In a happy kingdom there once lived a princess. Yes, yes, dear children, you heard correctly—in a happy one! Here music was always playing, and people were always smiling. Perhaps that's why even during rain, the sun didn't hide behind clouds but cheerfully peeked out from behind the rainbow. It was a constant visitor (except at night, of course), and the kingdom's people simply didn't know gloomy days or sadness.
The princess was so sweet that the courtiers affectionately called her "our little sun," and her name was Sunbeam. The lovely girl spent every day in joy and play, and the king and queen adored their precious little one. However, there was one strict rule in place.
She was strictly forbidden from entering the dark forest: it was the border between the human kingdom and the kingdom of giants. The princess heard stories about giants every day, how dangerous they were, but the sweet girl wasn't afraid of them at all. And how could she fear something she'd never seen? Maybe the adults just made it up to keep her from going into the forest!
The princess loved the palace garden dearly: there were flowers of every colour imaginable, and the butterflies!.. The girl would gaze at them for hours. When the princess saw one particularly beautiful butterfly, she even pinched herself: was this a dream? The wings of the fluttering flower shimmered with all the colours of the rainbow!
The girl wanted so badly to examine this marvel up close, but the butterfly wouldn't let her near: it fluttered over the garden fence, and the princess followed as if enchanted. Sunbeam didn't know that such butterflies lived only in the kingdom of giants, and ordinary people couldn't look at them for long. Under the hypnotic spell cast by the butterfly's wings, a person would follow them, seeing nothing else around!
And so the girl didn't notice how she ended up in the forest. It's unclear where else the butterfly would have led her, but Sunbeam came to her senses when an unknown force suddenly lifted her into the air and placed her in some dark box. In fact, the giant boy had put the princess in a matchbox, though this detail probably wouldn't have comforted the girl!
Time seemed to freeze. But then the princess was simply shaken out of the box (the matchbox), and she saw an enormous giant boy.
Hello, — the princess said timidly, overcoming her fear.
COOL! YOU CAN EVEN TALK! Oh yes, hello to you too! — the boy was absolutely delighted.
Where am I?
In the Land of Giants, of course! You'll be my pet!
But I can't be a pet, I'm a person! And besides, I'm a princess! — the girl tried to say the last words more confidently so this overgrown boy would understand who she was!
Even better, because Mum keeps saying I'm too small for pets, always "later, later we'll get one"… but she never said anything about princesses!
Sunbeam tried to object, to explain to this giant child that she had no intention of staying here even a minute, let alone being a pet. But the boy simply wouldn't listen to her. He cheerfully talked about himself, how very responsible he was, often helped his mum, and would take good care of the princess.
By the way, sing me a song, Mum loves songs. That way we'll definitely convince her that you're a wonderful pet!
Well, first of all, I'm not a pet! Second, I won't sing! — the princess was so angry that her cheeks flushed bright red. — Stupid boy, how dare you treat me this way! Do you think just because you're a giant you can do whatever you want? You're just, you're simply…
The girl didn't finish, the giant calmly grabbed her by the collar of her dress and lifted her so high that the princess squeezed her eyes shut in fear. The boy began to swing her back and forth.
Well, will you sing now?
Okay, okay, just put me down, please!
The giant boy set the princess on an enormous table, holding her with his fingers in case she tried to escape.
Well, I'm waiting! Want to fly some more?
Right away! — the princess gathered her courage. The thing was, she couldn't sing at all: her singing sounded more like a raven's caw, but how could she explain that to a stupid giant boy?!
Taking a deep breath, the princess began a song about a knight that her mother the queen often sang to her before bed. But the queen had a charming voice, while the princess… After just a couple of lines, she was shaken in the air again.
You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? — the giant boy was genuinely angry.
No, really! It's just that I can't sing, understand?
The giant boy set the girl on the table in confusion, holding her with his fingers, and thought hard.
If Mum hears such wailing, she'll never let me have a pet… Aha, I think I've figured out what to do with you!
Let me go? — the princess asked hopefully.
Of course not! — laughed the giant boy, — I'll give you to Anette: she wanted a live doll, and she has a house for you. Or better yet, I'll trade you for glass marbles!
Pleased with himself, the boy put the girl in a matchbox and closed it tightly. Before doing so, he made small holes in the box so the princess could breathe. But the holes were too small for her to escape through.
The princess was alone, and for the first time in her life, a tear rolled down her cheek. She was frightened for herself and for her parents, who had probably already mobilized the entire kingdom to search for her, but she didn't know what to do next.
Don't cry, Sunbeam! — a quiet voice sounded nearby.
Who's there? How do you know my name?
Don't be afraid, I'm a Sunbeam, sent to help you by Mother Sun.
Can you take me home? — only now did the princess notice faint streaks of light beside her.
Yes and no.
What do you mean? Does that mean it's all hopeless, I'll never see Mum and Dad again, — another tear rolled down the princess's cheek.
I can turn you into a ray of light. You'll travel with us, the sunbeams, wherever the sun shines. And you'll return home, but only when Mother Sun visits your kingdom.
Yes, of course, I agree! In our happy kingdom the sun is always shining, I'll be home soon!
But the princess didn't know that after her disappearance, sadness and bad weather came to the kingdom. It was as if all the joy had vanished, people stopped smiling and laughing, only gloomy faces and tears in their eyes. No wonder Mother Sun didn't visit this sad kingdom.
The queen was tormented by nightmares, she heard her daughter calling to her, but didn't know where she was. And the entire kingdom was now draped in black cloth: for a year the realm had been in mourning for the missing princess. But this early morning was unlike all the others: the queen had a dream, she saw her little daughter and her first smile.
The queen didn't even notice how, for the first time in so long, she smiled in her sleep. And that was enough for Mother Sun to peek into the kingdom and warm it with weak but warm and bright rays!
The queen woke with a smile, and on the window appeared a streak of light that suddenly transformed… into Princess Sunbeam! The king, the queen, the princess, the simplest peasant—everyone was happy, it seemed even the flowers were smiling! The kingdom BECAME HAPPY AGAIN!
Dear children, you ask what happened to the giant boy? Well, he's fine! He wasn't upset at all when he found the empty matchbox. After all, his mum gave him a pet—a bear.
And the furry fellow was quite happy to become tame, because now he's fed honey, jam, and all sorts of sweets every day!
