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