disney princess

princess barbie

Helena had a little problem.

She was the only girl in her neighborhood, and she had two big brothers. She so wanted a little sister to play with.

“Let’s go outside,” said Michael, her older brother.

“Yeah, c’mon,” said Ethan, the oldest.

“Bring your Barbies, and we can have a Barbie war!” said Michael.

Helena brought her Barbies outside, and her brothers started making them fight each other on the mound of dirt by the empty lot near their house.

Michael got a little carried away and one of Helena’s favorite Barbies, California Girl, landed in a pile of mud.

“Oh, sorry,” said Michael, with a sheepish yet mischievous grin on his face.

Helena got mad.

“A-i-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e!” she screamed and stamped her feet.

Then “Wah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah!” she cried as she collected her Barbies and stomped off.

Ethan tried to comfort Helena but she just cried louder and ran away.

Finally he gave up and Helena’s brothers went to play football with the other neighborhood boys.

Helena was alone again.

She rinsed California Girl off in her Barbie swimming pool. Then she took out her most favorite Barbie.

“Come, Princess,” said Helena in a sweet voice. “Tick-a-tuk, tick-a-tuk, tick-a-tuk,” the horse trotted across the room with Princess Barbie in the saddle.

Princess Barbie was wearing a long, flowing gown of red satin and had a silvery crown on her head.

“You’re my best friend,” said Helena to the Princess. And it seemed like the Princess smiled in return with a special glint in her eyes.

“I wish you were real,” said Helena to the Princess.

Helena imagined that she was in a story and the Princess came to life and started talking to her. But, even though Helena had a strong imagination, somehow pretending just wasn’t the same as real life.

Then Helena remembered an envelope she’d seen in her father’s waste paper basket. Helena fished the envelope out of the trash and looked at it. On the outside of the envelope it said:

“Use this New Mind Technology to Get Anything You Want in Life”

She hurriedly opened the envelope and started reading the letter inside:

“Dear Friend:

Discover how you can achieve your goals just by forming a clear picture of them in your mind…”

Helena read the whole letter and, while she didn’t understand it all, she decided to try out what it said to do.

That evening before bed she pictured a beautiful princess riding up to her on a magnificent brown horse. The princess was wearing a flowing gown of red satin and had a silvery crown, just like her Barbie.

The next morning Helena jumped out of bed and ran outside.

She looked in the garage, behind the willow tree and at the empty lot, but there was no sign of any princess.

“Augh-augh,” she said to herself dejectedly.

“What’s the matter?” asked Ethan, who had come outside to play basketball.

“I tried to picture my princess like it said to do in this letter, but she didn’t come,” said Helena, waving the envelope.

“Well, maybe you have to keep on trying,” said Ethan wisely.

That evening right before bed, Helena tried to picture her Barbie princess again. This time she tried so hard that she could see every little detail of the Princess: the fine lace of her satin gown, her golden sandals and the intricate braids of her long brown hair.

The next morning Helena got up earlier than usual and rushed outside.

She looked all over the neighborhood, even checking every place twice to be sure. But there was no sign of any princess.

Helena re-read the letter about “Mind Technology”. In the fine print at the bottom it said: “Results may vary from person to person.”

Helena was discouraged. Maybe she was one of the people for whom “Mind Technology” just didn’t work.

Still, she really wanted to meet her princess so she kept picturing the princess riding up to her on a magnificent brown horse.

As the days stretched into weeks, some funny things started to happen.

First of all, Helena’s picture of the Princess got clearer and clearer. After one week, it was like seeing the Princess on TV. After two weeks, Helena even thought she could smell the Princess’ sweet perfume and feel the soft mane of the Princess’ horse.

Another funny thing was that as time went by Helena started to feel like the Princess and her horse were really there, even though they were only in her mind.

One morning, Helena was poking around in the bushes as usual looking for her Princess. She wasn’t sure how big the Princess would be when she finally did show up.

“Hey, watcha doin’?” asked Ralph, one of the neighborhood boys.

“I’m looking for my Princess,” said Helena without looking up.

“But you’re holding her,” said Ralph, pointing to the Barbie Princess in Helena’s hand.

“No, a REAL princess,” said Helena.

“You won’t find her there,” said Ralph, “but I know where you can see a real princess. C’mon!”

Ralph trotted off with Helena right behind him.

After going several blocs, he stopped in front of a big building. “Shakespearean Festival” read a banner hanging over the open air theater entrance.

