My Name Is Prince Albert

by Ronald D. Drobeck

Overview

Albert, a young frog fresh from the pond, overheard the story of a fabled frog that was kissed by a princess. He turned into a handsome prince, and they lived happily ever after. Albert wanted to live happily ever after.

Bewitched by the tale of The Frog Prince, Albert waited by the path, and was discovered by the princess and her handmaiden. With a giggle, the handmaiden dropped to a knee, held Albert high in her cupped hands, offering him to the princess in jest. The princess gave the handmaiden a mock, appreciative smile, pulled the maidens hands toward her lips, and gave Albert a kiss on the top of his head. With this silliness over, the handmaiden set Albert down alongside the path, and the two continued on their way.

I lay by the side of the path for a long time, limp and exhausted, trembling, and the ground beneath me was spinning! I could feel my frog body beginning to change. Here I go! Here I go! Then there was nothing. Nothing! I did not turn into a prince. I slept.

Now what? Will Albert be able to live happily ever after? You wont believe what happens next!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781458202048
Publisher:	Abbott Press
Publication date:	04/19/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	152
File size:	214 KB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Ronald D. Drobeck was born in Hawthorne, California. After age 10, he grew up in Milbank, South Dakota. A published musician, Ron has left a trail of imagination in his wake. He plans to write a second “Albert book, and a murder-mystery. He currently writes from Tucson, Arizona.

Read an Excerpt

MY NAME IS Prince Albert

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By Ronald D. Drobeck

abbott press

Copyright © 2012 Ronald D. Drobeck
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4582-0203-1

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Chapter One

An Extraordinary Day

Although I often thought of the princess, a second meeting with her scared me so! I'd watch from afar when she passed by with her handmaiden. Once in a while, I would watch from the other side of the path because I saw them when I was returning from following the flower scent I smelled when I first met her. I found the smell was coming from the other side of the path. It got stronger the farther I went. Each day I followed the smell as if being pulled. The smell excited me! I let it lead me. I was a willing adventurer.

One day I went so far, so long into the day that I could not get back to my tree root home before dark. As the light faded, I found a place where the haunting flower smell surrounded me. It became too dark to see, and the smell was making me sleepy, so I found a fallen tree and burrowed a nest in the leaves piled under its overhang and went to sleep. A very busy day! A very dreamy sleep! I dreamt of fast swimming, long jumping, the princess, and that flower smell. I slept so deeply, it took the midmorning warmth of the sun to wake me.

I awoke suddenly, as if falling, and jumped up from my nest. I was standing in the middle of a ring of mushrooms and pale blue flowers! It was a faeries' ring.

This was a supersensuous sight, flooded with an equally supersensuous smell. These two senses were fighting to be the most overwhelming when a third sense heard a soft and clear giggle from over there. No, over there! Or over there! A faerie trick! It is sometimes hard to understand what your senses are telling you when you're standing in the middle of a faeries' ring. I believed I was about to meet the faerie ring's owner.

A faeries' personal flower ring is a circle of enchantment. It belongs to the faerie that nurtured it. It is a very pleasant and passive trap for whatever ventures into it. The stupor produced by the sight and smell is a seduction. The only way to escape is to befriend the faerie or to become her enemy. To befriend a faerie is to become enchanted and have a friend forever. To become her enemy is to have an enemy forever. Misfortune and bad luck will befall you. Everyone knows, only a fool becomes the enemy of a faerie!

There was movement above and to my right, which shocked my numbed mind back to consciousness. She was there, brighter than the sun. It was a fairy trick to get her closer as you shield your eyes. A way to see what you are! As quickly as she was there, she was gone. Then there came a small, commanding voice."

"Do you call yourself Prince Albert, and are you of the tree root by the pond?"

"Yes, that is me!" I answered.

"Why have you come to my faerie ring?" she asked.

"I was following the flower scent. I fell asleep and woke up within your ring. I meant no harm!" I said.

"It is the way it was supposed to be, Albert! I and others have observed your life since you were a tadpole. We believe you are special and are here to fulfill one of nature's wishes. You were enchanted and guided here. I warn you, the tasks nature wishes you to do are very important and may be dangerous! These tasks may take you far from your tree root home and the comforts you know there. Do you have the heart to take the challenge and fulfill nature's wishes?"

I told her, "I have nothing but happy memories at the pond. I am where I am now, and I do have the heart to go farther."

"Welcome, Albert! I am Naomai. You will not have to do this alone! I and others will be there to help with all of our knowledge, and with all the faerie magic we can bring."

With this, Naomai reappeared as a normal, hovering faerie. I could hear her wings buzz gently as she came down to the ground close to where I was standing. Her fears about me gone, she wished to make me comfortable by turning down the glow and continue speaking at my eye level.

"You were given special powers when you were very young, Albert. You are enchanted. You must understand, with these powers there is an enormous responsibility, and if misused, the powers can bring great harm to yourself and the people around you. I am here to be your guide as you learn to use these gifts properly."

"Are you ready?" Naomai asked.

"I am ready!"

