The Beetle and the Silken Thread

Once upon a time there lived a king named Vans who ruled the kingdom of Aradona. And the queen had a beautiful daughter named Myra. She was a smart princess. However, Myra was very rebellious and did not like listening to her parents. She loved to go out in the woods with her friends, spending time with nature and playing with the animals.

Princess Myra: Hello there you beautiful deer! Are you hungry? Would you like to eat some leaves?

Friend: Hey! Aren't you supposed to be there for the Royal dinner?

Princess Myra: Me? Eh.

Friend: Seems like the Prince of Escasia is gonna be there. Hehehehehee!

Princess Myra: Look girls, I don't care about any Prince. The rules in the kingdom annoys me to the bones!

Friend: Oh okay, let's go by the river! Come on girls!

Princess Myra: Woohoo! Now we're talking! Haha!!

Meanwhile, the king ad the queen were sitting at the royal dining table, anticipating Princess Myra's arrival.

King Vans: Rosie, where is that daughter of yours?

Queen: Our daughter?

King Vans: Yes, she is embarrassing me.

Prince of Escasia: Could we expect the princess joining us anytime soon?

Queen: Oh I am afraid not... for she's been keeping very unwell.

Prince of Escasia: Oh.. I see..

The Royal Dinner went well and the guest prepared to leave. As they were exiting the kingdom, they saw Princess Myra giggling and laughing as she was entering with her friend, Alicia.

Friend: Hahaha! Today was so much fun!

Princess Myra: Yes! We should do this again.

This made King Vans and Queen Rosie extremely angry. They said nothing and went back to their kingdom. One evening, Princess Myra was playing hide and seek with her friends in the woods. 

Friend1: 5... 6... 7... 8...

Friend2: Hahahaha. I'm going to hide right behind her and startle her! Hahaha

Princess Myra: Noo! It's the last game for the evening! Let's make this fun. I am going to hide far away. You should too!

Friend1: 9... 10... Ready or not! Here I come!

Myra ran and quickly hid behind some bushes.

Princess Myra: Ha! She's never going to find me here.

Just then, Myra could hear some people murmur.

Wizard 1: At the full moon night, all we have to do is sprinkle a few drops of this potion around the gardens of the kingdom... This will make the royal family so sick that even the best doctors cannot save them!

Wizard 2: Then we will go... break the spell and when he asks us what we want, we will ask him to hand the kingdom over to us. If he doesn't comply, we will imprison him!

Wizard 1: Heheh.. Sounds like a plan.. Heh.

Princess Myra was terrified by hearing this! 

Princess Myra: I have to let mother and father know before it's too late.

Friend 1:  Ha! Caught you! Seems like you weren't ready -- Oh?

Friend 2: What happened to her?

Friend 1: I think something is not right.

Myra ran to the kingdom to inform the King and the Queen. The King was very angry.

Princess Myra: Mother, Father. I was in the woods and --

King Vans: I don't want to hear about your silly games anymore, Myra.

Princess Myra: No, father.

King Vans: I said I do not care.

Princess Myra: Well, it is quite serious so will you listen to me?

King Vans: No you listen to me! I am not going to listen to your stories! Even if you met some wizards.

Princess Myra: Well, I did!

King Vans: That's it, Myra. You have embarrassed me enough! Get out of my sight!

Queen: Go to your chamber, Myra.

Princess Myra: Fine.. Fine..

King Vans: And, you need to behave more.. Princess like. The Prince of Escasia is coming to visit us tomorrow.

Queen: He is going to ask for your hand in marriage.

Princess Myra was angry. She stormed out of the courtroom. The next day, the kingdom of Aradona was decorated as the prince of the neighbouring kingdom, Escasia came to make allies by asking the princess' hand in marriage. Princess Myra dressed up unwillingly. She sat in the courtroom.

Prince of Escasia: Pleased to meet you, Princess Myra of Aradon.

Princess Myra: Hello, neighbouring Prince.

Prince of Escasia: Uh.. My name is Julius.

Princess Myra: Yeah... Yeah.. Father told me.

Myra showed the least interest and behaved as if she did not care. After trying a few times, Prince Julius finally gave up. Later that day before leaving, he spoke to King Vans.

King Vans: I hope you had a good time here, Prince.

Prince of Escasia: I enjoyed to the fullest, your majesty. But I don't think the Princess is interested in marriage. She said she won't live for long since you do not listen to her.

King Vans: Oh..? Haha.. She is quite goofy indeed.

Prince of Escasia: Erm... Okay! Well, I had a good time. Thank you for your kind reception. I will take your leave now!

King Vans: But -

But Julius did not stop. He had already turned around to leave. This made King Vans very upset and he immediately went to see Princess Myra. But when he reached her room, he found that she wasn't there.

King Vans: Ah! She is out in the woods again! She leaves me no choice now.

King Vans called his guards to find Princess Myra and capture her. The guards were hesitant but followed their king's order regardless. Princess Myra was captured and brought to the king.

