When she was born, Charlotte had come out tiny, pink, and screaming angrily. Her parents laughed and cuddled her, declaring that she was a very fierce little girl indeed. They had no doubt she would grow up to be a mighty warrior, and a champion of her people.
And that was how she earned her nickname - they called her their “Tiny Champion.”
The people of their kingdom loved the royal family, but they found this nickname very odd. The princess was fierce, smart, and kind, but a mighty champion? They laughed to think of it.
Charlotte, however, was determined to prove herself the warrior her parents believed her to be.
Every day, she practiced sword fighting in the royal garden, vigorously waving her small wooden sword. The royal guards laughed as they watched the tiny princess, and told her she was far too small to be a proper swordswoman.
“Maybe when you’re bigger,” they said.
Charlotte ignored them, and continued to practice with her sword every day, feeling her movements becoming more precise.
She also ran laps around the courtyard to develop her petite muscles. The royal messengers chuckled, flying past with great speed as they performed their own exercises.
“You’ll never be able to keep up!” they smiled. “You’re too slow!”
But Charlotte continued to run with them, every day, getting a little faster every time.
The tiny princess made sure to spend a lot of time with her tutors, too, to develop her mind. She knew that a champion needed to be able to create clever battle plans, and think quickly in the moment.
Her tutors were happy to teach her, but they preferred she learn things like knitting, dancing, and how to curtsey properly. Girls, they said, had no need of geography or mathematics, and certainly did not need to study the art of war. Especially very young, very small, very sweet girls like Charlotte.
So, she studied on her own. She poured over books of battle tactics, local geography, physics, and combat maneuvers. And despite her tutors’ assurances that girls were no good at learning such things, the princess’s mind grew quicker and sharper.
Her parents were very proud of her. “Our tiny champion,” they smiled as they tucked her into bed at night. “You can do anything you put your mind to.”
Sometimes, though, Charlotte wondered. She knew her muscles and her mind were improving every day, but she was still a very young, very small, very sweet little girl. And when so many of her own people didn’t believe in her, it could be hard to believe in herself.
But then, one day, a huge creature appeared at the gates of the city. It was enormous and furry, with large pointed teeth and wild eyes. It burst past the guards and began moving through the streets, crashing into signposts and knocking over barrels. The people started screaming and ran away in terror.
A crowd quickly formed outside the palace, with people shouting for help from the king.
Princess Charlotte heard the commotion, and peeked through her window to see what was happening. It was hard to understand at first, with all the crying and shouting. But when she was finally able to piece together the full story - that a monster was attacking the city - she realized that this was her chance. She could finally prove that she was the champion her parents believed her to be!
Quickly, she packed a small bag with items she thought may come in handy. Then, she strapped her wooden sword to her belt, threw on her cloak, pulled up the hood, and snuck out of the palace.
The princess ran through the streets, barely feeling any strain in her muscles. Her laps around the palace had really paid off!
In almost no time at all, she was close enough to catch her first glimpse of the monster. She slowed down, and drew her sword, giving it a few confident swishes through the air. Charlotte stabbed at a nearby street sign, hitting it dead center. She had trained hard, and was becoming an excellent swordswoman.
Feeling ready, she sprinted to where the monster was lurking in the center of town. As she drew close, she slowed, hiding in the shadows to formulate her plan of attack.
The princess’s studies had prepared her for this moment. Examine the landscape, find the best positions from which to attack, look for weaknesses in your opponent.
As she studied the huge creature, she paused, confused. What was that on its head?
Atop the beast’s furry cranium sat a polka-dotted, cone-shaped hat with a colorful pouf sprouting from the tip. A thin elastic string wrapped under the monster’s chin, holding the hat firmly in place.
Bewildered, Charlotte watched the creature, looking for further clues. The massive beast had slumped to the ground, looking terribly sad. As she watched, one huge, glistening tear dropped from the monster’s eye, onto its furry snout.
This monster wasn’t here to attack anyone, the princess realized! It must be here for some other reason.
Thinking quickly, as she had trained herself to do, the princess thought through all the possibilities. Settling on what seemed to be the most likely explanation, Charlotte began preparing her plan of attack. She opened her satchel, pulled out some thick paper and colorful pens, and got to work.
