Rags to Riches

Once upon a time there was a little girl who lived among trash. Dust floated to the air as she shuffled her feet across her bedroom floor accidentally kicking the years of school folders, spelling tests and notecards which lay dormit beneath her feet. Thirty, forty, or maybe even fifty hand-me-down stuffed animals lined the walls and piled up the side of it, as if they were the childhood skin she had shed years ago, even though she herself was still a child. Clothes were mounted on shelves, under the bed, in and on top of the dresser, and stuffed into dozens of garbage bags randomly sprawled around the room. There was no electricity but she cuddled into the piles of garbage bags for warmth. The wilted, long-past-dead flower bouquet hung it's head in the corner reflecting the mood of the little girl's room. And worst of all, there was no mother capable of removing the little girl from the filth, and giving her a warm loving environment.

Then one day a fairy godmother took the little girl out of the trash and placed her in a beautiful castle. She had a lovely room which she was allowed to decorate lime-green, her favorite color, and a superman blanket to keep her warm at night. She was given a new mother, the Queen, who wanted to give her the best of everything. She took the little girl shopping to buy new cothes, new dust-free toys, and file-folders with pictures of happy faced puppies to hold her treasured papers. Best of all, the Queen loved and treasured her and declaired her a princess.

But alas, the little girl longed for the days of the trash. She felt the lime green walls were closing in on her and she wanted to return to the days of the dust filled nostrils. However, she was unable to return to her old abode because the fairy godmother's spell had been permanent. The little girl dreamed and planned and ploted about returning to the trash but there was no hope of it, she was stuck being a princess in a beautiful castle. Then she had an idea, if she couldn't return to the trash, she would bring the trash to herself. So, she began stockpiling everything she owned. She scatered papers on the floor, she stuffed clothes into sacks and comfunscated raggedy stuffed animals to line the walls of her lime-green castle room. She wore old socks and pants and shirts with stains and holes in them. Once again the princess began to feel like a little girl instead of a princess. But what the princess did not know was that when a little girl is declaired a princess by the Queen, she can never return to just a little girl again. The Queen was sad that the princess would not accept the things she had given her, but she relized that little girl was forever changed, and the little girl was her very own princess.

Once upon a time there was a little boy who lived in sin. As his heart was shuffled, bitterness, covetness, and anger blew up and clouded it. Piles of possessions, partying, and a sense of power were scattered throughout his life. And he warmed himself with his pride, believing himself to be a good person "better than most."

And then one day a Prince rescued the little boy and placed him into the arms of his father, the King. The King loved the little boy and gave him everything he needed. He filled his heart with love, joy, peace and patience. He replaced the possessions, partying, and a sense of power with purpose. He allowed the little boy to decorate his activities, emotions and words with the desires of his heart. And best of all, the King loved the boy and declaired him to be a Prince.

But alas, the little boy longed for the days of pride. He felt the Kings arms were squeezing him too tight. He wanted to continue living in the arms of the King, but he wanted his old selfishness as well. So, instead of living the lavish life which the King had given him, he began to take back control of his old habits, compiling stuff and regaining his lost power. But what the little boy didn't know was that once the King had declaired him a prince, he could never go back to being a prideful little boy again. The King was sad that the prince would not accept all he had bestowed on him. He looked at the boy in his sin-laden clothes, wrapped him in His arms, looked into his eyes and recognized the prince as His dearly beloved child and heir to the entire Kingdom.

The End