Princess Myra: Let me go! Our kingdom is in danger.

King Vans: Guards! Take her to the tower!

Princess Myra: Nooo... father!

But King Vans turned his face away. Princess Myra was taken into a tall tower and locked up. She cried bitterly and then fell asleep. The next day, when she woke up, She ran to the window where she saw Alicia passing by.

Princess Myra: Alicia! Alicia!!!!!

Alicia: Myra? What are you doing up there.. Woah! That's a fine tower your parents gifted you!

Princess Myra: I am imprisoned, silly! Now get me out of here. The kingdom's in danger and my parents don't want to listen.

Alicia: And... How do you think I can do that?

Princess Myra: Hmmm... Let me think... Get me a long silken thread, a beetle, pack thread, stout twine, a long rope and some honey.

Alicia: Ughhh..... Okay...?

Princess Myra: Don't look at me like that! Go get them!

Alicia: Fine!! You don't need to yell!

Alicia went to get what the Princess had demanded. She also informed Natasha and the two maidens reached back to the tower. Alicia got the beetle, the silken thread and the honey, while Natasha got the long rope, pack thread and the stout twine.

Princess Myra: Okay.. Do as I say, girls. Tie the silken thread to the beetle. Apply some honey on the beetle's horns.

Alicia and Natasha were quite puzzled but did what she said as they always trusted her.

Princess Myra: Great.. Now let the beetle walk up the tower. He will look for his honey and walk ahead.

And like she said, the beetle walked ahead as he was tied with the silken thread.
The beetle reached to the top of the Princess' window. Meanwhile, the girls ties the end of the silken thread to the packed thread.

Princess Myra: Bingo..

Alicia: Princess, you don't need to brief us anymore. We've got this.

Myra proudly smiled at her wise friends. Natasha now tied the stout twine and at last, the long rope. Myra finally pulled the rope and got possession of the long rope.

Princess Myra: Ha!

She climbed down the tower as the girls waited for her. 

Princess Myra: Now it's time to stop the wizards.. Natasha, Alicia. Tie the silken thread around the trees on the either side of the forest path and make sure that you hide behind the bushes. Also, I am taking the long rope.

Natasha: Roger that, sister!

Myra ran into the woods and she saw the wizards walking towards the kingdom. She hid behind the bushes and saw the magic potion in their bag. Carefully, she tiptoed her way towards them and silently removes the magic potion from their bag and then hid behind the bushes again. Just then, the wizards stopped to drink some water. One of them looked into the bag and was astounded.

Wizard 1: Ummm... Is the magic potion in your bag?

Wizard 2: Of course not! You had it!

Wizard 1: I don't see it! How can you be so irresponsible?

Princess Myra: Hey! Are you looking for this?

Wizard 1: You Trickster! Come back here before I cast a spell on you!

Princess Myra: Haaa..haaa. Try it!

The wizards looked for the staff and they couldn't find that either.

Princess Myra: Oh you poor souls! Seems like you lost your staff too! This made the wizards very angry and they begin to chase her. But Myra was quick and ran towards the trap. She jumped across the silken thread. As the wizards chased her, they did not notice the thread and tripped over and fell.

Wizards: WOOOAAAHH!!

Natasha and Alicia quickly caught hold of both of them and Myra tied them up with the rope.

Princess Myra: Ha! Serves you right.

Hearing these noises, The King and the Queen came out to see. The King saw two wizards tied up, the girls and Myra.

King Vans: What is going on here?

Princess Myra: These treacherous wizards were planning to cast a spell and kill all of us to take over the kingdom. I had to stop them before it was too late.

King Vans: But... why didn't you tell me about this earlier? 

Princess Myra: You did not let me speak, father..

This made King Vans very embarrassed.

King Vans: I have nothing to say but.. Apologise to you, Myra.

Princess Myra: No, father! I do not want an apology! You did the right thing from your side. Now let's teach these wizards a lesson.

King Vans: Yes.. Guards! Take them to the dungeons!

The guards came and take the wizards away.

Wizard 1: You will pay for it, King Vans! You will pay for it. 

Princess Myra: Not on your life!

Myra and the girls made faces at the wizards.

Queen: Girls, I think you should stay in the kingdom tonight and eat dinner with us.

King Vans: The queen is right. We would also like to reward you due gratitude!

Alicia: Oh, your majesty! I think dinner sounds great.

Natasha: Yes...

King Vans, Queen Rosie, Princess Myra and the girls sat for dinner. The girls feasted and enjoyed their food. Suddenly, the king remembered something.

King Vans: Waaiit a minute... Myra, weren't you locked up the tower? How did you come down?

Natasha: Oh..

Alicia: Oh.. She...

Princess Myra: Yeah.. The eagle! I hopped on to a huge eagle. It was almost the size of a griffin. It was fun!

Alicia: Hehehe

Queen: Well, the next time we imprison you, we need to definitely have the guards standing up there, shooting eagles away! 

All are laughing!