The princess that did not want to marry
Once upon a time, in a
country far, far away, lived a princess. Her name was Linde. She had long,
blond hair, and eyes dark as coal. She had beautiful dresses, and her favourite
one was pink.
Linde: Hello children, how nice to see so many of
you. Are you having a birthday party? Who’s birthday is it? It is my birthday
too today, did you know? Tonight we will have a fabulous ball, right here, in
the palace. We will dance all night. I love dancing, it is my absolute favourite.
Do you like dancing too?
But, do you know what
is so stupid? My parents, the king and queen, they want me to marry. With a
prince. A real prince. In a minute a lot of princes will come and visit, and I
have to pick one to open the ball with tonight, dance the first dance. Yuk. I
am sure they will all be horrid. I do not want to marry. I want to dance, and
play. I do not want to be queen. Then I’ll have to do bow for people all day,
and wave from the golden carriage, and be nice, and formal and stiff. No!
Queen comes up: Come on Linde, the princes have arrived. Let me
see your hair, and your face, is it clean? Hurry up, and stand straight, dear.
The king and queen
sit on the throne. One by one the princes are presented. First, a young boy in
a football outfit comes up, running about.
Football Prince: Oi, princess! Got a ball, or something to
shoot about? Nah. Come and see my big game tomorrow. You can sit in the stalls,
be beautiful, smile and wave at me!
Linde, angrily: I do NOT like football. And I don’t want to
sit, be beautiful and wave. I want to dance. And play in the wood, with sticks.
‘Next,’ shouts the king.
Prince Monkey comes up, bows, says ooh, ah, ooh ooh ooh,
and monkeys around.
Linde, angrily: What a terrible prince. He has no manners at
all. He acts just like a monkey!
‘Next,’ shouts the king.
Prince Penguin bows, ‘good afternoon princess. How do you
do?’
Linde, icily: Hello.
Prince Penguin: Sweet princess, you are so pretty. I would
love to take you to my Ice Palace, with it’s winding towers of sparkling blue.
We can slip and slide down the stairs and have so much fun.
Linde: No. I do not like blue. Slipping and sliding
will ruin my dress. And most of all, I do not want a palace made of ice. Ice
should be ice cream, three scoops in a bowl, with a cherry on top. No. I won’t
marry him. No!
Linde shouts: I will never marry, do you hear me? I won’t.
Tonight I will dance with my friends. Or, even better. I will dance with a
frog. That will show them. Pfft (blows raspberry) I don’t want some poncey prince. I am going
to the woods, and I will play with sticks and get very dirty.
Linde, in the woods, with a stick: I told you, I won’t marry those stupid
princes. A snobby footballer, who just wants me as his trophy? Or a crazy
monkey? Or that ice penguin with his frozen palace? You wouldn’t want that
either, would you? I don’t want to marry anyway; I don’t want to be queen. I’ll
have to make stiff bows, wave from the golden carriage, and sit still and
straight, and host dinners. No. I won’t do it. I want to always stay a
princess, and dance all day and play in the woods. And when I grow up, I want
to decide what I’ll be. Maybe a doctor. Or a pilot. Or the king. Yes, that
would be good, because everyone would have to do as I say. Yes, don’t you
agree, being king is be best.
Frog comes up, ribbiting.
Linde: Look a frog. I will take him to the dance,
that will show my parents. Hello frog, would you like to dance? Linde and
the frog dance and play.
Linde: Children, do you know what I am thinking? Frogs
are often enchanted, aren’t they? He could be a prince? What do you think,
shall I kiss him?
Unsure: No, maybe I shouldn’t. He is very green, and
very slimy.
The children encourage her to do it anyway, and what do
you think! The frog turns into a handsome prince. The prince gives Linde a big
hug and a kiss. He seems very happy, and then retreats.
Prince charming: Thank you, princess, for kissing me. Very
decent of you. But. I suppose I have to marry you now? He looks at the children. That is the proper thing for a prince to do,
isn’t it, when a princess kisses him back from being a frog?
Linde: Actually, I’d rather you didn’t. I don’t want
to marry at all. I do not wish to be queen, and bow, and wave from the golden
carriage, and sit still and stiffly. I want to run in the woods and play with
sticks. And when I grow up I want to be what I choose. Pilot, or doctor.
Prince charming: Oh, I love playing with sticks! And I don’t
want to marry either, at least not yet. Let’s be friends, and always do what we
want.
Linde: Yes! And can I then be king when we are
bigger?
Prince charming: Well, we’ll have to see about that.
Linde: All right. But, one more thing. Would you mind
dancing the first dance with me at my birthday ball tonight?
Prince charming: I’d be honoured to. I love to dance!