The Birthday of The Princess short story Learn English through story level 2

the birthday of the infanta

it was the birthday of the infanta the

daughter of the king of spain

she was 12 years old

the little princess was playing with her

friends in the sun

filled palace garden from a window in

the palace the king

watched her the infanta looked just like

her mother

the king thought sadly about his young

french queen

she died soon after the child was born

before she saw the beautiful flowers in

the garden

and the fruit on the trees his love was

great

and he could not hide her body in the

ground

so an egyptian doctor worked on her body

it stayed as fresh after death as it was

in life

twelve years later it still lay in the

small palace church

once every month the king went there and

fell down on his knees by her side

he called out my queen

my queen

today the king watched the infanta

playing in the garden

memories of his married life returned to

him

the infanta had the same pretty ways as

the queen

she moved her head in the same way when

she talked

she had the same proud beautiful mouth

the same

wonderful smile but the king

felt very sad he could not enjoy the

children laughing or the sunny garden

when the infanta looked up again at the

window he was not there

why has he gone away she said

when i want him to stay with me on my

birthday

where is he has he gone to that dark

little church where i cannot go

he is very silly the sun is shining so

brightly and everyone is

so happy she walked to a big tent to

watch her birthday show

don pedro her uncle went with her

the camera went too she was a great lady

who looked after the infanta

at the show some boys rode on wooden

horses

dressed in bright clothes an indian man

played music on a pipe

and made magic he covered the sand with

a cloth

and a tree grew up out of it then

flowers grew on the tree

he brought eggs out of his nose then he

took one egg

and changed it into a little bird the

bird flew away

and the children were excited and happy

some school boys did a beautiful dance

then some africans sat in a ring and

played music

another man brought in a dog the animal

stood up on its back legs and danced

but the funniest thing was the dancing

of an ugly little dwarf

he had very short legs and a very big

head

the children laughed and laughed at him

the camera told the infanta to be

quieter

a princess must not laugh so loudly

the dwarf was found by two rich spanish

men when he was running wild in the

forest

his father happily sold his ugly child

to them

and they took him to the palace as a

surprise for the infanter

there was one very funny thing about the

dwarf

he did not seem to know how strange and

ugly he looked

he seemed quite happy when the children

laughed

he laughed too the infanta was very

amused by him

he could not keep his eyes off her he

seemed to dance

just for her at the end of his dance

she took a white rose out of her hair

and threw it to him

he caught the flower and kissed it then

he put his hand on his heart and went

down on one knee in front of her

he was smiling and his little eyes were

bright

the infanta laughed at this for a long

time

she wanted the dwarf to dance again but

the camera said

the sun is too hot the infanta should go

back to the palace for her birthday

dinner

the dwarf can dance again for you later

so the infanter went back to the palace

and the other children followed her

the little dwarf was very very proud

he ran out into the garden kissed the

white rose and jumped up and down

happily

he told the flowers the infanta has

given me this beautiful white rose

she wants me to dance for her a second

time

they moved their heads but they did not

seem to hear him

he told the birds but they did not stop

singing

perhaps their song was about him and the

infanta

the infant has given me a white rose

and she loves me oh i want to be with

her in the palace

i can be her friend and play with her

and teach her nice things

i can make a pipe and play music on it

for her

i can teach her how to call the birds

yes

she must come to the forest and play

with me we will dance on the fresh grass

when she is tired i will find a soft

bank of flowers for her

then she can rest on it he looked at the

palace

the doors and windows were shut to keep

out the midday heat

then he saw a little door which was open

he went through it he was in a beautiful

room

there was gold everywhere and the floor

was made of coloured stones

but the little infanta was not there

the dwarf came to a second room in the

center there was a big round table with

red books on it

this was the room where the government

officers met

the little dwarf was afraid but he

thought of the pretty infanta

i must continue he said and find her

i will tell her that i love her i will

ask her to come away with me after my

dance

i know that she will come to the forest

with me he smiled as he thought of it

he went into the next room this was the

brightest

and the most beautiful of all the rooms

the tables and chairs were made of

silver and the floor was a sea green

stone

but he was not alone he saw

someone a small person

standing in the shadow at the other end

of the room

watching him he shouted with excitement

and moved out into the sunlight

as he moved the other one moved too

he saw it clearly this was not the

infanta

it was a terrible ugly thing it was not

shaped like other people

it had short legs and long arms and its

big head was covered with long black

hair

he looked angrily at it and it looked

angrily back at him

he laughed and it laughed

he went towards it and it came to meet

him

what is it he looked at the rest of the

room

he could see everything in this wall of

clear water

every picture every chair every table

he took the white rose and kissed it

that other one had a rose too

it kissed it and pressed it to its heart

he was looking at himself in a mirror

when he realized this he fell down on

the floor

he cried he was the ugly one

the children laughed at him not with him

the little infanta did not love him she

only laughed at his ugliness

why didn’t they leave me in the forest

there were no mirrors there and i never

knew

why didn’t my father kill me why did he

sell me so

other people could laugh at me

hot tears poured down his face

he pulled the white rose to pieces and

threw the pieces away

the other one did the same

when he looked at it it looked at him

with a face full of pain

he covered his eyes and lay in the

shadow

when the infanta and her friends came

into the room

they saw the ugly little dwarf he was

lying on the floor and hitting it with

his hands in the strangest way

they shouted happily and stood round and

watched

his dancing was very funny said the

infanta

but this is funnier

the little dwarf did not look up he lay

there

crying very quietly then he made a

strange noise

and put his hand on his side then he

fell back and lay there

that was wonderful said the infanta

but now you must dance for me

yes cried the children get up and dance

but the little dwarf did not answer

the infanta was angry and called her

uncle

he was walking with the king’s doctor in

the garden outside

my funny little dwarf is not listening

to me

she cried you must wake him up tell him

to dance for me

don pedro hit the dwarf you must dance

he said the infanta of spain wants to

see you dance

but the little dwarf did not move

the king’s doctor looked at the dwarf

and put his hand on the little man’s

heart

oh princess he said

your funny little dwarf will never dance

again

that is very sad because he is very

very ugly even the king laughed at him

why won’t he dance again ask the

inventor

because his heart is broken

he did not want to live and he is dead

the infanta was angry

in future she cried i will only play

with people who have no hearts

and she ran out into the garden

you