Princess Olivia and the Animals

     The lovely Princess Olivia lived in a wonderful castle with her brothers, Samuel and Bennett, and Princess Madelene.  Her parents, the King and Queen, had many animals, especially after Princess Madelene started drawing the Royal Zoo. [see Princess Madelene Story]
     Princess Olivia's job was to take care of all the animals who were born at the castle and at the zoo.  Olivia just loved baby animals!  Her favorites were the kittens and the ponies, but she also liked butterflies.
     Her job kept the princess very busy every day.  Babies don't ever stop being babies!  She sometimes was tired from all the cleaning and feeding and washing up that babies need.  But she loved helping them.
      Princess Madelene helped with the work.  She also fed the big and little animals, and cleaned up their stalls. Both sisters enjoyed drawing pictures of the animals when they had time.
      Their brother, Samuel, used his truck to bring the hay for the animals to eat.  For special occasions, he would take the girls and the animals on his trains for a ride into the mountains.  How the animals loved to stick their heads out the windows!
     Prince Bennett rode with them, although he was too young to drive the train or the trucks yet.  But his brother and sisters loved him so much! They just wanted him to come along and pet the animals.  They all knew he would do more when he was older.
      One day, Princess Olivia woke up, and she knew that something wasn't quite right with one of her ponies. She ran down to the zoo for a look.
     Oh no!  The pony's gate was unlocked.  It had been left open all night, and the pony had gotten lost!  The kitties were meowing, the butterflies were flitting around in the empty pen, but the pony was not there.
     Olivia called to the King and Queen, and to her brothers and sister.  She said, "We must sing the song I always sing to my pony. She knows this song, and when she hears it, she will come back home to us."
     This is Olivia's song:
      I love my pony, 
      Do you love her, too?
      When my pony goes away,
      I am very sad,
      But when she comes home to me
      I will be so glad.
    Everyone went out onto the hills around the castle, singing Princess Olivia's song.  Before long, the princess heard the faint whinnying of a horse.  Olivia called to Prince Samuel to bring his truck to take her to the place there the pony was stuck in a far-off valley.

      Then, they called to Princess Madelene to draw a large magic animal that would fly into the valley to pick up the pony for them.  Once the creature had gently lifted up and and placed the pony into Prince Samuel's truck, the creature disappeared!

     Princess Olivia threw her arms around the pony, and sang her song again into the pony's ear.  The little horse felt better immediately.  Madelene and Olivia put warm blankets around her.

  

     When the pony was well again, the kittens and the butterflies had a party for her in the garden, and all the princes and princesses were invited.  The King and Queen brought cupcakes!
This is a story I wrote for my grand-daughter, Olivia, the Christmas when she was 3.