Once upon a time there lived a beautiful Infant Princess. Beloved and adored by all who knew her. Her hair shone like the rising sun. Her eyes grew dark as freshly turned earth. Her checks, round and soft as peaches, begged to be kissed. Her lips, a little rose bud, opened into a brilliant smile. She grew day by day, stronger, taller, and smarter.
The Infant Princess had two older sisters. They doted on the Infant Princess. The Eldest helped the Queen care for the Infant Princess. She brought diapers, wipes, tissues, and blankets. The Eldest aided the Queen joyfully and received much praise for all her help.
The Second Eldest, while not old enough to help, brought the Infant Princess toys, hugs, and kisses. She took pride in making the Infant Princess smile and talk.
During the day life sped by, mostly smooth. The night, on the other hand, presented the Queen with difficulties.
One by one the Princesses dressed for bed, brushed their teeth and tresses. The Queen read to them from an assortment of books, sang bedtime songs, and kissed them good-night. Swiftly and quietly the Eldest and Second Eldest Princesses slipped into a pleasant slumber.
The Infant Princess, however, needed to be snuggled and nursed before falling into slumber. Finally, all three of the princesses slept peacefully in their chamber.
The three princesses loved each other very much and could not bear to be parted, even in sleep. Thus, they shared a chamber in one of the towers of the palace.
All would be well, until the Queen decided to retire. At the precise moment her foot stepped upon the floor of her chamber disaster would befall her.
Many different formats occurred on different nights, but this is what often happened.
The Second Eldest Princess fell out of bed. The Queen rushed in to rescue her from the floor. Setting her gently back into her bed, the Queen covered her and made sure her royal stuffed bear was withing her arms. Kisses her softly on the head, the Queen attempted to slip out.
Just as the door clicked closed the Infant Princess awoke. The Queen hear her first whimpers. Hoping they signified all that The Infant Princess would vocalize, she quietly made her way to her own chambers.
Alas, this was not to be. The Infant Princess continued to whimper, each time louder than the last. The Queen, still holding on to the hope that each whimper would be the last, dressed for bed. As she laid her weary head upon her pillow, the Infant Princess erupted into full wails of distress.
The Queen rose from her bed and made her way back to the princesses' chamber. Gathering the Infant Princess into her arms, the Queen carried her back to the Queens chamber. Within a few moments the Queen succeeded in calming the Infant Princess.
Thinking her soundly asleep, the Queen swiftly, but silently, returned her to her royal crib. With a sigh of relief the Queen closed the chamber door, walked back to her own chamber, and laid her head back upon her pillow.
Just when the Queen allowed herself to relax, the Infant Princess began to whimper again. Holding her breath, the Queen listened as the time between whimpers extended. A whoosh accompanied the exhaled breath, and so did a cry from the Eldest Princess.
Rolling her eyes heaven ward, the Queen prayed for the Infant Princess to stay asleep. Like most nights, this prayer was answered negatively.
Rising again from her bed, the Queen walked to the Princesses room, gathered the Infant Princess into her arms, and, this time, walked to the library.
The Queen lit a small candle and selected a think tome. Settling herself into a squishy arm chair, the Queen nestled the Infant Princess against her body. The Infant Princess snuggled in and the Queen read a few pages.
Finally, after the Queen decided the Infant Princess was truly asleep, she made her way back to the princesses chamber, placed the sleeping Infant Princess into her royal crib, returned to her own chamber, and slipped beneath the covers of her bed.
The Queen waited for a whimper, a cry, or a thud. When none appeared, she closed her eyes for sleep. Unfortunately, by this time the Queen was no longer sleepy herself. After tossing and turning a few minutes, she returned to her book and read deep into the night.
The next morning the Queen appeared at breakfast with dark circles under eyes. The King glared at them, then at the three princesses.
“I am issuing a decree,” he said. “From now on the Princesses will sleep in separate chambers.”
The two elder princesses voiced their horror over this decision and protested it vehemently. The King refused to be swayed. He ordered the servants to move two of the princesses to separate chambers.
Upon leaving for his kingly duties he warned the Queen not to let the princesses return to one room. He also reminded the three princesses that if they disobeyed his decree they would be punished. Hanging their heads, the two elder princesses promised to obey.
That night, when she laid her head down on her pillow, the Queen listened intently for any noise from the princesses. She heard nothing. Sleep finally found her still waiting.
The next morning, the Queen awoke well rested and refreshed. The dark circles under her eyes had vanished in the night. The three princesses declared the Kings decree a splendid thing, for each of them had slept the most peaceful sleep they had ever slept.
And they all lived happily ever after.
copyright August 20, 2009
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