A New Look

Waking up was very strange. I was shaking and couldn't stop. I was heavy and no longer fit under the curve of the log, and the warmth of the leaves was gone. Everything seemed to have gotten smaller. I sat with my legs pulled close to my body to keep warm, and barely fit inside the faerie ring. I just stayed, curled in a ball, taking in everything new. In time, the sun rose behind me, which did warm my back. I heard that familiar buzz and saw motion in the direction of the trees. Naomai, the faerie, was here again.

She asked how I felt and I told her that I was cold. She pointed to the bundle next to the faerie ring and told me it was a tunic and breeches borrowed from the humans. They are what they use to cover themselves and stay warm. With a great deal of effort I unwound myself and straightened my legs. My flippers were gone, and I was not green!

I first tried the tunic, but could not get my legs into it. I realized the tunic was for my top. The breeches were for my legs. After another struggle, I got the breeches and tunic in the correct positions. To my surprise, they did help to keep me warm.

Next, I tried to imitate the way the humans stood. This was a very shaky and tippy event. At first I could get up on one leg, sort of. I would balance with my arms. I would rise up and drop back down. After some stumbling and sudden sitting, I could stand on both legs with a bend in my knees, and soon I could straighten even those. Because I had seen humans walking, I had the general idea. It was much harder than it looked, and I dared take only a couple of steps at a time. I could see so far. I could see back to the pond and my tree. They did not seem far away from the height of a human.

My amazement was interrupted by the voice of Naomai. I shook my head as if awakened. The visions and sounds of the day before were replaying in my mind. I mumbled out loud, but unconsciously, that I had become enchanted and had tasks to do for the faeries.

Startled by the sound of my own voice, I yelled "Yes!" to Naomai.

"That's why we helped you learn to understand human words. When the time comes, you will be able to speak them," she said.

I giggled as I realized that my task was to be done as a human. I looked at my hands, my distance from the grass, and I saw how small Naomai was.

"I am human!" I said, and Naomai laughed lightly.

"Yes, you are!" she said as she buzzed to my eye level. "You are a young human. Your first task requires that you be human. You will be taught human ways and then be sent on to your task. For now, you will stay in the woods and learn."

A bright orange-red blur appeared from the other side of the sleeping log.

"This is Cypoo, the kit fox. Cypoo is young like you. He will teach quickness, but beware, Cypoo is very mischievous!"

With that, Cypoo circled quickly, leaped from the log and hit me gently with all four legs square in the chest. The blow knocked me down, and then he was gone!

"Follow him," said Naomai. "He will teach the ways of a fox."

From behind a bush in the wood, Cypoo's head appeared just long enough to tease me farther into the forest. I looked at Naomai with a look that said "OK, but this is all happening very fast, and I'm not sure I'm ready!" A buzz, a giggle, and she was gone. I took a couple of small steps and stumbled in the direction of Cypoo's bush. There was a bright orange-red flash, and he was out of sight again.

The early part of the day was spent catching up to Cypoo, losing him, and then finding him again. After a time, this exercise did teach me to be less clumsy and much faster. I also learned to listen for him. I watched the ground for signs on the forest floor that showed the direction he went. Sometimes I would give up and call his name, only to find that he was right behind me. He enjoyed staying just beyond my sight.

Later in the day, following a noise I thought was Cypoo, I found myself face to face with a big ball of dark brown fur, picking blueberries from a bush. I took a step, and the dry leaves made a crunching sound. The fur ball turned his head, and blueberry juice flung from his lips.

With absolutely no excitement in his voice, he said, "Hi, I'm Marcs! All of the animals in this forest now know you are here. We could hear you crunching your way through the forest and calling for Cypoo. Are you hungry?"

Earlier in the day, I'd felt a hollow feeling in my stomach, but because I was so involved with catching up to Cypoo, I ignored it. Now, seeing the berry juice on Marc's lips, and standing still, I could hear a rumble in my stomach. "Yes!" I answered. "I have only been a human for a short time and have not stopped to eat. In fact, I don't know what humans eat!"

Marcs said, "Naomai, our friend, has told the animals in this forest to take care of you and teach what we know of humans. You can eat these berries with me, Albert. I've seen humans eat these, and there is plenty for everyone."

I ate berries until my tongue, lips, and cheeks were blue.

Cypoo was near, so I picked a couple of handfuls of berries for him. He ate them, and they turned his furry face and lips blue. It was getting late, and the light was fading. Cypoo curled up next to a tree in a pile of leaves and closed his eyes. Marcs cleaned himself with his paws and curled up in a big fuzzy ball under the berry bush. I curled up at the foot of a tree and went to sleep.

School

I opened one eye to see the pink-orange-blue light of dawn. I closed it again for a few seconds and then tried to open both at once. When I did manage to get them open, I realized I was on my back staring up at a brown blur with two yellow eyes. He was sitting on a branch low over my head and blinking down. As my eyes focused, I heard a whistling "whooot", and his wings flapped in place while he fluffed himself up.

With a shake of his head and a stretch, he said, "Good morning, Albert! I'm Hoot Dooter your tutor!"

