The Princess in Black and the Perfect Princess Party Read online

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either

  products of the author’s imagination or, if real, are used fictitiously.

  Text copyright © 2015 by Shannon and Dean Hale

  Illustrations copyright © 2015 by LeUyen Pham

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted,

  or stored in an information retrieval system in any form or by any means,

  graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, taping, and

  recording, without prior written permission from the publisher.

  First electronic edition 2017

  Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2014949932

  ISBN 978-0-7636-6511-1 (hardcover)

  ISBN 978-0-7636-8758-8 (paperback)

  ISBN 978-0-7636-9664-1 (electronic)

  This book was typeset in LTC Kennerley Pro.

  The illustrations were done in watercolor and ink.

  Candlewick Press

  99 Dover Street

  Somerville, Massachusetts 02144

  visit us at www.candlewick.com

  For Uyen, Sarah, and Barry—

  with you it’s always a perfect princess party

  S. H. and D. H.

  To my royal nieces, Alize, Alora, and Mathilde

  L. P.

  Pink balloons topped the castle

  towers. Pink balloons bobbed from

  the treetops. There was even a pink

  balloon tied to a unicorn’s horn.

  Today was Princess Magnolia’s

  birthday. She wanted the party to be

  perfect.

  2

  Princess Magnolia cleaned her

  tower room. She put on her favorite

  fluffy dress. She polished her glass

  slippers. She frosted cupcakes.

  3

  She looked out her window. Her

  guests would arrive any moment.

  And then her glitter-stone ring rang.

  “The monster alarm,” said Princess

  Magnolia. “Not now!”

  It was time for Princess Magnolia’s

  birthday party. It was not a good time

  for a monster attack.

  Monsters did not care about Princess

  Magnolia’s birthday. Monsters just

  wanted to eat goats. Stopping mon-

  sters was no job for prim and perfect

  Princess Magnolia. But it was the

  perfect job for the Princess in Black.

  5

  Princess Magnolia ducked into the

  broom closet.

  She took off her favorite fluffy dress.

  She slipped off her glass slippers.

  Underneath, she was dressed all in

  black. She fastened on her mask.

  6

  She was no longer Princess Magnolia.

  She was the Princess in Black.

  7

  “The princess is back!” said the

  Princess in Black.

  She slid down the secret chute.

  She high-jumped the castle wall.

  Twelve sparkly princesses were

  riding toward the drawbridge. Her

  party guests!

  She hoped they wouldn’t look up.

  No one knew that prim and perfect

  Princess Magnolia was also the

  Princess in Black.

  No one knew the Princess in Black’s

  secret identity, except her faithful steed.

  He was a steed with his own secret.

  Everyone thought that Frimplepants

  was a unicorn. After all, he had a horn

  on his head. Today a pink balloon was

  tied to his horn. For the party.

  11

  When Frimplepants pranced, the

  balloon bobbed. When Frimplepants

  cantered, the balloon swayed. Frimple-

  pants was in a festive mood.

  12

  That is,

  until his

  glitter-stone

  horseshoe

  rang. The

  monster alarm!

  Frimplepants went into a secret

  passage.

  13

  When he came out the other side,

  he was no longer Frimplepants the

  unicorn. He was Blacky, the Princess

  in Black’s faithful pony!

  15

  Blacky went to the usual place

  beside the castle wall. He waited for

  the Princess in Black to land on his

  back.

  Blacky was ready to fight monsters!

  But he kind of missed the balloon.

  The Princess in Black landed on

  Blacky’s back.

  “Fly, Blacky, fly!” she said.

  Blacky could not fly. He was a

  pony. He was not a Pegasus. But he

  knew that when the Princess in Black

  said “fly” she really meant “run fast.”

  And so Blacky ran fast.

  17

  They zoomed through the forest.

  18

  Duff the goat boy watched over

  the grazing goats. He did not notice a

  tentacle creeping out of a nearby hole.

  More tentacles followed. A monster

  rose up.

  “Help!” Duff said.

  The Princess in Black rode into the

  goat pasture.

  “BLEAT BOATS!” the monster

  gurgled.

  “Huh?” said Duff.

  “Huh?” said the Princess in Black.

