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"The Princess Who Would Never Take a Bath" by Laurel Leavitt

Once there was a Princess who would never take a bath.

“Please,” said the Queen.

“No,” said the Princess.

“You can have bubbles,” offered the King.

“No thanks,” said the Princess.

“She is filthy,” whispered the servants.

So, the King called in his wisemen and said, “ Please think up a plan.”

The wisemen hired a carpenter to build a fine aquarium, with jewel sprinkled sand and plants with lacy leaves. The royal chemist poured in water from the clearest, purest well, and ordered fish in all the rainbow colors. Then the Royal Wizard cast a magic spell upon the Princess, so that when the Queen said, “Time for a bath,” the Princess turned into a tiny mermaid, and the Queen picked her up and plopped her into the aquarium. “Whee,” said the princess, as she dove and splashed and swam. But, when the Queen said, “Time to get out now,” the princess said, “No!”

“Please,” said the Queen.

"No, never," said the Princess.

“You can have cocoa,” offered the King

“No thanks,” said the princess.

“She will drown,” sighed the servants.

So the King and Queen called in the Wizard and said “Send us in, too.” And the Wizard cast a magic spell and plopped their tiny bodies in the water and they dove and splashed and swam.

“Time to get out now,” cried the servants.

“No, it's beautiful here,” exclaimed the Queen.

“Come home right this minute,” called the cooks.

“No, it's peaceful here,” shouted the King.

“They will starve,” warned the Wisemen.

But the royal cooks cooked food for them and ground it up and dried it and sprinkled it in the water where the royal family waited.

“How about roast beef? said the King.

“Send us peaches,” begged the queen.

“ I want chocolate,” said the princess.

And one young kitchen helper, whose name was Acquarella, heard the Princess ask for chocolate and threw in a whole candy bar which crushed to death the King and Queen and Princess.

"Oh no," said the wisemen.

"Alas," said the wizard.

"I'm sorry," cried the kitchen helper.

But the aquarium was built so sturdily that even after all these years, you can see a piece of the chocolate bar and hear the voices saying “Pleeeeease” and “Noooo.”