The Prince with the Midnight Brush

Once upon a time, there was a little prince named Felix who loved to paint more than anything in the whole world. "Swish, swish, swish!" went his paintbrush as he painted pretty pictures in his room. Prince Felix painted flowers that looked like they were dancing. He painted birds that looked like they might fly right off the paper. He painted rainbows with every color you could imagine! But Prince Felix's mama and papa, the King and Queen, wanted him to learn princely things instead. "Felix," said the King, "princes should practice sword fighting!" "Felix," said the Queen, "princes should learn to ride horses!" Prince Felix nodded and tried to be good. But deep in his heart, he still loved to paint. "I wish everyone could see how happy painting makes me," Felix whispered to his paintbrush. One night, when the moon was big and bright, Prince Felix had a wonderful idea. "I know!" he said, his eyes sparkling. "I'll paint something special for everyone in the town!" Very quietly, Prince Felix tiptoed out of the castle with his magic paintbrush and paints. "Tip-toe, tip-toe, tip-toe," he went, quiet as a little mouse. He found a big empty wall in the town square. "This is perfect!" he whispered. Prince Felix dipped his brush in bright blue paint and started to paint. "Swish, swish, swish!" went his brush. He painted a beautiful bakery with warm golden bread and a happy baker with a big smile. When the sun came up, all the people in the town gasped! "Look! Look!" they said. "What a beautiful picture!" "Wow!" said the baker. "Hooray!" said the children walking by. "Who painted this wonderful thing?" they wondered. The next night, Prince Felix came back with his magic paintbrush. "Swish, swish, swish!" He painted a friendly dragon on the shoe shop wall. The dragon had sparkly scales and was wearing tiny boots on all four feet! The people were so excited! "Another beautiful picture! Our mystery painter is back!" "Amazing!" gasped the shoe maker. "How beautiful!" said his customers. Night after night, Prince Felix painted more wonderful pictures. He painted dancing fish on the fish shop. "Wonderful!" clapped the fish seller. He painted flying butterflies on the toy store. "Magical!" laughed the toy shop owner. He painted singing flowers on the flower shop. "Perfect!" cheered the flower lady. "Swish, swish, swish!" went his magic paintbrush, making the whole town beautiful and bright. Everyone in town was so happy! They smiled bigger smiles and laughed more laughs because of the pretty pictures. One morning, the King and Queen came to see what was making everyone so joyful. "Oh my!" said the Queen, looking at all the beautiful paintings. "How wonderful!" said the King. "These pictures make our whole kingdom happier!" Just then, they saw Prince Felix adding some finishing touches to a picture of children playing in a magical garden. "Felix!" said the Queen with surprise. "You painted all these beautiful pictures?" Prince Felix looked worried. "I'm sorry, Mama and Papa. I know you want me to do princely things, but painting makes me so happy, and it makes everyone else happy too!" The King and Queen looked at their son, then at all the smiling people in the town. "Felix," said the King with a big smile, "you ARE doing something very princely! You're making your kingdom a more beautiful, happy place!" "Your painting IS your special princely power!" said the Queen, giving him a big hug. From that day on, Prince Felix painted whenever he wanted. The whole kingdom became the most colorful, cheerful place in all the land. And everyone would say, "Prince Felix has the most magical paintbrush of all!" "Swish, swish, swish!" went his happy brush, painting joy wherever he went. The End