  The monster lifted a tentacle to its

  mouth. It coughed horribly.

  20

  “EAT GOATS!” the monster

  shrieked.

  “Ah,” said Duff.

  “Ah,” said the Princess in Black.

  All monsters were the same. They

  only wanted to eat goats. They did

  not care about a princess’s birthday.

  21

  The Princess in Black pushed a

  switch on her scepter. It turned into

  a staff.

  “Behave, beast!” she shouted.

  “Back to Monster Land.”

  “NO! EAT GOATS!” it said.

  So the tentacled monster and the

  Princess in Black waged battle.

  24

  The monster went back into the

  hole. They always did. Eventually.

  “Hooray!” said Duff.

  25

  The Princess in Black waved. She

  and her pony raced back to the castle.

  Moments later, Princess Magnolia

  came out of the broom closet. Her hair

  was a little messy.

  She ran down the stairs. She opened

  the castle door.

  “Happy Birthday!” shouted

  the twelve sparkly princesses.

  Princess Magnolia was having a

  wonderful time. The sandwiches

  were delicious. The tablecloths were

  fancy. The princesses were delightful.

  It was a perfect party.

  “Open the presents!” said Princess

  Snapdragon.

  30

  “Yes, do!” said the other eleven

  princesses.

  Princess Magnolia clapped her

  hands. She could hardly wait.

  “Oh, thank you!” she said. “Presents

  make a party particular
ly perfect.”

  31

  Just then, her glitter-stone ring

  rang.

  It was time to open presents. It

  was not a good time for a monster

  attack.

  “What is that ringing noise?”

  asked Princess Snapdragon.

  32

  “It’s an alarm,” said Princess

  Magnolia.

  She couldn’t tell them it was the

  monster alarm. Then they might

  guess that she was the Princess in

  Black. No one knew she was the

  Princess in Black. (Except Blacky,

  of course.)

  “That alarm means it’s . . . time

  for a game!” said Princess Magnolia.

  “Yay!” said Princess Bluebell.

  “What game should we play?”

  “Um, how about hide-and-seek?”

  said Princess Magnolia. “Not It!”

  33

  Princess Tulip was It. She counted.

  The princesses sneaked away.

  34

  Princess Honeysuckle hid under a

  table.

  Princess Crocus hid behind the

  bathroom door.

  35

  Princess Magnolia hid in the broom

  closet.

  Hide-and-seek made Princess

  Sneezewort nervous. She was not

  afraid of hiding. She was afraid of

  never being found.

  37

  Princess Sneezewort blended in

  with the drapes.

  38

  Princess Sneezewort blended in

  with the table lamps.

  Princess Sneezewort blended in

  with the rug.

  39

  Princess Tulip walked by. But she

  did not notice Princess Sneezewort.

  Princess Sneezewort sighed. She

  was lonely. The rug wasn’t very good

  company.

  41

  She had seen Princess Magnolia

  hide in the broom closet. She would

  follow. At least then she wouldn’t

  have to hide alone.

  Princess Sneezewort opened the

  closet. There was Princess Magno-

  lia’s fluffy dress. There were her glass

  slippers. But there was no Princess

  Magnolia.

  “That’s curious,” said Princess

  Sneezewort. “Where did she go?”

  The Princess in Black was back in

  the goat pasture. Normally, fighting

  monsters was a pleasant way to pass

  an afternoon. But today she wanted

  to open presents.

  “Behave, beast!” she said.

  “NO! EAT GOATS!” said the

  scaly monster.

  43

  The Princess in Black sighed.

  Monsters could be so exasperating.

  When would they learn? She would

  not let them eat the goats!

  The Princess in Black and the scaly

  monster waged battle.

  45

  The monster went back to Monster

  Land. They always did. Eventually.

  46

  The Princess in Black raced back

  to the castle.

  She crawled back up the chute.

  47

  She pulled on the fluffy dress. She

  slipped on the glass slippers.

  “Where did you come from?” said

  a voice.

  Princess Magnolia froze.

  Princess Magnolia was not alone in

  the broom closet.

  “Who’s there?” asked Princess

  Magnolia.

  “It’s me. Princess Sneezewort.”

