Gerald and Kathleen were certain that the white towers belonged to an enchanted castle.
Jimmy was not so sure.
They walked through a beautiful garden until they came to a maze.
They tried to find the center of the maze.
But it was impossible!
"What's that?" Gerald picked up a red thread on the ground.
One end was tied to a thimble, but the other end . . .
"There is no other end!" Gerald realized.
"Maybe it leads to something!"
"I think the gardener put it there," said Jimmy.
"Look at the crown on that thimble," said Kathleen.
"Do you think a gardener would have a princess' silver thimble?"
"Let's follow the thread."
Gerald walked forward, winding the thread around his fingers as he went.
The thread led them into the middle of the maze.
There they found a circle of green lawn with a sundial in the center.
All around the edge of the circle was a marble seat.
The thread ran across the lawn.
It ended in the hand of someone sleeping on the seat!
"It's an enchanted princess!" said Gerald.
"Her clothes are so old-fashioned," said Kathleen.
"She must have fallen asleep a hundred years ago."
"She isn't really a princess," said Jimmy.
Gerald and Kathleen laughed.
They didn't care what Jimmy said.
Every part of the adventure—the cave, the maze, the thread—felt magical to them.
"Lift up the veil, Gerald," whispered Kathleen.
"If she's beautiful, we'll know she's a princess."
"Lift it yourself," he said.
Kathleen gently lifted the veil.
"Isn't she lovely?"
"Not too bad," Gerald muttered.
"Now, Gerald, you must wake the princess," said Kathleen.
"She's not a princess," insisted Jimmy.
"She's only a little girl dressed up like a princess.
Look at how long her dress is.
She won't be any taller than Gerald when she stands up."
Kathleen ignored him.
"Gerald, you're the oldest.
You have to kiss her awake."
"Not me!" cried Gerald.
"She'll slap me the minute she wakes up."
"Then I'll do it," said Kathleen.
"But I don't think it'll do any good."
And it didn't.
"I don't mind kissing her," said Jimmy.
"I'm not afraid like some people."
With that, Jimmy planted a loud kiss on the princess' cheek.
The three children stood waiting to see what would happen next.
The princess opened her large, dark eyes.
She stretched her arms and yawned.
Then she said, "So the hundred years are over?
Which one of you is my hero?"
"I am," said Jimmy.
"My prince." The princess held out her hand and Jimmy shook it hard.
"But you aren't really a princess, are you?" he asked.
"Of course I am.
Look at my crown."
She pulled aside her veil to reveal a crown of diamonds.
"How did you ever get past the dragons?"
Gerald ignored her question.
"Then this really is an enchanted castle?"
"Of course it is. Don't be stupid."
The princess stood up and her dress fell in waves around her feet.
"I told you her dress would be too long," said Jimmy.
"It must have grown over the years," said the princess.
"Let's go back to the castle, and I'll show you all my lovely jewels.
Would you like that?"
"Yes," said Gerald. "But . . ."
"But what?" The princess sounded impatient.
"But we're awfully hungry.
We never got to eat our lunch."
The princess looked at the sundial.
It was three o'clock.
"You've had nothing to eat for hours.
But think of me.
I've had nothing to eat for a hundred years!"