Helena and Ralph peered through a hole in the fence. There was a large crowd of people watching actors on a stage. Just then a lady appeared riding a brown horse.

“It’s the Princess!” exclaimed Helena, jumping up and down excitedly. Only this lady wasn’t wearing a red gown and her horse looked a little clumsy.

Helena was excited, but she was too shy to go and talk with the Princess after the show ended.

The next day they went back to see the Princess, and the day after that, too.

But since the Princess wasn’t wearing red, Helena started to wonder if it was really her Princess. And the Princess was supposed to ride up to her, like in her daydream.

That evening Helena was feeling a bit discouraged. She’d been waiting a whole month for her real princess to appear. The family was just sitting down to dinner when…

“Ding-dong”

“Who could that be at this hour?” frowned Helena’s dad.

He opened the door.

There, standing in the door was an attractive-looking woman. Helena recognized her as the woman from the theater.

The woman was wearing a long, silky red dress and her long brown hair had streaks of silvery grey in it. Standing next to her was a little girl clutching a big, brown stuffed horse.

“Hello,” said the woman in a silky smooth voice. “I’m Esmerelda and this is Liesbeth. We’ve just moved in next door. Oh, I see you like Barbie’s, too,” she said, pointing to Helena’s Barbie Princess. Why don’t you come over to play tomorrow?”

After a brief chat, Esmerelda said “Bye,” smiling sweetly.

Helena wasn’t sure, but it seemed like Esmerelda had the same special glint in her eye as the Barbie Princess.

And what about the Barbie Princess?

Well, she never did appear exactly as in Helena’s daydream. But Helena was happy to play with her new friend and Liesbeth’s mom gave her her all kinds of fancy clothes so she felt just like a princess herself.

barbie princess nutcracker

rapunzal

By Nancy Maes. Special to the Tribune | December 10, 1999

Dana Low, artistic director of Children's Theatre Fantasy Orchard, decided to cut herself free from tradition when she wanted to bring "RAPUNZEL" to the stage. "Anyone can do `Rapunzel' with a tower," she says, "so, of course, we didn't." Naturally the long-haired, fairy tale heroine needs a place where she can be imprisioned and let down her locks as a ladder for her prince to pay her visits, but in the Fanstasy Orchard production it's not a make-believe tall stone building. The structure is created by...

barbie in a diamond castle

disney priness

LIFE is A fairy TALE

Life Is A Fairytale 

A simple form, 
The perfect line, 
It’s coming together in your mind 
A satin bow, 
Electric blue, 
Just like a dream come true 
A ruffle there, 
Magenta here, 
Feels like magic in cashmere 
Pop it with a pair of neon heels 
That’s how fearless feels… 

Change the colors, 
Change the lines, 
Life’s whatever you design 
Oh oh oh oh oh 
Oh oh oh oh oh 
Choose the fabric, 
Own your style, 
Make it sweet or make it wild 
Oh oh oh oh oh 
Oh oh oh oh oh 
Like, life is a… 
Like, life is a… 
Like, life is a fairytale 

A bubble skirt, 
A sequin top, 
A feather belt, 
Try it, well why not? 
A different look, 
You’re free to choose, 
Isn’t it something lovin’ the crazy shoes 
Your hair is up, 
You’ve got it down, 
You’re revin’ up ready to fly now 
You’re shining from your head down to your heels. 
That’s how fearless feels… 
Yeah 

Change the colors, 
Change the lines, 
Life’s whatever you design 
Oh oh oh oh oh 
Oh oh oh oh oh 
Choose the fabric, 
Own your style, 
Make it sweet or make it wild 
Oh oh oh oh oh 
Oh oh oh oh oh 
Like, life is a… 
Like, life is a… 
Like, life is a fairytale 

This is just the beginning of, 
Something better than I imagine, 
And I see happily ever after in every day 
Oh… 

Change the colors, 
Change the lines, 
Life’s whatever you design 
Oh oh oh oh oh 
Oh oh oh oh oh 
Choose the fabric, 
Own your style, 
Make it sweet or make it wild 
Oh oh oh oh oh 
Oh oh oh oh oh 
Like, life is a… 
Like, life is a… 
Like, life is a fairytale 
(Life is a fairytale) 
Like, life is a… 
Like, life is a… 
Like, life is a fairytale 

