ENLeseprobe
The Princess Who Forgot How to Smile
Princess Melody lived in a magnificent castle surrounded by gardens of roses and fountains that sparkled in the sunlight. She had everything a princess could want: beautiful dresses, sweet treats from the royal kitchen, and servants who granted her every wish. Yet one morning, she woke up and realized something terrible—she had completely forgotten how to smile.
The King and Queen were deeply worried about their daughter. They summoned the royal doctor, who examined her thoroughly but could find nothing wrong. "Perhaps she needs cheering up," suggested the Queen, and so they called for Jingles, the kingdom's finest court jester.
Jingles performed his most spectacular tricks—juggling flaming torches, walking on his hands, and telling his silliest jokes. The entire court roared with laughter, but Princess Melody's face remained as still as stone. Jingles tried cartwheels and funny faces, but nothing worked.
The King offered a reward to anyone who could make the Princess smile again. Magicians came from distant lands with their amazing illusions. Musicians played the most beautiful melodies on golden instruments. Still, Princess Melody's expression never changed.
One evening, an old woman named Dame Willow arrived at the castle gates. "I know how to help the Princess," she told the guards, "but she must come with me into the village." The King was hesitant, but he was desperate to see his daughter happy again.
Dame Willow led Princess Melody through the cobblestone streets to the poorest part of the kingdom. There, children played in the dusty roads with simple toys made from sticks and stones. Princess Melody had never seen this part of her father's kingdom before.
A small boy named Oliver approached them, holding a wooden horse he had carved himself. "Would the Princess like to play with us?" he asked shyly. Princess Melody noticed his torn clothes and bare feet, yet his eyes sparkled with joy.
The children taught her their games—hopscotch drawn in chalk, tag around the old fountain, and stories told while sitting in a circle. Oliver showed her how he had made his wooden horse from a fallen branch. "I don't have much," he said, "but I have my imagination and my friends."
As Princess Melody watched Oliver and the other children laugh and play with nothing but their creativity and friendship, something stirred inside her heart. She suddenly understood what Dame Willow had brought her to see. Happiness didn't come from having everything—it came from appreciating what you had and sharing joy with others.
When Oliver offered to let her keep the wooden horse he had worked so hard to carve, Princess Melody felt warmth spread through her chest. For the first time in weeks, the corners of her mouth began to turn upward. A smile—genuine and bright—lit up her face.
From that day forward, Princess Melody never forgot how to smile again. She often visited her friends in the village, bringing not gifts of gold, but her laughter and companionship. And she kept Oliver's wooden horse on her bedside table, a reminder that the greatest treasures cannot be bought—they must be felt in the heart.
