THE PRINCESS’S BALL

The day had begun like any other day during the last ten days. All morning Markus and Josephine have been playing in the garden and enjoying the beautiful weather. But when their mother called them in for lunch both immediately noticed that something was afoot, and both ran into the house, being very curious.

“What’s the matter, Mama?”, Josephine calls upon entering. But their mother only smiles and tells them. “When you sit down for lunch, I have a surprise for you. But go and wash your hands first!”

This is answered by a moan of "Oh Mama“ from both children and they spring up and rush to the bathroom.

A few moments later they sit down at the table, now with clean hands. Before there mother serves lunch, she hands an envelope to her son: “This has arrived for you this morning”.

Markus has barely torn open the letter when his sister is screaming „What does it say, what does it say?” at him! But Markus does choose not to be hurried. Deliberately slowly he pulls out the gold-edged cards and reads it. Then he hands it to his sister without a word.

She calms down immediately: „You know that I cannot read yet!“

“We have been invited: The six princesses are pleased to invite you both tonight to Palace Bellami for a Ball to honor Prince Golden Curl. Dress code: Formal“

"Mama, may we attend? Where is my beautiful formal dress? Did we pack it?

"Eat your lunch first, and then we can check your cupboard for something to wear tonight!“

The afternoon stretches endlessy! But at last evening falls and the siblings get ther next surprise: Their parents are festively attired, too! But before Markus and Josephine can comment on this hoof beats can be heard outside and their father smiles at them: “The coach has arrived. Get out quickly before it departs without you!”

A real coach! Josephine is enchanted and runs out of the house.

Quickly the coach reaches the palace and the family is accompanied to the ballroom by a servant in livery. Princess Isabel and her five sisters are already waiting for them excitedly.

But at first Markus and Josephine need to attend the reception by King Stanislaus and Queen Serafina.

“It’s like being in a movie!” Josephine whispers to her brother when they are formally announced and step forward to bow and curtsy.

When this formal reception is over and brother and sister are on their way to the princesses, Markus tells his sister: „Now you know why Mama has this afternoon taught you to curtsy formally!”

When they reach the princesses the next surprise awaits them: All six princesses are wearing identical pink cloaks over their ball dresses.

Before they can say anything, Isabel tells them: The cloaks are an idea of our parents. They want to get Prince Golden Curl to dance with all of us! But we can turn this into a game!

Just as she has finished taking Markus and Josephine into her confidence about her plan Prince Golden Curl and his parents enter the ballroom. Now they need to hurry. Unobtrusively the princesses position themselves all over the ballroom, while Markus and Josephine go to the Prince to explain the game to him.

A few minutes later the music begins to play and the game can start!

The Kings need to choose a ball dress and decide on the blue dress with polka dots. Now the big guessing begins: Which princess is wearing this dress? To find out Prince Golden Curl leads one of the princesses on to the mirrored dance floor and twirls her around. This helps him to look beneath her cloak in the mirror and to spot the color of her dress. Unfortunately, she is wearing a yellow dress with stripes.

Prince Golden Curl has lost the first round. The first of six candles is extinguished and the second round of the game starts. Now it is Markus’ turn and he is unlucky, too, and cannot find the correct dress. The second candle is extinguished.

After Josephine had her turn, the Queens decide on the dress Prince Golden Curl must find. They choose the pink dress with dots and the Prince is lucky, he finds the correct dress and is rewarded with a golden crown. In the next round, too, he is successful and gets a golden crown. And Markus and Josephine are successful, too. Three rounds more, and the game end, because with the sixth wrong choice of a dress the last candle is blown out, the ball-room is dark and Prince Golden Curl is the winner of the game because he has collected one crown more than the others.

Markus and Josephine say a tearful farewell to the Prince and the princesses and leave the palace for their bed!

Next morning brings the end of the holidays and they return home but are resolved to visit their friends at Palace Bellami very soon!

Christoph Vavru