Like, life is a… 
Like, life is a… 
Like, life is a fairytale 

snow white

The Walt Disney World Resort was a magnet for sitcom stars Monday. Jon Cryer of "Two and a Half Men" and Johnny Galecki of "The Big Bang Theory" were guests on "Live With Kelly and Michael. " The Cryer show aired live Monday. The Galecki episode was taped to air Wednesday. "Live" is broadcasting from Town Square in the Magic Kingdom. Those episodes will air through Thursday at 9 a.m. on WESH-Channel 2. Over at Epcot, Tina Fey of the recently concluded "30 Rock" had a meeting with Snow White.

barbie dairies

PRINCESS SOPHIA/BLAIR WITH HER PARENTS AND HER PET

                                         

Cinderella Story"

Hold me back and hold me down
Hold me close then push me around
Beat me up, beat me down to the ground
I'm sure I deserve it
Left my world, left me alone
Locked inside. Head becomes my home
Inside a hole buried like a bone
I'm sure you had your reasons
Out of your sight
Are you out of your mind
In my absence your heart never grew fonder
You just leave me alone
Tell me please, tell me it ain't so
I can't believe it so I walk the road
You just left me alone
Tell me please, tell me it ain't so
Had to believe it so I walk alone
So I walk alone
By myself
Had my back then you turned around
Loved by default but were never proud
(I'd) run away but I'm bot allowed so I suffer through it
Out of your sight
Are you out of your mind
In my absence your heart never grew fonder
You just leave me alone
Tell me please, tell me it ain't so
I can't believe it so I walk the road
You just left me alone
Tell me please, tell me it ain't so
Had to believe it so I walk alone
So I walk alone
So I walk alone
Enough love for the family
Just nothing left for me, ya see?
It's just like Cinderella
Locked up and hid away you've no idea
What you've created
Wanted to take a look and see through a hole without a key
See where I've been missing
God damn you for what I am
Enough love of the family
Just nothing left for me, ya see?
It's just like Cinderella
Locked up and hid away you've no idea
What you've created
Wanted to take a look and see through a hole without a key
See where I've been missing
God damn you for what I'm missing
No one left for me
You just leave me alone
Tell me please, tell me it ain't so
I can't believe it so I walk the road
You just left me alone
Tell me please, tell me it ain't so
Had to believe it so I walk alone
So I walk alone
It's just like Cinderella
Locked up and hid away you've no idea
It's just like Cinderella
Locked up and hid away you've no idea
It's just like Cinderella
Locked up and hid away you've no idea

BARBIE PRINCESS AND THE POPSTAR

Official summary

"In this sparkling musical adventure with fantastic songs, Barbie stars as Tori, the kind-hearted princess of the magical kingdom of Meribella, who would rather sing and dance than perform her royal duties. When she meets her favorite pop star Keira, the girls discover they have much in common including a magical secret that lets them look like one another and swap places. When the kingdom's magical secret is stolen, their true friendship is tested and they discover that the best thing you can be is yourself."

Story

In the summer, Meribella, a magical kingdom, was soon going to have its five hundredth anniversary. Princess Toriand her younger sisters Meredith and Trevi were very busy. They had to attend ceremonies and balls, and always be poised and proper. The princesses thought it was hard work. Whenever they had the chance, they would sneak away and play together. Before Meribella's five hundredth anniversary, the princesses had to greet royal visitors, who came to Meribella for the occasion. Tori wished she could have an exciting, music-filled life like her favorite popstar,Keira. She wished she could watch Keira performing in an ampitheatre near her palace.

Keira, a world famous singer-songwriter, was on the guest list and was going to perform at the festival for the Meribella's five hundredth anniversary. Keira enjoyed touring, greeting fans and having extravagant, spectacular concerts. However, it left her with no time to do what she was passionate about: writing songs. Keira thought being a princess would be carefree.

The next day, members of the royal court were invited to the palace in Meribella to meet the royal family. Duchess Amelia, Tori's aunt, told off Tori for watching Keira's nearby concert when she was supposed to be greeting guests.Tori had to go back to the guests, so she used a magic hairbrush to style her hair before leaving.

When Keira went to the palace for the festival, she met Tori. They became great friends instantly, and so did their pet dogs Vanessa and Riff. Tori gave Keira a tour of the palace and so they began joking about trading places. Keirashowed her magic microphone, that her aunt had given her, to Tori. It transformed her outfit into a royal gown. Toriused her magic hairbrush, so she used it to transform her hair into a different hairstyle. They realised that they looked just like each other.

Tori and Keira stayed disguised as each other while Tori carried on giving Keira a tour of her palace. They entered the secret garden, where fairies tended to the plants. There were gardenia flowers made out of diamonds, which were called Diamond Gardenias. Tori told Keira that the Diamond Gardenia roots spread through the entire kingdom. Without it, Meribella would wither and die. The Diamond Gardenia made the kingdom magical.

