The Animal Prince

Prince Theo was not like other princes. While they practiced sword fighting and fancy bowing, Theo spent his days in the castle gardens. "The garden is my favorite place in the whole kingdom," Theo told his mother, the Queen, who smiled and patted his head. Every morning, Theo visited his animal friends. He brought seeds for the birds, carrots for the rabbits, and nuts for the squirrels. "Good morning, flowers! Hello, butterflies!" Theo would call out each day. "I wish you could talk to me," he often sighed. Sometimes Theo would sit very still under the big oak tree. He would close his eyes and listen to the sounds around him - birds singing, leaves rustling, and tiny paws scurrying through the grass. One sunny morning, Theo noticed a little robin hopping frantically from branch to branch. "You seem worried, little robin," he said kindly, speaking just as he always did to the animals. "The storm is coming! My babies need shelter!" chirped the robin. Theo nodded, then suddenly froze. He blinked once, twice, three times. "Wait... did you just... talk?" Theo whispered. "Of course I did! And we need help!" the robin chirped again. Theo's eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open. He could understand what the robin was saying! Not just chirps and tweets, but real words! "I can hear you!" gasped Theo, jumping to his feet. "I can actually understand you! Don't worry, little robin. I'll help you and your babies." Soon, all the garden animals came to Theo with their worries. "My nest is too flimsy for the big storm," said a squirrel. "Our burrow might flood," worried a family of rabbits. "I need somewhere warm," squeaked a tiny hedgehog. Theo had an idea. "You can all stay in the castle until the storm passes!" But there was one problem. Captain Grump guarded the castle doors. "No animals allowed inside!" Captain Grump always said. He had a big frown and an even bigger voice. Theo took a deep breath and walked up to Captain Grump. "Excuse me, Captain. A big storm is coming. May the garden animals please stay inside?" "Absolutely not!" boomed Captain Grump. "Animals make messes!" Just then, a small sparrow landed on Theo's shoulder and whispered in his ear. "Captain," said Theo with a smile, "this sparrow says you have a pet rabbit named Bartholomew." Captain Grump's cheeks turned pink. "How did you... I mean... that's silly!" "The sparrow saw Bartholomew hopping in your room," Theo explained. "Wouldn't you want all rabbits to be safe in the storm?" Captain Grump's frown softened. He thought of his fluffy friend Bartholomew. "Oh, alright," he sighed. "But just until the storm ends!" When the storm arrived, the castle was filled with happy animals. Squirrels curled up on pillows. Birds nested in plants. Rabbits snuggled in warm corners. BOOM! CRASH! Outside, the storm was scary. But inside, everyone felt safe and cozy. When morning came, the storm had passed. The animals returned to the garden, but they visited Prince Theo every day after that. Even Captain Grump started to smile when he saw animals around the castle. From that day on, everyone called Theo "The Animal Prince." He made sure the animals and people of the kingdom lived happily together. And sometimes, if you walked through the castle garden, you might hear Prince Theo having a cheerful chat with his animal friends. The End.