Bed Time Story I

Once upon a time there was a girl named Anna. Anna was very beautiful but no one could see her beauty because she was poor. She was dressed in rags and tatters and that's all anyone could see. She spent her days begging in the streets. Some days she got enough to eat, other days she went without. "If only some luck would come may way" she sighed.

One day the handsome Prince can riding along on his magnificent horse. He was strong and brave and not hesitant to declare his own wonderful attributes. He saw the girl Anna begging in the streets and stopped beside her. "You must be poor." the Prince declared to her. " because you are dressed in rags and tatters."

"I am" Anna confessed bowing before her prince.

"Well, this is your lucky day. I am going to give you a job cutting onions in my kitchen" The prince declared again.

"You are too kind your highess" was Anna's reply.

"Yes I am" the prince enthusiastically agreed, " and you shall benefit from my great kindness by serving in my kitchen, where you will always have enough to eat."

"Thank you my Lord" Anna said respectfully.

"Come then to your magnificant new life." the Prince urged. So Anna followed the prince to the castle.

Anna couldn't believe her good fortune. Anna was sent into the servants quarters and given an old dress to wear which was a huge step up from what she was wearing before. Then she was sent into the kitchen to cut onions. Hours later the Prince decided he would check up on her and see how she was doing. When he entered the kitchen, he found her cutting onions and gently sobbing.

"Why are you crying?" the Prince inquired, "I saved you from begging in the streets and gave you this wonderful new life."

"They are tears of joy my Lord" Anna answered. "I am glad you are happy." the Prince responded very satisfied with himself for saving one of the 'little' people.

Anna worked in the hot kitchen day after day. It must be confessed that even though this life wasn't paradise, she was getting regular meals and it was a step up from life begging on the streets. The prince did not see Anna again, but forgot completely that she was there.

After several months had passed, Anna's health improved dramatically. She was getting exercise by cutting onions and she was getting regular meals. The woman who ran the kitchen started to notice that she was quite beautiful. "Someone as beautiful as this, should be seen." she thought, " not drudging away in the kitchen hidden from sight" So she talked to the person who was the head of the wait staff.

Anna was cleaned up. They gave her a bath and washed and fixed her hair. They put a dress on her which was common for the wait staff. The dress was another step up for her and at this point she looked very attractive. They started teaching her how to wait and soon she was waiting on both guests and residents.

Her beauty was now noticed by everyone because now it was no longer hidden behind rags and tatters. The first time the Prince saw her, he did not know who she was. her appearance had changed so dramatically that he didn't recognize her as the girl begging in the streets that he had 'saved'.

There was a formal ball coming up where anybody who was anybody in the kingdom has to attend. They had to attend whether they wanted to or not because if they didn't, they would find out that they were no longer one of the people who was anybody but in fact would become a nobody and nobody wanted that. Everybody on the wait staff decided that Anna should go as a guest, rather than participate as a servant. The reason for this was because when you were assigned a class at birth, that's where you stayed unless something amazing happen to you. They decided to make something amazing happen for Anna because they all adored her.

They put makeup on her face and they styled her hair. They 'borrowed' a dress which to say looked stunning on her would be understating it's effectiveness. When they were done, she very much looked like she belonged. Anna couldn't believe her good fortune now. She wasn't sure she should go through with it but everyone urged her to go for it.

The ball was in full swing when Anna entered the room. Her beauty was on full display and everybody stopped what they were doing to admire it. The young men fell all over themselves as they tried to jockey for position to be the first to dance with her. The attention made her feel nervous. She had never been fussed over before this. The young maidens became green with envy because the attention they were getting from the young men had disappeared.

When the Prince saw her, he fell in love with her and he fell hard. He had never seen her before and wondered where she came from. He patiently waited for his moment and then he approched her. She danced with the prince. After talking for awhile, he asked her where she came from. Anna wondered if she should tell him the truth. She was afraid of what might happen to her if he did. After a long silence, Anna confessed that she was the begger girl that the Prince 'rescued'. He looked at her for a long time after her confession as if he was thinking about what he should do with her. Finally he said, "Then allow me to finish your salvation." The prince got down on one knee and asked Anna to marry him.

Anna was shocked.

This was her one chance to get everything she ever wanted. Everything that is except love. Anna didn't love the prince. She thought about it and finally said, "I am forever grateful to you for taking me from the streets. But I cannot marry a man I don't love." The prince got up and responded, "I can respect that."

The next day Anna found herself chained in the dungeon for humiliating the prince in front of everybody.

That's the end of our story for now. Goodnight everybody!