Later, Crider and Rupert, two evil men, uprooted the Diamond Gardenia. The fairies tried to stop them, but their efforts were in vain. Tori and Keira stop them, and they learn that it's important for them to be their own selves

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning

It's hard to believe that The Little Mermaid came out in 1989, but here we are years later, and it's still an all-time classic film. And now, it's getting rereleased today with a splashy Diamond Edition debut on Blu-ray. Naturally, we jumped (swam? dived?) at the chance to host some of the original voices themselves—Ariel (Jodi Benson), Sebastian (Samuel E. Wright), and Chef Louis (Rene Auberjonois)—at Glamour HQ to talk about the creation of The Little Mermaid, Disney magic, and more. Read on:

winx club

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winx club

Blessed with a TV and terrible daytime programming, I tend to resort to ironic television viewing. Much of my regular viewing consists of children’s entertainment and really bad shows like The Voice and The Big Bang Theory.

On weekends, I watch Winx Club.

Winx Club, for the uneducated, is a show about some really fashionable 16 to 17 year-old girls who are also fairies. They save the world and have boyfriends and form strong friendships and are super girly. In each episode, there is some horrible enemy they need to beat. The fairies do this with powers such as:

• The power of flowers (flowers grow really quickly/out of thin air.)
• The power of music (one of the fairies shoots music notes at the enemy and it makes them deaf.)
• The power of animals (as far as I can tell, this involves making animals talk.)
• The power of technology (how is that even a magic power? I don’t know.)

And the list goes on. The girls of the Winx Club have tiny little spindly arms and legs – which is what beautiful looks like – and wear skirts and dresses so ridiculously short that, if they were to bend over, you would see their entire vagina, even if they were wearing underwear. I have interpreted this as an example of them displaying their sexual prowess. Because all boys love legs, they have to show as much leg as possible. What’s more, you are not allowed to be fat, for fear of insult:

Musa: Narrow passageway, plus-size fairy? Not good.

Stella: Plus-size fairy?! That’s not very nice!

Bloom: We got you, Stella!

Musa: And I didn’t mean anything by calling you plus-size.

Another important facet of this delightful show marketed at young girls is the characters’ incredible dependency on their significant others (who, 100 per cent of the time, are big, muscular and manly):

Brandon: You look beautiful!

Princess Stella: You saying that makes me feel beautiful!

Every episode, flying around in their short skirts, the Winx Club prevent a horrible tragedy from occurring. But they always end up in the arms of their men. In one episode I watched, a Winx Club fairy refused to help save the world because she was worrying about what her boyfriend had to tell her later that day.  She proceeded to be royally bothered at her friends for not caring about her and her boyfriend; because her friends had to, like, save the world. You know how it is.

(For those keeping score, the issue was resolved in the end. He asked her to be his “forever girlfriend”. It was all very romantic.)

The dependency on boys is so important that even the evil witches in this show have evil boyfriends. The evil witches do their boyfriends’ bidding without question.

Having read all this, let’s put on the cute shoes of a 12 year old girl: what does this show tell us?

1. You are capable of saving the world … if you are a fairy.

2. You’re not capable of happiness or beauty unless you have a boyfriend.

3. Your boyfriend comes before everything, including saving the world and your best friends.

4. If you are 16 and you don’t have a boyfriend, you have failed.

5. Your boyfriend must be big and muscular and manly (and look significantly older than you), or else you have failed.

6. Short skirts and dresses are key. Everyone must almost see your vagina.

7. If you don’t have the tiniest, stringiest arms and legs, you’re “plus-size” and hence not accepted.

8. You are submissive to your boyfriend.

9. Even if you’re evil, you still need a boyfriend. And to be submissive to him.

10. Pollution and robbers are super evil.

We all talk about feminism as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world; but, the more I’ve talked to people, the more I’ve started to realise that a large amount of women really do want to abide by these old school rules. If you don’t believe me, consult the best-seller Fifty Shades of Grey or listen to how it has ‘transformed’ the lives of women. Then come back and tell me that women seek to be equal.

I kind of feel like Winx Club tells us some horrible things. Essentially, it tells young girls that they can’t feel fulfilled unless they wear really short skirts and makeup, possess hunky boyfriends and wield fairy flower powers. It is one thing to, as an adult, look at the facts logically and say that feminism makes sense; and yet, perhaps we underestimate how influential television can be. I can’t help but think that certain ideas in women’s heads can be traced back to shows like Winx Club. Maybe, we think, it’s actually OK to only want to impress a man? Even though we are pulling off some super-cool fairy magic shirt?

