The Twelve Dancing Princesses

King Harold had a problem. Every single morning, his twelve daughters' slippers were full of holes. Brand new slippers — RUINED! "Girls," he said at breakfast. "That's the third pair this WEEK." The princesses just giggled. Rose winked at Lily. Daisy snorted into her porridge. And tiny Blossom — who was only three — clapped her sticky hands and squealed, "It's a SECRET!" "Helpful," said the king. He tried everything. He locked their door. He posted guards in the hallway. He even put a bell on the doorknob. JINGLE JINGLE! Nothing worked. Every morning — more holes. But, a young gardener named Jack loved two things: planting flowers and solving mysteries. And this was the biggest mystery in the whole kingdom. "Your Majesty," Jack whispered one afternoon. "I have a plan." That night, Jack hid in the bushes beneath the princesses' window. The castle went quiet. The moon climbed high. Then — CLICK. The window swung open. Twelve princesses tiptoed onto the ledge and joined hands. "Moonbeams bright, stars so fair — give us wings to dance on air!" WHOOOOSH! Sparkling dust swirled around them like a glittery tornado. Wings burst from their backs! Tiny crowns of starlight popped onto their heads! "We're fairy princesses!" squeaked Blossom, flapping her little purple wings so hard she spun in a circle. "Blossom, STOP spinning," said Rose. "Grab my hand." One by one, all twelve princesses flew into the night sky. Jack's mouth fell open. Then he ran after the trail of fairy dust — crashing through bushes and tripping over roots — all the way to the enchanted forest. The trees glowed. The flowers hummed. And rabbits in tiny bow ties curtsied as the princesses landed in a moonlit clearing. Twelve fairy princes stepped out from behind the trees. "Ready to dance?" READY? These princesses were BORN ready. The fairy orchestra struck up — crickets on violins, frogs on trumpets, fireflies blinking in rhythm. Rose spun so fast her wings left trails of sparkles. Daisy laughed so hard she nearly crashed into an owl. And tiny Blossom twirled on her tippy-toes until she got so dizzy she sat right down on a mushroom. PLOP! Jack tried to sneak closer for a better look. He stepped on a twig. CRACK! Twelve princesses and twelve princes all turned and stared. Jack waved. "Um… lovely evening?" They danced and they danced and they DANCED — until their slippers wore right through. But nobody noticed. They were having way too much fun. When the moon started to sink, Rose clapped three times. CLAP! CLAP! CLAP! "Home time, sisters!" Back they flew through the starry sky, slipping through the window just as the first sunbeam crept over the mountains. POOF! Wings gone. Crowns gone. Twelve very sleepy princesses tumbled into bed. Next morning, Jack marched into the dining hall holding a shimmering fairy feather. "I know where they go, Your Majesty." The princesses GASPED. "We're fairy princesses, Daddy!" Blossom blurted out. "We fly to the forest and dance with PRINCES!" "Please don't be cross," whispered Lily. The king looked at his twelve daughters. Then the BIGGEST smile spread across his face. "Cross? My darlings, I'm not cross." He stood up tall. "But I do have a secret of my own." He spread his arms wide. WHOOOOSH! Golden wings burst from his back. A crown of stars appeared on his head. Every. Single. Jaw. Hit. The. Floor. "I'm the Fairy King," he grinned. "Your mother was the Fairy Queen. Where do you think you got those wings?" "You KNEW?!" said Rose. "I was waiting for you to discover it yourselves." He winked. "Now — can I come dancing too?" From that night on, the king flew with his daughters to the enchanted forest. He spun Blossom around until they were BOTH dizzy. He tried to leap like Rose and landed face-first in a flower bed. SPLAT! The princesses laughed so hard their wings wobbled. And every morning, when he saw their worn-out slippers at breakfast, he just smiled. "Worth every penny." The End.