GRACIALA, THE BRAVE PRINCESS

Once upon a time, there was a king named Edinson who ruled the kingdom of Andasia. He had a wife named Elizabeth and a daughter named Graciala. Graciala knew how to do magic. She would also invent things and potions. One day, in the year when Graciala was about to turn 18, exactly 3 months before Graciala’s birthday (21st October), the king received a letter from the king of the neighbouring kingdom saying:

21st July, 1798,

Andasia palace,

Dear Edinson,

I am so very pleased to announce that I, King Akstania of the kingdom Veilia, needs you to break the bridge joining the two of our kingdoms as it is of no more use to us.

Warning: Please break the bridge, otherwise its war on 30th July.

Kind regards,

Your best friend,

King Akstania

Edinson was shocked to see this letter. Akstania was his best friend and he wanted to break the bridge or war!! The bridge was of so much use. It was built to connect both of the kingdoms to each other. Above all, it was used by travellers travelling from one kingdom to any of the other kingdoms. How could Akstania be so cruel!! Finally, out of grief, Edinson wrote a letter saying:

23rd July, 1798,

Veilia palace,

Dear Akstania,

Maybe the bridge is no more of use to you, but it is certainly of use to us and many travellers. I would prefer war rather than the breaking of the bridge.

Kind regards,

Your ex-best friend,

King Edinson

After this no letters came. Finally, on the 30th of July, the king set off to war. Before he went, he said to Elizabeth "Akstania has a very big army compared to ours. It is likely that we would lose. If I dont come back by Graciala’s birthday, please get her married to the prince of Ardomania as she is turning 18."

Graciala had overheard the conversation. She knew that the prince of Ardomania, Akshom, was a very bad man, but her parents didn’t know that. Months passed and Edinson didn’t come back. Finally, it was the night of Graciala’s 18th birthday. At 10:30 in the night, Elizabeth told Graciala that she had to marry Akshom as this was her father’s last wish. Of course, Graciala knew that. She tried to convince her mother, but wasn’t able to. After a lot of argument, Elizabeth said “Graciala, my decision is my decision. Now it’s time for you to sleep”.

But Graciala didn’t sleep. She wore a disguise, packed all of her potions and things into her suitcase. Her suitcase had the ability to turn small with things in it. Graciala set off in the shed and took her unicorn. Graciala and her unicorn could talk to each other through their minds. Graciala mind-messaged her unicorn:

Come on, wear your pony disguise. We have to go.

Graciala’s unicorn replied (from her mind):

I know what happened. Your mother is right. Maybe you won’t have a good life, but it’s your father’s last wish……..

Graciala’s mind replied:

Sometimes it’s right not to complete someone’s last wish if it’s bad. Ok, now let it be. I have a plan for us to survive. I know it’s my age to marry, so we’ll use my Turn-Anything-Into-A-Gingerbread- Man-potion. This potion can turn anything into a gingerbread man. This night, I’ll drink a drop of the potion, jump into a sack and sleep while you will carry me. In the morning, you will sleep for some time then we’ll go from kingdom to kingdom disguised as gingerbread men sellers. We’ll go to the king and queen’s palace for a special gingerbread man. Then I’ll see the prince. If he is good, I’ll reveal myself and if he is bad, I’ll just give the gingerbread man and come back.

Graciala’s unicorn nodded her head. After Graciala woke her unicorn, they set off. In the first village, nobody greeted Graciala. When she went to the palace, she saw the prince just giving orders to the poor servants. Graciala felt very bad. She just gave the special gingerbread man and set off. After 3 days, Graciala had crossed 6 kingdoms and rejected every prince she saw. Graciala went into the seventh kingdom. When she went inside, a girl asked her “Who are you?”

Graciala replied “I am prin……..er……….Gra………er………Maria.”

The girl said “My name is Samayraah. Why have you come here?”

“I am a gingerbread man seller. I travel with my horse from kingdom to kingdom.”

The girl said ‘Oooooooh!!!! Welcome to the kingdom of Almaria.”

Graciala sold gingerbread men to all of the people and went to the palace. When she reached there, she saw no princes or princesses in the palace. There wasn’t even a king. Unable to control herself, Graciala asked the queen “Your majesty, why aren’t there any princes or princesses or a king in the palace?”

