The Lonely Little Princess, Part 1

By Elizabeth Fust

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess who lived in a stone castle that looked out on the sea. The Princess was an only child, and she was very lonely. Because the Princess had no one to play with, she spent her days reading books from the castle library. She read books about dangerous adventures where heroes fought for justice or searched for a great treasure of gold and jewels. Sometimes she would read books about ghosts. But she didn’t do that often because she didn’t like ghosts. Her favorite books were about true love. She was almost always reading those kinds of books.

As the Princess grew older she became even lonelier, especially when she finished reading all the books in the library! She had no friends, and now she had no new books to read. She was feeling very sad. One night she knelt next to her bed and prayed.  But the Princess couldn’t think of anything to say.

Outside her window, a single star shone. That’s when the Princess had an idea.

“I’ll pray like I’m wishing!” So she went and knelt by her window. The Princess gazed out at the star that shone down upon the waters of the sea. The Princess kept thinking and thinking… but she still didn’t know what to pray for.

“The best way to think of something to pray for is to just start praying,” she told herself.  Gazing up at the star with her hands clasped in front of her, she began.

“Star light, star bright, the first star I see tonight; I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight.” But what should she wish for? The one thing the Princess knew was that a wish should always rhyme.

“Star light, star bright, the first star I see tonight; I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I wish tonight. And the wish I wish tonight…”

What rhymed with wish? Dish? No, she didn’t want a dish. What else rhymes? Squish. How could she want a squish? She could wish that all the broccoli plants would be squished so she that wouldn’t have to eat them anymore. The princess could wish for a swish. A swish? That wouldn’t work either. She could wish to go on a boat ride swishing through the water. But nothing she thought of seemed like the right thing to wish for.

“A fish!” She hoped that just because she had said it aloud didn’t mean that was her wish.  She liked fish, but that wasn’t going to be what she wished for. Then the Princess knew what she wanted…

 Art work by Rachel Skiba

Elizabeth Fust is a homeschooled senior in high school. When she was six years old, she entered a story into a Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators contest, it is the first story she remembers writing. Elizabeth has been writing ever since. She is active in the parish youth group, parish choir, and 4-H. She is an avid reader, loves playing with her two dogs, playing Ultimate Frisbee with her friends, playing flute, dreaming up new stories, and learning new things.

Rachel Skiba has been homeschooled her entire life and is headed to her freshman year of college. She has always been interested in art and has taken many art classes. Rachel enjoys drawing, photography, sewing, beading, playing the bass, playing Ultimate Frisbee with her friends, and spending time with her four sisters.