ong, long ago in a magic land far away, the handsome Prince Anton and lovely Princess Annabella were married. They were both very much in love and they did indeed make a handsome pair.

Princess Annabella was the most beautiful lady in the Kingdom; she had long, shiny golden hair and skin like velvet. Her eyes were as green as the ocean and she was tall and slender as a willow. She moved with the grace of a young antelope and she was gentle and kind. Throughout the land the people all loved her.

The King and Queen were delighted that their beautiful daughter had found such a perfect man to marry.
Prince Anton was dashing and brave. He was tall and strong with black curly hair and blue eyes. He could ride like the wind and even the wildest horse became gentle in his hands. He was very popular with the people and many a lady had secretly lost her heart to the handsome Prince.

The wedding was a joyful affair with many guests from far and near who brought wonderful presents to the happy couple. The Ladies were all dressed in splendid colours with feathers and lace, satin and bows. Jewels sparkled in their hair, and on fingers, ears, necks and arms. The Gentlemen all looked very handsome and vied with each other for the favours of the lovely ladies.

The King and Queen entertained their guests with merry music and dancing, and that night there was a great feast. The King was so overjoyed that he gave every one in the kingdom a shiny gold coin to celebrate the event. The Kingdom was a very contented place.

n time the Prince and Princess had a baby daughter whom they named Antonella.

Little Antonella was very, very pretty. She had rosy cheeks and a mop of blonde curly hair. She was spoiled by her parents, her Grandparents and all of the ladies and gentlemen of the Royal court. The little Princess was always laughing and loved to play games but she was an only child and as there were no other young children in the Palace, she had nobody with whom she could play.
Antonella wished most of all for a brother or a sister, but since she had none, she learned to pretend that the girl she saw in her mirror was her sister and her playmate.

Princess Antonella wandered about and tried to imagine that she was not the only little girl in the Palace. She even gazed at her likeness in the glossy table tops and the polished gold and silver plates and pretended that her reflection in the windows or in the many big mirrors on the Palace walls was her sister.

So absorbed in this game was little Antonella that she would sometimes bump into things and knock them over. If she was in a bad mood she would pout and stamp her foot and say; "Whoever was the silly person who put that in the way?" Then she would wander off to find her playmate in some other shiny surface and once again play her game of make-believe.

The ladies and gentlemen of the Court shook their heads in dismay. They thought that she had simply become very vain.
Prince Anton and Princess Annabella tried to distract the little Princess with books and toys. Princess Annabella gave her daughter a fluffy white kitten and Prince Anton even tried to teach her to ride a little pony, but nothing interested little Antonella more than her reflection.
They did not realise that Princess Antonella was just a very lonely little girl.

ne day she was walking along staring at her reflection in the window and she bumped into the old King who had a very sore foot. Little Antonella trod right on his toe, and before she realised that it was her Grandfather she said; "Whoever was the silly person who put that foot right in my way?" instead of apologising as she should have done.

The old King was usually very kind to little Antonella but she had hurt his poor, sore toe when she stepped on it, and he became very cross.

He said "Antonella, you must learn to look where you are walking instead of admiring yourself all the time. You are becoming more vain than a Peacock ever could be. I shall issue a decree that no-one in my Kingdom will ever be permitted to give you a mirror until you have learned to be less vain."

Antonella cried and pouted, but the King did not relent. He knew nothing of Antonella's little game of make-believe.

The King commanded that all the mirrors in the Palace be removed and that all the shiny windows be covered by lace curtains so that Antonella could not see her reflection. All the polished gold and silver plates were locked away and embroidered cloths placed over the glossy wooden tabletops. Nobody would disobey their beloved King as he was a fair and gentle man and would never hurt a fly, let alone his Grand-daughter Antonella.

Antonella ran from the Palace crying. She loved her grandfather and had not intended to hurt him so, and she did not understand why she should not look at herself. She ran and ran and ran until she came to a sunlit grove of grass and ferns. There, sitting on a little grassy mound she saw a magical sight; a Fern Fairy was combing her feathery, brown hair with a twig comb and humming softly to herself.

Antonella was entranced. She stopped, wiped away her tears, and sat down to watch. The Fern Fairy took a pinch of fairy dust from a secret place under her wings and sprinkled it over her hair. In an instant her hair became curly and bouncy, like a mass of golden bubbles in the sunshine. Antonella clapped her hands and cried "Oh how wonderful; you must tell me how to do that. I could be much more beautiful with fairy dust in my hair."

The Fern Fairy laughed and said, "It is magic Antonella."

"Where can I learn to make magic like you?" cried little Antonella.

The Fern Fairy said "Go to the big pool with the waterfall and you will meet the Rainbow Fairy. She will teach you the secret of Magic."

"With the secret of magic and beautiful golden curls, perhaps I can persuade my Grandfather to be kind to me again." thought Antonella and she jumped up and ran through the forest.

© Sylvia Gartland , 9th December 1996 All rights reserved.

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