Discover more from Linzy’s Substack
“Let’s read that new story book about the king who learned that even kings need the power of God to change them on the inside. Power, money and success cannot change how we feel about others, and the only changes that come from those things are not good ones,” Michaela’s father exclaimed.
“Okay Daddy. Read that one to me,” she replied.
Sol the Potato King, as he was known throughout his kingdom, walked to his throne, with his head held high and his chest sticking out. He sat in the enormous chair and called for his daughters: the lovely twin princesses. "Tiffany! Daphne!" and they appeared before him at once.
"We are here Father," they both said, as they looked up at him adoringly.
"How are you, my dear Tiffany, this fine afternoon?"
"I am well Father," she replied.
"Daphne! What is that atrocity you are wearing?"
"My dress got dirty while I was working in the garden counting potatoes this morning Father. And I do like helping the gardeners with their work. Anyway, you did give me the job of counting all the potatoes before the sun comes up every morning," she reminded him.
"That's no excuse! Go to your room and stay there the rest of the afternoon!" the King sternly ordered.
"Well why doesn't Tiffany have to do any work?"
"Because she's the youngest!"
"But Father, we are twins! We are the same age!" Daphne screeched.
"No she is a whole two minutes younger than you! Now go to your royal bedroom this instant!"
"But that's not fair! Father...." Daphne started to say, but the King just got up from his throne and walked away with Tiffany.
"Oh, how I do dream father would be nice to me, like he is to Tiffany," Daphne cried, as she walked the long distance to her room. She looked at the clock. 'Only two o'clock,' it’s awfully early for bed, she thought. But since I’ve been sent to my room, I may as well rest…..’ She lied down in her huge bed, that was just loaded with tons of enormous pillows and quilts and fell fast asleep.
She began dreaming about potatoes the size of her pillows falling down on her head. "Ouch that hurts," she said; talking in her sleep. She continued dreaming until the pain of the potatoes landing on her head woke her up. And she found herself in the same kind of daydream the next morning while she worked in the garden.
'One thousand and fifty-two,' she muttered. 'Now I’m tired again,’ she thought when she was done with her work. ‘But I’ll stay up for dinner and go to bed right after that. Father is making those wonderful potato pancakes he loves so much to make….. and eat. He's always in such a good mood when he makes them. And they are delicious' she thought. “But working hard and being sad does make me pretty tired,” she said to herself with a yawn.
When she awoke, it was late at night.
She sat up in her royal bed and stared out the window. 'It's pretty dark out there now,' she thought; throwing all her heavy quilts aside. ‘I’ve been in bed a long time. She got up and went outside to the backyard. She ran to the potato patch and sat on the damp ground, even though she was wearing her favorite night dress.
She cried about the potatoes hurting her inside and out. She stayed there until she started to feel like falling asleep. Then, she went back into the castle, through the kitchen door, when suddenly she heard a knock at the front door.
'Now who could that be?' she wondered. She opened the huge door to find a village messenger. "A message from the villagers to the royal castle," the messenger said, as he handed Daphne a long paper scroll. Daphne thanked the messenger and anxiously opened up the circled paper.
"Father!" She called out, as she ran to his royal bedroom. "We've been invited to a huge party in the village. Sorry to wake you, but we just got the message!"
“I………I was not sleeping,” he insisted, as he got out of bed. He pulled the message out of Daphne's hand and quickly looked it over. "Ummm....." he said; tapping his chin. "It looks like we've been invited to the party of the century!"
"Whoopee!" shouted Daphne.
"Now wait a minute. I didn't say we are attending," her Father informed her.
"Oh, but Father please. Why can't we go?" She pleaded.
"Well first of all, you don't have a single decent thing to wear and I don't know anyone who can make you a gown," her Father replied.
"I would have plenty of gowns if Tiffany didn't take them all and put them in her own closet. And anyway, we can have that new dressmaker come here to the castle! Oh, PLEASE Father!”
"That's true, but who will count the potatoes?"
"I WILL. Also Father, I can make your famous potato pancakes……. I know I’ve been sleepy a lot of the time, but with something that will be so much fun, well……that’s a different story! And everyone in the village is bringing their favorite and most delicious dish to the party, so there will be plenty of yummy food there."
The king got an enticing smile upon his lips. He turned his head so Daphne wouldn’t notice. Then he turned to her and shouted, "HA! YOU make my delicious, nutritious, perfect potato pancakes? That'll be the day! HAHAHAHA! I know I don’t even have to make them, I could just have cook do it, but nobody can make them as good as I can, plus the fact that I love to cook, but sometimes I don’t like to take the time…..” he went on explaining.
“That’s right you don’t have the time, but I do. And, I know exactly what to do! I've watched you at least a hundred times! Please let me make them and please let me have the dress!”
"You really watched me a hundred times? I had no idea! Well.....okay to both requests. But, I’ll appoint one of the servants to stand by in case you need any help with anything."
