This is a story about a princess. All girls like princess stories. Almost all girls dream aboout being a princess. When Jewel was born the kingdom of Mormonia rejoiced. King Albert and Queen Carollee thought she was the most beautiful and smartest baby in the kingdom. Her father called her his little princess but Jewel was her true name. By the time she was two she had long blonde curls and she could name all the letters on her stacking blocks, which really pleased her parents. But she was getting a little bit spoiled by all the attention. By the time she was four she had learned if she stamped her foot and put a bit of a pout on her face, that she could almost always get her own way.
One Christmas when she was about six years old, Princess Jewel came out into the great room to see a sparkling Christmas tree shimmering in silver and gold with colored lights blinking in blues and reds and golds. There was a beautiful white angel at the top of the tree. Jewel's eyes widened as she looked around the room. There were presents everywhere. There was a baby doll sitting in a doll's high chair. There was a pair of ice skates. There was a toy train puffing its way around the base of the Christmas tree. Choo, choo, it sounded as it puffed its way up an incline and over a tiny bridge. There were still more presents--an easel with a whiteboard on one side so that Jewel could develop her artistic talents, and there was a beautiful red velvet dress she would wear to Christmas services at the church.
When Jewel went to school she had lots of friends. She was always chosen first when they played dodge ball, because she was very quick, and could jump out of the way of an oncoming ball. She could jump through double-dutch jump ropes without getting caught. She was very good at Hopscotch too. She could jump through all the spaces without stepping on a forbidden line.
One thing Jewel liked to do was play dressup with her friend Rosalie. They would put on elegant gowns made from lace or satin curtains. They wore long white gloves, jeweled purses, bracelets and earrings, and high heels! They also wore little furlike stoles around their shoulders, and each wore a sparkling tiara on top of her curls. They danced and dreamed of their future knights or princes when they grew up.
I said she had lots of friends. It was true that she shared things with them, but there was another girl who was jealous of Jewel and she started telling lies about her and teasing her. And slowly her friends began to leave her alone. But that was okay with Jewel. She had lots of books and toys and even a bicycle so she found lots of interesting things to do by herself.
When she got a little older she was still very smart in her classes. She blossomed into a lovely young woman. Her mother made her nice clothes to wear, and she learned how to sew them for herself. She loved to sing as she worked. Jewel thought, "Now people will like me because I have some nice clothes to wear, and they look good on me." Jewel took dancing lessons. She was light on her feet and the boys began to notice her. They asked her to dance, and she filled up the entire dance card. She had a special partner whom she liked to dance with. They flowed together and they began dancing floor show numbers at the most important balls and other celebrations.
It was the custom in the kingdom of Mormonia to have a special ball each spring, when all the young women eighteen years and older were to be honored at such a dance. From among the young ladies one would be selected by the judges to be a queen over the ball. There were six young women to be honored including Jewel. "Surely, I will be chosen to be queen of the ball. I am already a beautiful princess, and my escort is a dashing prince. The judges will recognize this right away."
The night of the ball Princess Jewel wore a lovely white tulle and taffeta gown. Her knight (escort) was her favorite dancing partner. They made a handsome couple. Halffway through the ball the music stopped and it was time for the big announcement. They brought out a royal crimson velvet robe trimmed with gold tassles and a crown of white carnations. Each of the six girls was introduced and asked to answer a question. Then the judges huddled together briefly. The master-of-ceremonies was handed a white card with the name of the Queen of the Ball printed on it.
"Brothers and Sisters, I am pleased to announce that the second runnerup is Maggie White." The audience applauded and Jewel approved the selection by also clapping. A white corsage was pinned on Maggie's shoulder and her escort led her toward one of the thrones on the stage. "And now for the first runnerup, Princess Jewel." Her look was a cross between shock and disappointment. She smiled and waved bravely to the audience while her corsage was pinned on her shoulder, and she ascended the steps to the stage to take her seat at the other side of the queen's throne. Her eyes were stinging with disappointment and she barely noticed when the queen of the ball was announced as Paula Parker. Jewel couldn't believe that it was Paula. She was already as old as 23. "This was supposed to be for 18-year olds," she thought. Paula was decked in the royal robe and the crown of white carnations was placed on her head. She danced the first dance with her beau and was escorted to the throne in the center of the stage. Some little children carrying flowers sat around the base of the throne. She then called out that the refreshments would now be served. Maggie and then Jewel offered their congratulations as they sat smiling on their thrones.
Jewel asked to go home as soon as the audience began dancing again. She went to find her coat. One of the judges stopped her by the coatroom. "I know you were disappointed tonight," she consoled with a hug. "The judges awarded the honor to Paula because she was older. You will have other chances, but this was her last time to receive such an honor." Jewel nodded her head in agreement but inside she was crying. She thought, "It isn't fair. I should have won."
Jewel did become the queen the very next year, but it was years before she could let go of the resentment she felt toward the judges--especially the judge who tried to explain to her. Over the years, Jewel came to understand first, that she had been very self-centered and proud. Secondly, she recognized the wisdom of honoring all girls equally, and not placing one above the others. When she got older still, she felt ashamed that she had been so vain, and she sent a note of apology to the woman judge whom she had resented for so long. When she became an old woman she finally realized that she, needed to learn humility from the experience. And, when she entered the Spirit World at the end of her life, she had truly learned this lesson. She also knew that her destiny was to become a real queen in a real kingdom, and she had learned how to succor her people!
