“Don’t tell me you actually believe that!”
Ella stopped in her tracks in the middle of the church
hallway where she had been walking with Philip and stared at him in disbelief.
“But, those were just stories! Stories he told us for
entertainment… to inspire our imagination… whatever it was dad had said.”
“Ella, I know you don’t believe… but it’s true! I didn’t really
believe either until I found this hiding in some thorn bushes in the Black Forest.”
Philip shook an ancient-looking key in front of her face.
“You could have bought that key anywhere.”
“No, Ella. It’s true. If you will just let me show you….” He
pulled out his tablet and started flashing through pictures of the princesses.
A six year old girl couldn’t be more obsessed with Disney royalty than Ella’s family
was.
“Snow White, Cinderella (He nudged Ella as she scrolled past
her namesake), Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana,
Rapunzel, Merida. The official Disney princess lineup. But, if you recall,
there are way more princesses featured in Disney movies; and not all the ‘princesses’
could even claim that title. So why these characters? Why not others? They’re
clues, Ella.”
Ella started to walk away, so Philip grabbed her hand.
“Ella, wait! Just look at their crowns.” He pulled up a
picture of the mermaid with a tiara on. Now that Ella looked at it…. It was
still just a stupid cartoon crown. She was getting tired of humoring Philip.
She looked at him and he looked back like a child on Christmas morning.
“You see? The gemstone in her crown! Purple and shaped like
a seashell! It’s part of the clue! The poem that dad found!”
“Dad wrote that poem, Philip. If you’ll excuse me, I have to
find a bathroom now.”
Ella marched away to find a bathroom, but Philip stayed and
pulled out of his wallet the poem… or the riddle… the verse… their dad had
found when they were young.
Many years hence, the princesses will unite
When they number eleven, the time will be right
Their style will change, their dresses will glow,
So heed these words and you shall know.
The first, the bow worn in her hair
The second, her shoes, put on with care
The third, her tall and golden crown
The fourth, a gemstone, but not round
The fifth, a rose found in full bloom
The sixth, a crown to match her groom
The seventh, the necklace she often wears
The eighth, a sword she bravely bears
The ninth, her green and leafy gown
The tenth, a hidden princess found
The eleventh, the tip of her fair bow
Collect these things, and you shall know
Philip read over it a few times and took notes of his recent
find in the margin. His father never told the origins of the poem, but claimed
it came from someone within the Disney company. The riddle was a quest, and the
prize was Disney’s vast fortune hidden somewhere. According to the poem, the company
had planned to change the looks of each princess once they numbered eleven;
this took place in 2013, meaning the time was now to solve the quest and earn
the fortune.
Ella finally returned, complaining about getting lost along
the way, and Philip read the poem through to her before she could stop him from
doing so.
“You see, I know the poem is real, and I’ve already figured
out which piece it describes from each. Ariel’s is her seashell gemstone,
Cinderella’s is her glass slipper, Tiana’s is her dress… you get the idea”
“Well, what about this one… ‘A lost princess found’?”
“That’s Rapunzel. You know that part in Tangled when they go
to the kingdom and…”
“I haven’t seen it” Ella snapped proudly. She thought Philip
would get upset and try to force her to watch it, but he just sadly looked away
and whispered “I thought not.”
They sat in silence a moment, then Philip held up the key
again.
“I found this in the Black Forest… where Sleeping Beauty is
set. If you look closely, you can see a hidden Mickey here, which proves it’s
Disney-made. The only problem is that, obviously, this isn’t a crown, so I don’t
know exactly what it means. I found it inside a chest with the inscription “To
my castle.” But in all the castles around the area, I couldn’t find anywhere
the key would fit.”
“Well obviously not. Sleeping Beauty’s castle isn’t in
Germany; it’s in Disneyland.”
Ella spoke so matter-of-factly that Philip simply stared.
“That’s common knowledge.”
“Ella… let’s go to Disneyland.” Philip pleaded.
Ella thought a moment, and then agreed. “I’ve always wanted
to go anyway. Honestly, I don’t know why dad never took us there, being so
consumed by Disney himself.”
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