Once upon a time, there were two knights who lived on opposite sides of a deep valley. They were the best of friends until the day a beautiful princess moved into a large castle that lay deep in the valley below them.
One day, the two knights rode to the castle donning their finest armor in a bid to win the princess’s favor and affections.
“Pick me! Pick me!” said the dark-haired knight. “My glittering armor is strong and silent, and I will hold your hand quietly forever.”
“Pick me! Pick me!” said the red-haired knight. “I’m the king’s champion jouster and will always protect you from harm!”
But the princess just couldn’t make up her mind. The two knights became more and more competitive with each other until Princess Sally was fed up.
She went over to the river that winded up to the ocean, where her mermaid friend Kasey lived. When Kasey arrived up at the surface of the water, Sally told her about the problem.
Kasey gave Sally a shell. Inside was a glittering heart jewel.
“This will help you on your journey,” said Kasey. “Over on the other side of the valley is a knight that is the wisest of them all. But you must make sure to be careful of the fire-breathing dragon who guards the gates. When you throw the jewel by the gates, a secret passageway will form so you can get past the dragon.”
The next day, Sally set off to go to the mountain to seek the wise knight. She climbed up the mountain. When she was about 10 feet away from the dragon, she threw the jewel into the dirt on the ground and a hole formed, just big enough for Sally to jump through.
When she got in, she followed the dirt path to the castle, where the wise knight was. Sally told him her name and they went back to Sally’s castle and lived happily ever after.
Moral: Don’t fight or you won’t be chosen.
The End
Note: The text in pink was the extended story started written by the teacher. Caroline got to finish the story!