The feminist cause is not going to prevail if we continue to present young girls with stuff like Winx Club, Bratz Dolls and those new shitty Monsterz Dollz (is that what they’re even called?). Young girls will soon become young women, and some will inevitably come to believe that seeking the manliest partner and wearing a short skirt should be their highest priorities in life – closely followed by saving the world with magic, of course.

BARBIE DOLL

THE HONEST PRINCESS

naats

Once upon a time there was a princess called Tanya, who lived in a very, very, very big castle. The princess's pareents, that is to say, the king and queen,, wanted her to marry a handsome knight called Norman, who would often visit them to discuss the land they shared, so Tanya and Norman saw plenty of each other.

Unfortunately Tanya didn't love him.Although they got on well enough, she didn’t much like him, for Norman was very boastful.

One day, Tanya the princess was talking to Norman about the new decorations the king and queen were going to make in the castle, when suddenly Norman changed the subject and said: “Tanya, I like you a lot.In fact,I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

The princess was shocked but instead of firm "NO", she said: “Norman, you’re a very handsome knight, but I like to be honest with people. So I’m going to tell you what I don’t like about you, which is this: firstly, you’re a show-off, because you like boasting about the clothes you wear when really a person’s clothes aren’t that important; secondly, you spit in the street which is disgusting, and lastly, I’m not going to marry you just because my parents tell me to: I'm going to marry a man i really love.”

Norman reflected long and hard on what the princess had said. To begin with, he felt bad about her opinion of him, but he soon cheered up when he realised that all the things she mentioned were things he could change. It wasn’t his personality that annoyed her, but his behaviour.

So Norman began trying not to brag about his clothes, and started to feel happy in more modest clothing. He also learned not to spit in the street so as not to look horrible and coarse, and he felt better about that, too. And finally, he went to talk to the king and queen to ask them not to talk to the princess Tanya about him, and that way she wouldn’t feel pressured into marrying him.

Tanya and Norman continued spending time together and gradually Tanya began to notice the change in his habits. Seeing that he no longer did horrible things, she also began to notice other details about him, and to like him.

Eventually the princess fell in love and married him.

So you see how the princess's honesty gave the knight the chance to think and change a few little things that had upset her. Honesty helps people find solutions to lots of problems.

12 DANCING PRINCESS

There was a king who had twelve beautiful daughters. They slept in twelve beds all in one room and when they went to bed, the doors were shut and locked up. However, every morning their shoes were found to be quite worn through as if they had been danced in all night. Nobody could find out how it happened, or where the princesses had been.

     So the king made it known to all the land that if any person could discover the secret and find out where it was that the princesses danced in the night, he would have the one he liked best to take as his wife, and would be king after his death. But whoever tried and did not succeed, after three days and nights, they would be put to death.

     A king's son soon came. He was well entertained, and in the evening was taken to the chamber next to the one where the princesses lay in their twelve beds. There he was to sit and watch where they went to dance; and, in order that nothing could happen without him hearing it, the door of his chamber was left open. But the king's son soon fell asleep; and when he awoke in the morning he found that the princesses had all been dancing, for the soles of their shoes were full of holes.

     The same thing happened the second and third night and so the king ordered his head to be cut off.

     After him came several others; but they all had the same luck, and all lost their lives in the same way.

     Now it happened that an old soldier, who had been wounded in battle and could fight no longer, passed through the country where this king reigned, and as he was travelling through a wood, he met an old woman, who asked him where he was going.

     'I hardly know where I am going, or what I had better do,' said the soldier; 'but I think I would like to find out where it is that the princesses dance, and then in time I might be a king.'

<  2  >

     'Well,' said the old woman, 'that is not a very hard task: only take care not to drink any of the wine which one of the princesses will bring to you in the evening; and as soon as she leaves you pretend to be fast asleep.'

     Then she gave him a cloak, and said, 'As soon as you put that on you will become invisible, and you will then be able to follow the princesses wherever they go.' When the soldier heard all this good advice, he was determined to try his luck, so he went to the king, and said he was willing to undertake the task.

     He was as well received as the others had been, and the king ordered fine royal robes to be given him; and when the evening came he was led to the outer chamber.

     Just as he was going to lie down, the eldest of the princesses brought him a cup of wine; but the soldier threw it all away secretly, taking care not to drink a drop. Then he laid himself down on his bed, and in a little while began to snore very loudly as if he was fast asleep.

