Single White Princess

Once upon a time, a little girl looked in the mirror and thought she was pretty. Since that day, nothing else mattered. She loved to look at herself and imagine herself a beautiful princess on a lovely throne.

But this little princess didn't stop there. She wanted her throne and also the thrones of the other princesses. In fact. she wanted all of their crowns too, and she wanted their princes and their jewels and their hair and their brains. Fortunately, this little girl did not actually live in a fairy tale and so she soon learned that she could not have everything she wanted. After all, the other princesses wanted their stuff too! And all the princes thought she was pretty but, they also thought their horses were great and they didn't want to upset their own princesses.




The little girl grew up and was even more in love with herself. She thought all the other princesses were envious of her, and she just knew all the princes would prefer to be with her. Look at my jewels, she cried, look at my pretty things and envy me! The other princesses looked at each other and smiled at the girl, because they knew she could never understand.

After a certain point, the other princesses were very involved in their own lives. They were reading and learning and becoming Queens and grooming their princes to be Kings. Their castles were coming up nicely, the gardens were blooming and there were so many poor people to be helped in the kingdoms. So much to do! The girl saw what they were doing and tossed her hair, saying "Ha, ha, ha! I am not like you! I will have the richest, handsomest, best prince of all and he will carry me to the highest hill and build me the biggest castle and then you will all be jealous of me!" The other princesses smiled at each other and went back to studying.

The girl waited and waited and eventually a prince did approach her with shiny things and promises. She was overjoyed and crowed with pride. But then she found out it was all a dream and when she woke up, the little she had was destroyed and the shiny things turned to coal. She was ashamed that the other princesses had seen her bragging and now she was nothing, and she grew bitter. Again and again she was fooled by these false princes, and each time she grew more and more bitter. She grew envious of the princesses, forgetting all the work they had done, and seeing only their wonderful castles and handsome princes. The girl came up with a plan to see how best to get into this world. She smiled at some of the princesses, and complimented them on their gowns. She pretended to be friendly when really inside she was laughing at these silly princesses. They thought they were so pretty - she was prettier, clearly! They thought they were so smart - but I'm brilliant, clearly! They thought their men loved them - not when I've told them all about you! For the girl would whisper in the ears of the princes about their princes, and she would whisper in the ears of the princesses about the other princesses and soon everyone was whispering and thinking and forming new opinions.

The girl was delighted with all the attention. Some of the princesses argued, and some of the princes started to see their princesses in a new light. The kingdoms were in discord, castles neglected and gardens overgrown, all because of the things the girl had said. She felt that she had a great power and she reveled in it. "Ha ha ha," she laughed, "I feel so special. Look at them arguing! Look at them fussing! They thought they would be so happy but I have taken that away and now they will see me and notice me and they will all love me." She visited them all, she sat with them and ate with them and smiled with each princess even as she whispered to their princes.

Time went by and some of the princesses became Queens, with strong Kings. Others were hindered and became lethargic, some spent all their time with the girl and went nowhere. Everyday they dined at a different table, and every night they spent with a different man. By this time, all the princes were married or debauched or moved away, and so there were none left to have dinner with the girl and her friends. But the girls made the best of it and wanted everyone to see them drinking champagne and wearing fine jewels. They had the best life and the best things and all the Queens were jealous of them too.

But they were mistaken. The Queens observed them, and realised the discord in the kingdoms had come from the envious and boastful nature of the girl. They reached out and snatched away anyone still near her, and drew them close. Some of the former princesses did not want to come into the arms of the Queens, so they resisted. The Queens smiled at each other and nodded, because the royal gardens were only for those who were invited and wished to come. It was no real matter if anyone chose to remain outside, but the choice was real while the gates stood open. Some of the princes were enthralled by the girl, because she made the regal Queens sound so human and fallible, and while they and the former princesses were listening to the tales of the girl, they never noticed that the gates closed quietly. Soon however, the sounds of laughter and happiness could be heard for miles around and they peered through the walls. Inside, the Queens were holding a huge party, all bright lights and cheerful music and delicious foods, with lots of champagne and punch. Small princesses ran around with long ribbons in their hair, the trees were decorated with lights and glasses clinked as people toasted and laughed.

The girl rushed with her entourage of former princesses and princes to the gates but found them locked. "Let us in! We are thirsty and desire champagne, and look, we are already dressed!" But they were ignored and sent away, for the Queens needed to protect their flock from the discord that destroys. The princes looked at the former princesses and the girl and they were disgusted. They turned away and left them there in the dust, walking away into the distance to try and figure out how best to get back inside.

The girl said, "No worries! We don't need them. Come, let's bathe and get ready and we shall find new princes and better champagne." They that remained followed her to the bath house and silently they began to wash themselves. The girl flitted around them, proud to have supporters, not noticing their sullen expressions. She went to the sink and washed her face, and looked into the biggest mirror. Her reflection looked back, and it was hard and frazzled and the dirt would not wash off. She scrubbed and sprayed and put on all the makeup she had, but still, she looked dirty. The other princesses looked at each other and smiled. They all held hands and walked away. The girl ran behind them crying "Wait, wait! Don't leave me like this! All I need to do is talk to the Queen's friends, or her King and then they will believe what I have to say and then we can take over the kingdoms!".

One of the princesses finally spoke,

"We were foolish to allow you into our castles and gardens. You were never a princess and now you cannot wash the dirt from your face. All you wanted was our friendship but you gave us none, because you whispered about us to each other and smiled with our princes. All you wanted was our possessions, our princes and our lives, and you very nearly took all. But now we see you as you are, a dirty girl who tried to hide her filth, and we realise our lesson. And so we leave you, and we will spend our time learning how to get into the royal gardens and the favour of the Queens. We shall leave you here to plot and scheme, but it is not our concern." They bade her farewell and left to camp outside the royal gardens, and pray for the strength and knowledge to return.

The girl was alone and still she was not humbled. She remained outside, proud and arrogant and spoke ill-will of the Queens, the princesses and the princes to anyone who passed. To the outside world, she appeared as an old witch, with a dirty face that was lined and wrinkled, wild frizzled hair and a rail-thin body that seemed malnourished. Her rantings became legendary and all knew her as a cackling madwoman. At night, she smoothed creams onto her craggy face and stared at herself in the mirror, her deluded mind showing her an image of a young girl with smooth hair. And she plotted and schemed, but was never again able to walk in the royal gardens or grow a single flower of her own. Eventually, she faded to dust, and became a dry, hot wind, the one that blows restlessly on a sticky day, whispering but never welcomed.