was very beautiful and walked very gracefully.
— Oh! Prince Brilliant! — Princess Daffodilia!
They embraced with joy.
The Joy of Reunion
Hearing their shouts, the Queen and Countess quickly came out. They were very happy when they saw Prince Brilliant.
— Oh, my son! You've come home! And how you've grown! — But where, where have you been? We looked for you everywhere, but couldn't find you!
Prince Brilliant told them about his adventure. They all watched him carefully as he spoke and behaved.
— What a funny story! In any case, we're glad you've come home! But, my son, it seems you're nicer than before. More... uh... — Cheerful! Spiders always pull on their legs. Why do you think they have them so long? — Did he just tell a joke? — It's hard to believe, isn't it?
The Princess's Confessions
— Whose garden is this? It's magnificent! — It's mine! I grew everything here. After you left, I was so sad that I tried to learn and become like you. I read new things every day, but nothing stayed in my head. I'm very sorry.
Wisdom Gained and the Moral
— No, I'm sorry I left you alone for so many years! I wanted to grow too much. But I realized that growing takes a long time. You can grow in many ways.
Prince Brilliant looked at her and smiled.
— You are smart and wonderful in your own way. No matter how smart I am, I could never create a garden as magnificent as this! And I will never again leave my cheerful and joyful princess!
You see, it doesn't matter if someone is taller or smarter. Every person has a different talent from another. While Princess Daffodilia learned to be better and discovered her talent, Prince Brilliant learned that studying isn't everything. To grow as beautifully as possible, a little fun is also needed.