     When the twelve princesses heard this they laughed heartily; and the eldest said, 'This fellow too might have done a wiser thing than lose his life in this way!' Then they rose and opened their drawers and boxes, and took out all their fine clothes, and dressed themselves at the mirror, and skipped about as if they were eager to begin dancing.

     But the youngest said, 'I don't know why it is, but while you are so happy I feel very uneasy; I am sure some mischance will befall us.'

     'You simpleton,' said the eldest, 'you are always afraid; have you forgotten how many kings' sons have already watched in vain? And as for this soldier, even if I had not given him his sleeping draught, he would have slept soundly enough.'

<  3  >

     When they were all ready, they went and looked at the soldier; but he snored on, and did not stir hand or foot: so they thought they were quite safe.

     Then the eldest went up to her own bed and clapped her hands, and the bed sank into the floor and a trap-door flew open. The soldier saw them going down through the trap-door one after another, the eldest leading the way; and thinking he had no time to lose, he jumped up, put on the cloak which the old woman had given him, and followed them.

     However, in the middle of the stairs he trod on the gown of the youngest princess, and she cried out to her sisters, 'All is not right; someone took hold of my gown.'

     'You silly creature!' said the eldest, 'it is nothing but a nail in the wall.'

     Down they all went, and at the bottom they found themselves in a most delightful grove of trees; and the leaves were all of silver, and glittered and sparkled beautifully. The soldier wished to take away some token of the place; so he broke off a little branch, and there came a loud noise from the tree. Then the youngest daughter said again, 'I am sure all is not right -- did not you hear that noise? That never happened before.'

     But the eldest said, 'It is only our princes, who are shouting for joy at our approach.'

  They came to another grove of trees, where all the leaves were of gold; and afterwards to a third, where the leaves were all glittering diamonds. And the soldier broke a branch from each; and every time there was a loud noise, which made the youngest sister tremble with fear. But the eldest still said it was only the princes, who were crying for joy.

     They went on till they came to a great lake; and at the side of the lake there lay twelve little boats with twelve handsome princes in them, who seemed to be waiting there for the princesses.

<  4  >

     One of the princesses went into each boat, and the soldier stepped into the same boat as the youngest. As they were rowing over the lake, the prince who was in the boat with the youngest princess and the soldier said, 'I do not know why it is, but though I am rowing with all my might we do not get on so fast as usual, and I am quite tired: the boat seems very heavy today.'

     'It is only the heat of the weather,' said the princess, 'I am very warm, too.'

     On the other side of the lake stood a fine, illuminated castle from which came the merry music of horns and trumpets. There they all landed, and went into the castle, and each prince danced with his princess; and the soldier, who was still invisible, danced with them too. When any of the princesses had a cup of wine set by her, he drank it all up, so that when she put the cup to her mouth it was empty. At this, too, the youngest sister was terribly frightened, but the eldest always silenced her.

     They danced on till three o'clock in the morning, and then all their shoes were worn out, so that they were obliged to leave. The princes rowed them back again over the lake (but this time the soldier placed himself in the boat with the eldest princess); and on the opposite shore they took leave of each other, the princesses promising to come again the next night.

     When they came to the stairs, the soldier ran on before the princesses, and laid himself down. And as the twelve, tired sisters slowly came up, they heard him snoring in his bed and they said, 'Now all is quite safe'. Then they undressed themselves, put away their fine clothes, pulled off their shoes, and went to bed.

     In the morning the soldier said nothing about what had happened, but determined to see more of this strange adventure, and went again on the second and third nights. Everything happened just as before: the princesses danced till their shoes were worn to pieces, and then returned home. On the third night the soldier carried away one of the golden cups as a token of where he had been.

<  5  >

     As soon as the time came when he was to declare the secret, he was taken before the king with the three branches and the golden cup; and the twelve princesses stood listening behind the door to hear what he would say.

     The king asked him. 'Where do my twelve daughters dance at night?'

     The soldier answered, 'With twelve princes in a castle underground.' And then he told the king all that had happened, and showed him the three branches and the golden cup which he had brought with him.

     The king called for the princesses, and asked them whether what the soldier said was true and when they saw that they were discovered, and that it was of no use to deny what had happened, they confessed it all.

     So the king asked the soldier which of the princesses he would choose for his wife; and he answered, 'I am not very young, so I will have the eldest.' -- and they were married that very day, and the soldier was chosen to be the king's heir.

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