Page 15 - Jeremiah Lollipop

When the queen came back the girl smiled.

“I’m a princess” said the girl.

“Yes,” said the king, “You told us. We’re very pleased to hear this, but

our son the prince is rather fussy. He has turned down many, many

princesses.”

The queen was thinking that the girl was only pretending to be a

princess, because usually when princesses came to visit they were

dressed in fine clothes and rode on white horses, with lots of servants.

This girl was quite dowdy, and drab, and she didn’t even wear a golden

ring.

“Would you like to stay the night?” suggested the queen.

“Yes please,” said the girl.

“By the way,” said the king, “What’s your name?”

“Bogwoggle Cherryplum Frogflip Maryeggnog Jane,” said the girl,

“But most people call me Princess Jane.”

“I’m not surprised!” said the king.

The queen organized a super bubble bath for the girl and then she went

to the girl’s bedroom to get it ready. Jeremiah tip-toed down the hall

behind her, staying in the shadows. He peeped into the room and saw the

queen place a dried pea on the mattress, then she ordered that fifty

mattresses be placed one on top of the other. At the top a beautiful bed

was prepared, with silk sheets and lacy pillows, and a ladder was

brought in, which reached from the floor to the top of the bed.