  Princess Magnolia squinted. All

  she saw were some brooms.

  The brooms moved.

  49

  “Wow, Princess Sneezewort,”

  she said. “You blended in with the

  brooms. You’re really good at hiding.”

  “So are you,” said Princess

  Sneezewort. “I’ve been in this closet

  for an hour. I saw your dress. I didn’t

  think you were in it.”

  The closet door opened.

  51

  “I found you!” said Princess Tulip.

  “You two are good hiders. I checked

  this closet three times.”

  “That is curious,” said Princess

  Sneezewort.

  Shall we do presents now?” asked

  Princess Mali.

  “We really should,” said Princess

  Euphoria. “Presents make a party

  particularly perfect.”

  53

  “Oh, goody!” said Princess Magnolia.

  There was a ringing sound.

  “What is that noise?” asked Princess

  Orchid.

  “It’s the alarm again,” said Princess

  Magnolia. She sighed. “Um . . . it’s

  time for the races.”

  The princesses went outside. The

  princesses mounted their mounts.

  Ready, set, go!

  Princess Magnolia and her unicorn,

  Frimplepants, won the first race.

  Princess Sneezewort and her pig,

  Sir Hogswell, came in last.

  56

  There was a second race. Princess

  Bluebell and her Pegasus, Jollybuck,

  won.

  Princess Sneezewort and Sir

  Hogswell came in last.

  57

  There was a third race. Princess

  Zinnia and her stag, Santa Bear, won.

  There was a fourth race. Princess

  Apple Blossom and her antelope, Ed,

  won.

  59

  Princess Sneezewort was always

  last. Sir Hogswell did not believe in

  races. Sir Hogswell did not believe in

  speed. Sir Hogswell believed in din-

  ner, dessert, and a good night’s sleep.

  From the back, Princess Sneezewort

  could see all the princesses. She could

  see all their mounts. But she could

  no longer see Princess Magnolia and

  Frimplepants.

  61

  There was a fifth race. That time,

  Princess Magnolia came in last. She

  rode up behind Princess Sneezewort.

  Her hair was messy. Her glass slip-

  pers were on the wrong feet.

  “That is curious,” said Princess

  Sneezewort.

  Now is it time for presents?” asked

  Princess Apple Blossom.

  “I hope so,” said Princess Magnolia.

  “Because presents make a party —”

  63

  The ringing noise interrupted her.

  “Another alarm?” asked Princess

  Sneezewort.

  “Yes . . .” Princess Magnolia frowned.

  “It’s time to do . . . the maze! We can

  open presents after. I promise.”

  The princesses entered the garden

  maze.

  Princess Sneezewort got lost.

  She thought she would be

  the last one out.

  66

  Eventually she found the exit.

  Eleven princesses were waiting. But

  one more was still in the maze.

  67

  Finally Princess Magnolia emerged.

  Her hair was even messier. Her dress

  was inside out.

  “That is remarkably curious,” said

  Princess Sneezewort.

  Now is it time for presents?” asked

  Princess Euphoria.

  “Um . . .” said Princess Magnolia.

  She held her breath. She listened.<
br />
  She looked at her ring. No ringing.

  “Yes!” she said. “It really is time for

  presents.”

  69

  The princesses went back to the

  tower. They sat on sofas. Princess

  Hyacinth handed Princess Magnolia

  the first gift.

  70

  It felt heavy and round. Could it

  be a racing helmet? A goldfish bowl?

  A crystal ball? Princess Magnolia

  couldn’t wait to see!

  Then something happened. Some-

  thing that made Princess Magnolia

  want to cry.

  Her glitter-stone ring rang.

  71

  It was really, really time for presents.

  It was a really, really bad time for a

  monster attack.

  “Does that alarm mean it’s time for

  presents?” asked Princess Honeysuckle.

  Princess Magnolia whimpered.

  “Please stay here,” she said. “I’ll be

  right back. I promise.”

  Princess Magnolia left her tower

  room. She sneaked into the broom

  closet again. She changed her clothes

  again.

  73

  She went down the chute. She

  high-jumped the castle wall. Blacky

  was waiting. She landed on his back.

  They rode through the forest. They