Once Upon A Time There Was A Princess...

 As Grandma B started to wake up  she hurt all over. She tried to sit up, but realized that she wasn't alone. "What happened? Where am I? Where is Grandma Lu? Oh my gosh, where is Marlee? Is she alright? Am I still in jail? Why am I still thinking about railroad cars and poor children that had no homes? Whitlee patted her grandma's shoulder and said, "You are alright and so are we. Marlee is with Mom and Dad, but I decided to come find you. There was a tornado that destroyed a lot of buildings, but Marleewood is alright. There are some trees and branches laying around we have to clean up, but Marleewood is big and strong. Not even a tornado can knock it down, but it did you! Why were you going upstairs anyway? Everyone else stayed down in the basement but you. Even the mayor is down there. Grandma Lu tried to follow you and hurt her hip, but she's okay. You are all wet from the rain. No, you can't have this book. It's a special book. I know it's special because a little girl gave it to me and told me to tell her story. I don't know who I'm supposed to tell.  Never mind. Let's go home. Mom and Dad are waiting for you. What do you mean you can't go home? You aren't making any sense. Maybe you were hurt more than what we thought. Mom! Dad! Come help me get Grandma B up. I think she hit her head on this tree."

"Whitt, give me that book! I have to have it. It has to go to the library for everyone to read. Give. It. To Me.! Grandma Lu's trunk. I have to get to it. It has the answer, Whitt. Please help me!"

Then all was quiet and Grandma B continued to sleep as she was taken from Marleewood to the hospital.

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The little girl that had no name for so many years was now a grownup lady with a beautiful name. She was  the daughter of the mayor. She felt like everyone that lived in the city was her responsibility. She could feel the weight of her duties  grow heavier and heavier as the days went by. Her father relied on her to tell her everything that was going on in the beautiful city. Every morning she went for a walk and saw people sleeping on the sidewalks and in the doorways. She saw children thin and shivering. She knew that her father had to do something; but what? The amount of money in the bank was getting lower and lower. Rich people in her city were not paying taxes like they should. Where could she get the money to help these poor children? Today after her walk she went to her bedroom to think. She just had to do something to help. 

She had been like the hungry children in her city at one time many years ago. Then her father had adopted her and gave her a beautiful life. She had a lovely bedroom and toys growing up. Why were some people rich and some people so very poor? Why did this happen? How could she help her father fix this terrible problem? She laid down on her bed and rubbed her forehead. She had a terrible headache. Her thoughts were racing through her mind. She kept thinking "Tell my story. Please tell my story." The young woman sat straight up in bed and said, "I'm going to write a book and maybe someday I will make a movie. Maybe I will write lots of books then people will learn about homeless people and make laws that the rich people pay their taxes so that the government can build houses and the people without jobs can work and make money and then the children won't go hungry. "Well, that sounds so simple, but it isn't is it, Froggy?"

The young woman had this glass frog for as long as she could remember. Long before her father and mother adopted her. She reached for the frog and as her fingers touched the beautiful green frog she thought of something that she had long forgotten. A fairy tale that her mama had told her so many years ago. "I almost forgot, my dear Froggie. Do you remember the story mama read to me? The princess and the Frog story?" Let's see if I can remember it. Oh Mama, how I wish you were here to read the story. You always kept that book in your trunk. I wonder whatever happened to that book and the trunk. You wrote stories in the book, but I think you wrote other things in there as well. So sad that it's gone. You always made everything all better."

" I think it started out, Once upon a time there was a princess...