"Oh thank you Father! You'll see they'll be perfect just like yours!" Daphne screeched; kissing him on his cheek.
The next morning, Daphne got her counting done early, so she would have plenty of time for making the dress, and make enough potato pancakes for the entire village. And the dressmaker knocked on the giant royal front door as soon as she was all cleaned up and ready to answer the door.
"BOOM, BOOM, BOOM." Daphne ran to the door. "Welcome and thank you so much for coming," she said. Then she went outside to help the dressmaker bring in the sewing machine and other things she brought.
After standing still for several hours, Daphne’s legs felt like they were sinking into the floor.
"So what's the big occasion for the new gown?" The dressmaker finally inquired.
"Oh well the royal family has been invited to a party in the village square and my Father insists I be presentable," Daphne replied.
"Oh, well....that party is casual. No one else will be dressed up in gowns or any other formal attire for that matter."
"I know and my Father knows as well. He just insists on his princesses dressing their best," Daphne replied. "To be honest, I wish I could wear a pair of old comfortable blue jeans."
"Comfortable? How would you know anything about comfort? You've never worn blue jeans have you?"
"No, but I've heard."
"You know what we should do?" The dressmaker replied, with a very distinct gleam in her eye. "We should make you a gown out of a pair of old blue jeans or possibly two if needed!"
"No, we better not. That would really irritate the King! Especially when he's letting me make his specialty of the royal house, his famous potato pancakes. I'm going to start as soon as we are finished making the gown!"
"That's nice. Well I think we'll be done pretty soon. I just have to sew it all together now." After the dress was finished, Daphne paid her and put her gown in her closet. Then she went to the kitchen and started making the potato pancakes from the potatoes she gathered from the garden that morning, with the gardeners’ help of course.
Soon the aroma filled the large castle and made it all the way to the King's throne room. "Ahhhhh, what a delicious smelling aroma," he said; taking in a deep breath. He started standing up and in a trance-like state. He walked toward the enticing waves of deliciousness that was tickling his nostrils.
When he got to the kitchen, his jaw dropped in amazement. "Oh my goodness! Daphne! They smell heavenly. And they look great!"
"Well, why are you so surprised? I told you I was making them today for the party tonight!"
"Indeed, but I didn't think you would be so good at it! I'm sorry for not believing you could do it Daphne," the King replied.
"That means the world to me. And ya know, potato pancakes are the perfect dish to bring to the party because they are delicious and will stay fresh through the whole night!" Daphne declared, looking up at her father adoringly.
At the village square, every one of the villagers attended with their own special homemade recipes. Later, after nearly all the food had been gobbled up, Daphne could hear the villagers talking about her delicious, nutritious, perfect potato pancakes and the word made it all the way to the King's ears, which caused him to admit to everyone: "My beautiful and talented daughter, the Princess Daphne has made the most flavorful, delectable potato pancakes I have ever tasted!"
The next day, the King ordered Tiffany to put all of Daphne's gowns back in her closet. And he said to Daphne, “I am so sorry. I didn’t even realize I was being so mean…….I’ve been so busy being king that I forgot that we all have a King that is far superior to me. I guess that’s why I’ve been such a grump, but you have indeed made me realize that I shouldn’t be. And you don’t have to count potatoes every day anymore either. I’ll have the gardeners do it. It should be their job anyway, or perhaps they do not even need to be counted……”
“Yes, but I do like doing it……….sometimes. And, I do like helping the gardeners. So, I’ll still do it…….when I’m not too tired,” Daphne said with a smile. Then, she hugged her father and went upstairs to her royal room.
Her father just smiled.
A week later; one night when it was late and everything was quiet, Daphne lied in bed thinking about potato pancakes and the good things that came from them. 'Father doesn't even seem to favor Tiffany over me anymore. I guess we just needed to find something in common. And he has even come to realize that twins are exactly the same age,' she thought, as she smiled her most royal smile. 'But that doesn't mean they're the same on the inside!' she thought.
Then she rolled over and fell fast asleep, and dreamt about her father the king and how much she loved being a princess and living in a royal castle.
Then when she awoke the next morning, the first thing she thought was, ‘maybe I will have that dressmaker make me a dress out of a pair of jeans. That kind of dress must be better than my royal dresses are for working in the garden! But, what will father say?’ She wondered with a grin.
THE END
“Wow Daddy, what a great and funny story!” Michaela exclaimed
“What part did you think was funny?” Her father asked.
“The huge royal bed with all the pillows and blankets…..I could hardly even see Daphne! And in the end when she wants a dress made out of a pair of jeans!”
“Oh yeah, I guess that was funny,” her father replied, as he put the big picture back on the shelf.
“But the most important thing about that story was the lesson learned by the king,” Michaela exclaimed.
“Amen!” They both shouted together.
Subscribe to Linzy’s Substack
Linzy is a children's author, Christian writer, including Bible Prophecy reporting. Her portfolio includes, poetry and short stories for all ages.