Hearing this, the queen burst into tears. Through tears, she said ‘Oh my daughter, my beloved daughter!! How was it that I didn’t recognise you!!’

Graciala was surprised, she said “What are you saying, your majesty? A mere gingerbread man seller would be your daughter!!”

The queen said “You are lying, aren’t you? You are a princess.”

Graciala said “Yes, I am a princess, but I am not your daughter. I am queen Elizabeth’s daughter.”

The queen said “No, you are my daughter. I am queen Courtney. Let me tell you the story of how you are my daughter. I was pregnant 5 times before I had you. All the 5 times, I had sons. When I was pregnant for the 6th time, the king had to go to war. Before going, the king left a message for me saying “If you have a boy, hang a silver coin on the windowsill and if you have a girl, hang a gold coin. If it’s a boy, the worst can happen, so you better pray that it’s a girl.”

After some days, I had you. By mistake, I hung a silver coin. When the king was coming back, he saw the silver coin. The king got angry and cursed all 5 of the older boys to turn into venomous frogs and be locked into the shed, while the sixth one would be out of the kingdom. You were a girl, but anyway, the curse affected you. When the king realised his mistake, he wanted to punish himself and for that, he killed himself. I went to a holy man and asked him what to do. He had said to me “O lady! These frogs will turn into humans when their lost sister will kiss them on the forehead. If the boys revive, everything will turn into normal. Even the king will be back.”

Graciala said to Courtney “You prove it.”

Courtney said “Ok. Take a fainting spray, two face masks and a big cardboard box.”

Graciala took all of the things and went into the shed with Courtney. In the shed, Graciala saw 5 giant, venomous frogs. Graciala and Courtney put on the facemasks and Graciala squirted the fainting spray on all of the frogs. Surprisingly, the frogs did not faint. Graciala understood why the frogs did not faint-because the spray didn’t work on half human and half animal. Graciala told Courtney “Mother, I do believe you now. This spray doesn’t work on half human and half animal. I will directly have to kiss them.”

Courtney said “Go on.”

Graciala moved forward and kissed the first frog on the forehead. He turned into a handsome prince! The queen went forward and hugged the prince tightly. She told Graciala “This is your oldest brother, Tarun.”

Graciala nodded her head, moved forward and kissed the second frog on the forehead. He too turned into a handsome prince. Courtney hugged him too and told Graciala “This is your second brother, Grasion.”

It went on like that with Graciala’s third brother, Ronald, fourth brother, Edmond and fifth brother, Sam.

The next day, Graciala found an old man in the palace. She immediately recognised him as the king.

After that, Graciala told Courtney and Mashnen (the king) all of her problems about marrying and all. Courtney told Graciala that in the neighbouring kingdom, there lived a prince who was very wise and brave. His name was Edward. Graciala wanted to test this prince. It was a 3 month journey from the kingdom where Graciala was living and the neighbouring kingdom. Graciala sent a letter to the prince that contained her picture and a riddle saying:

If you want to marry me,

You must do the following things.

Travel to the land where I stay,

Bring with you a fresh plant sapling of the rose plant,

That is one inch tall.

Less or more than that,

I won’t marry you.

And also do bring with you,

A fresh pot of intelligence!

When Edward got this letter and saw Graciala’s picture, he instantly fell in love with her. When Edward read the riddle, he sat in his carriage with two empty pots and a rose branch and set off. When he was about one month’s journey away, he put some fresh soil into one of the empty pots, planted the rose and left the other pot empty. When Edward reached Graciala’s palace, he went inside and showed Graciala the rose sapling. Graciala was very happy. She knew what Edward had done because it was the only way. Graciala asked Edward for her pot of intelligence and Edward showed her the empty pot. Graciala asked

Edward “What is this?”

Edward replied ”If you can imagine intelligence flying around, then even I can imagine that there is intelligence in this pot, right?”

Graciala was very happy. This was the kind of husband that she wanted for herself. Finally, Graciala and Edward married each other and they all lived happily ever after.

Moral of the story: Patience, bravery and intelligence, altogether, is the true key to love