The Floating Crown

Art: Manjiri Bhave, India

A kingdom of frogs lived in a quiet well at the edge of a forest. 

The frog prince, who was called Beduk, had a golden crown. It was a magical crown and floated on top of the water. Whenever the prince came out of the water, it settled neatly on his head, and then out he popped outside his kingdom and into the world.

One day, a big thirsty Ginger Cat came to the well to drink water. She brushed her paw into the water before licking it. The third time she brushed her paw to get a lick, the floating crown slid onto her toe and stuck there like a ring. The Ginger Cat noticed her new ring, and walked proudly away with the crown glittering on her front toe.    

When it was time for Beduk, the frog prince, to go out with his friends, he ducked out of the water as he always did. However, no floating crown settled on his head. He looked around on the water. His friends searched for the floating crown but didn't find it. 

"Perhaps the floating crown has lost its magical power and has sunk into the well" said Beduk. Soon, all the frogs in the frog kingdom were searching for the lost crown. Their King announced a big reward for the frog who would find the floating crown. 

There was a young frog named Bedki in the kingdom who was very clever and liked science and technology. She wondered if somebody had taken the floating crown from the surface of the water. She jumped out of the well and went in search of it. When she reached the edge of the forest, she saw a rocky cave. There were paw prints of cats who had gone into the cave.  

Bedki followed the paw prints and soon entered a big hall in the centre of the cave. Cats of all shapes and sizes were lazing inside. In the middle of the cave was a majestic throne, carved out of the cave rock. On the throne sat a big Ginger Cat who was the queen of all the other cats.  The Ginger Cat seemed unhappy because she was wet. 

"O dear me!" the Ginger Cat meowed, "Please can someone fix this hole on the top of the cave?  Whenever it rains, a big drop falls on me and I get so wet. I hate to be wet. I will give anything to be dry on this throne. O dear me! Can someone please fix this hole?"

The Ginger Cat wiped her wet whiskers with her paw. And there, on one of her toes, rested Beduk's floating crown!

"So that's how the crown disappeared" Bedki said to herself, "I must find a way to keep the Ginger Cat dry on her throne and then ask for the crown as a reward."

Bedki looked up and saw that the hole in the cave was directly on top of the throne on which the Ginger Cat sat. The throne could not be moved because it was carved out of the cave rock. The hole was too high to be fixed. Bedki had an idea. 

"I can help you!" she croaked. 

The Ginger Cat looked at her in surprise. 

The other cats who were consoling the Ginger Cat looked at her in amazement.

"Who are you?" they chorused. 

"I am Bedki. I live in a well nearby. Your Majesty, I can make an instrument that will keep you dry on your throne on rainy days. Just give me some wires, some metal, and some time."

"Alright" said the Ginger Cat. "Give the frog whatever she wants."

Soon, Bedki got working. She pulled the wires, turned the metal, measured distances, and made a hairdryer!

"Here, Your Majesty, this instrument will make you warm and dry as soon as you get wet. Try it, press this button."

The astonished Ginger Cat pressed the button and the hairdryer whizzed her fur dry in no time. The warm toasty feeling of dry, fluffed-up fur made her purr. She felt happier than she had ever been happy before.

"Wow, Bedki, you are a genius! Tell me, what would you like as a reward for making this marvellous instrument?"

"Your Majesty, I am glad that you are happy. Please can you give me the ring that you wear on your toe?"

"The ring? But wouldn't it be too large for you?"

"Your Majesty, that ring is actually the crown of our frog prince."

"I see, now I know why it was in the water well."

The Ginger Cat gave the crown to Bedki who quickly hopped away to the well. 

The frog kingdom welcomed her as a heroine. The King promised Beduk's hand in marriage to Bedki and they all lived happily ever after. 

( An original story by Aashoo inspired by a four-word bedtime story challenge by Anna.  The words were - frog, crown, cat, and hairdryer!  Protected by Copyright, 2016.)