As the beast sat snuffling sadly in the middle of the town square, its ears caught a slight sound from the shadows across the street. Looking up, it spotted a very young, very small, very sweet-looking girl, slowly moving closer. It froze, waiting to see if the girl would scream and run away.
But this girl was Princess Charlotte, and she was a warrior. She was a bit nervous, but she would not run away in fear. She was determined to help her people, her city… and the creature sitting in front of her.
She walked slowly up to the beast, and put one gentle hand on its enormous leg. She held out her other hand, something small and white clutched between her fingers.
“This is for you.”
Cautiously, the monster reached out and took the paper from the princess. Opening it, there was a hand-drawn picture of the beast and the princess standing next to a massive cake. Scrawled across the top were the words, “Happy Birthday!”
The monster smiled, a mildly terrifying sight thanks to a number of razor-sharp teeth, and patted the tiny princess gently on the head. She smiled back, overjoyed to find that her guess had been correct.
Just then, the royal army arrived, the king in the lead. They charged into the square, swords drawn, ready for battle. The monster bellowed in alarm, eyes rolling wildly.
“Stop!” the princess shouted, her small arms thrown out in front of her, as though to protect the beast at her back. “He’s not dangerous! You don’t need to fight him!”
“Charlotte?” her father asked, bewildered. “My darling, what are you doing here?”
Charlotte raised her chin, standing bravely before the army. “I came to prove my worth as a champion. I was going to fight the monster, but I didn’t need to! He doesn’t want to hurt anyone. And I don’t think he meant to scare people, either. It was all an accident.”
“But he caused damage to signposts all over the city!” shouted the captain of the guard.
“He tipped over Old Man Whilker’s wheelbarrow and spilled beets all over the ground!”
“He broke the tables over on the patio at the Traynhams’ pub!”
“My cabbages!”
“His fur got all over the place, and I’m – aaaahhhhhCHOO! – super allergic, apparently!”
The princess raised her hands in supplication, trying to calm everyone down. “I don’t think he meant to do any of that. He’s just very big, and has trouble fitting through the streets. He didn’t mean to break anything. And he stopped moving once he got to the center of town, since there’s space for him here. And… I don’t think he can help it if you’re allergic to him, Sir Rodney.”
Sir Rodney looked down at his feet, a bit embarrassed.
The king, however, was unconvinced. “But why is he here? He clearly doesn’t fit through the streets all that well. He may not have meant to damage things, but that could have been easily avoided if he’d just stayed away. Why did he come here?”
Charlotte smiled up at the monster, who looked down at her with hopeful eyes. She reached out, and put a hand on one massive paw.
“It’s his birthday. I think he just wanted to make some friends, and celebrate together.”
The beast made a deep purring noise, smiling at the princess. He patted her gently on the head once more.
“Well,” the king said, scratching his beard, “it seems that you may be right, my darling. It’s a good thing you were here. We were ready to charge in and attack, without even considering any other possibilities.”
Princess Charlotte smiled at her father. “That’s why it’s important to stop and examine the situation, Father. Didn’t your studies ever teach you that?”
The king laughed, and walked to his daughter, hugging her fondly. Turning to the creature, he bowed respectfully. “Welcome, dear beast. We’re overjoyed you chose to spend your birthday with us. I hope this is the beginning of a wonderful friendship between you, and our people.”
The beast smiled his toothy grin once more, then patted the king on the head. The soldiers and guards put away their swords, and helped to clear a wide path through the city, so the monster could travel safely. Then, they all lined up, waving their flags in the air, and escorted the monster to the palace in a winding parade, the princess sitting high on the beast’s shoulder.
As the parade passed through the city, the people waved and cheered, leaning out through their open windows. “Three cheers for our tiny champion! Hip hip, hooray!”
Princess Charlotte smiled and waved to the crowds, delighted to hear their shouts of joy. It seemed like her people finally believed in her the same way her parents always had. She may have been a very young, very small, very sweet little girl, but she was also a mighty champion.
And no one ever doubted it again.
The end
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