Bertie’s Christmas Storynory

And then Princess Beatrice, who is as kind as she is beautiful, would go to the hospital, and give some of Berties’ toys to the poorly little children who were spending Christmas there. Prince Bertie had so many toys, that he didn’t really mind letting her give some away, although he probably would have minded if somebody not quite so lovely as Princes Beatrice had done it. .

And so Bertie sat on the window ledge remembering all the happy Christmases he had spent in the past. But then he remembered how he had been turned into a frog, and how the Lovely Princes Betrice could no longer marry him. He would never spend another Christmas with Princess Beatrice now. “Sniff Sniff, Croak Croak” he said, because this was the Saddest Christmas Day he had ever spent.

Just then, as Bertie was crying some more froggy tears, the door of the palace opened. The noise startled Bertie, and he fell from the window ledge onto the ground. “Argghhh,” he croaked. “Eeeekkkkk,” yelped Tim. “Oh, look, there’s frog,” said Princess Beatrice, as she stepped onto the pathway. And she picked him up in her hand and carried him back to the pond. She didn’t even notice little Tim who was clinging by his tail with all his might, hanging on to Bertie’s big toe.

Bertie felt very happy to be so close to the Princess Beatrice again, because he loved her so very much. But he also felt a bit sad, because she didn’t realize he was Prince Bertie at all and just thought he was a frog.

And how he longed to be a Prince again. “Croak! Croak!” he said. But Princes Beatrice just laughed because she could not understand any of his croaks. Then she put him down by the side of the pond, and she took a mince pie out of her handbag, where she always kept nice things in case she saw a little child or a furry animal to whom she could give a present. “I’m sure all the creatures who live in the pond would like that,” she said, in the loveliest, gentlest voice that Tim the Tadpole had ever heard.

Colin the Grumpy Carp wanted to look out of the water at her, but he banged his head on the ice. “Mince pies!” he grumped. “I don’t like them. Why can’t she gives us some a dead insects?” “Oh, do be quiet Colin,” said Sadie the beautiful black Swan. “I think Christmas is lovely. I think we should celebrate it every year on the pond from now on.” And if enough children keep listening to Berties Stories, perhaps by next year he will have turned back into a prince and he can marry the lovely Princess Beatrice. Then the Royal Couple will come down to the pond and bring lots and lots of mince pies and Christmas Pudding and fat juicy flies for the Pond Life to enjoy a super-duper lunch.