The Princess in Black and the Perfect Princess Party Read online

  galloped into the goat pasture. Again.

  75

  Yet another monster was terrorizing

  the goats. A pink monster this time.

  “ROOAARR!” it said. “EAT

  GOAT —”

  “No!” said the Princess in Black.

  “No eating goats. I don’t want to fight

  any more monsters today! I have had it.

  It’s my BIRTHDAY. And it’s time for

  PRESENTS. Do you hear me? I said,

  IT’S TIME FOR PRESENTS!”

  The pink monster winced. Its ears

  rang. The Princess in Black yelled

  quite loudly.

  The pink monster was questioning

  its decision to leave Monster Land.

  77

  Sure, Monster Land had no goats.

  But it also had no yelling princesses.

  78

  Now things were awkward. It

  seemed today was the Princess in

  Black’s birthday. She was expecting

  presents. And the pink monster hadn’t

  brought a thing.

  79

  It checked its pockets. Oh, goody!

  Stones! Pink stones it had found in

  a cave. There were twelve of them.

  They would have to do.

  The pink monster held out the

  stones. The pink monster cleared its

  throat.

  it roared politely.

  The twelve princesses waited in the

  tower room. Princess Magnolia was

  still gone. It had been a long time.

  “Perhaps she’s playing hide-and-

  seek again?” said Princess Zinnia.

  84

  They searched the castle. No

  Princess Magnolia.

  “Maybe she’s in the broom closet,”

  said Princess Sneezewort. “She was

  in there last time.”

  They went to the broom closet.

  Princess Sneezewort reached for the

  door handle.

  Just then, Princess Magnolia came

  out. Her hair was extremely messy.

  Her dress was inside out and back-

  ward. One of her glass slippers was

  missing.

  86

  “Princess Magnolia, you keep dis-

  appearing,” said Princess Sneezewort.

  “Every time it’s time for presents.”

  “I do?” said Princess Magnolia.

  “Yes, you do,” said Princess

  Sneezewort. “Don’t you want

  presents? Where do you keep

  going?”

  Princess Magnolia looked down.

  Her hands were full of stones. She

  held them up.

  “To get presents for you!” she

  said. “After all, presents make a

  party particularly perfect.”

  87

  She handed out the stones. There

  was one for each princess. They were

  clear and pink and very pretty.

  “They’re perfect!”

  said Princess

  Sneezewort.

  “Absolutely

  perfect.”

  It all was. The company. The games.

  The gifts. It was the most perfect party

  Princess Magnolia had ever had.