Low alongside of me I felt a pair of little black eyes, nonblinking, intense, and serious. "The one next to you is General Hesse, the badger. He will lead you to your first assignment," said Hoot Dooter.

"You are to watch and learn of a human named Katrin. Watch quietly! We want you to meet her only when you're ready. She is very special to the animals of this forest, and is very special to Naomai and the faeries. She needs our help, and through you, we will all be able to help her," he said.

With that, Hoot Dooter spread his wings and silently flew away. I turned my head to the side to see the rear end of a badger nicknamed General Hesse, waddling away. I guessed my lessons had started. I'm about to see a human again. Better move!

Hesse looked over his shoulder and said, "Stay low and quiet. Stop and sniff the air. Look up over the edge of the grass to see if anything is watching. Sometimes humans come into the woods and collect berries, mushrooms, and wood for their fires. We avoid them because they are not all friends of the animals, forest, or faeries."

I tried to scrunch down on all fours but had to stay on my feet to keep up with Hesse. He moved quickly, and took occasional quick sniffs and observation stops. We waddled down a worn trail that wandered along the forest edge.

Tall grass was on one side, and the forest was on the other. The safety of the forest was there, if we had to use it. Occasionally, Hesse would look over his shoulder to see if I was low, and still there. Intent on his task, he traveled until we stopped by a much wider human path.

Hesse told me (as he pointed his nose in one direction), "That way leads to the village and the castle of the princess."

"That way," he pivoted on all fours with tiny sideways steps, "is the way to somewhere else."

We had to cross these two paths to get into the trees on the other side.

"Look, smell, and listen! If you do not see anyone, if you do not smell anything, and if you do not hear anything, move swiftly across these two paths," said the general.

"If we get surprised by humans on the path, run to the trees on the other side! We do not want to be seen or caught by the humans on this path. I have brothers and sisters that I have never seen again, once they were seen on this path!" he said.

I stayed low and followed Hesse across the two paths.

Once into the trees on the other side, I realized that these trees were not part of a forest. They surrounded a small cottage and other buildings. Hesse told me that the humans, Katrin and her husband Airy, live there. I could see a wisp of white coming from the roof. There was a sweet odor that made my mouth water.

We moved in a little closer and saw the objects that smelled so good—a large berry pie and a small berry pie. Hesse told me that the smaller pie was for Naomai and the faeries. The small pie was the faeries' favorite and is one of reasons they want to take care of Katrin and Airy.

Hesse told me that Katrin needed help because her mate, Airy, was very ill. The animals and the faeries thought he would be well again someday, but for right now, Katrin and her mate needed help planting and harvesting the grain, and maintaining the farm animals. Katrin could not do all of his work and deliver the milk and eggs, bake the berry pies, and tend to the village and castle. She desperately needed help!

Staying low and quiet, we watched the bustle of the cottage and its animals, and smelled the berry pie, for much of the day. As the afternoon grew late, I turned to see the rear end of a badger heading back across the two paths. We traveled along the trail that wound along the forest edge until we arrived at the place I started from that morning. There was Marcs the bear eating berries, Hoot Dooter up in the tree, and Cypoo with blue all over his face.

After I'd eaten my fill, I followed the example of my forest teachers and curled up in the leaves next to a tree. Visions of what I'd seen, what I'd smelled, and what I had heard replayed in my head. I also dreamt of jumping really far and swimming very fast. Probably the fastest of everything in the whole pond!

A Problem with Prince Jax

Before Airy got sick, he and Katrin were happy. They had their small farm and a cute little cottage in the glen. Airy farmed the land, and Katrin raised chickens and gathered eggs to take to the castle. She would bake bread and cakes for the villagers and people of the castle, but most of all she would bake blueberry pie for everyone, including, and especially for, the faeries. In exchange for the eggs and baked goods, the villagers would trade to Airy and his wife Katrin the things they needed to live in the cottage and raise the chickens, the cow, some pigs, an old plow horse named Nor, and a horse to pull their cart to the village.

From the faeries, Katrin was blessed with sparkling laundry, a clean house, a roof that never leaked, and good luck. Airy was rewarded with fertile animals and good crops.

Life was good.

Life was good until the second son of the king came of age and learned to ride a horse. Being the second son, he could be a prince or an earl, but he probably could not be the next king. His older brother, who was next in line to be king, was schooled in music and languages, etiquette, and protocols. Young Prince Jax was generally forgotten and left to his own resources. As time went on and he became a man/boy in his teens, Jax would venture out into the surrounding countryside with his little gang of followers.

They were very spirited, and often would terrorize the countryside by destroying stacks of hay, letting loose the animals, and stealing whatever was not tied down. Jax and the boys discovered the cottage in the glen, and the fine pies and other baked goods that could be found there. If they did not find pies when they were pillaging, Jax and the gang would destroy something to show their displeasure. They would tear down a fence or topple a building.

Everyone knew of Jax and the gang but could do nothing about them because he was a prince and a son of the king. The terrorizing went on for years until one day, Jax made a mistake. On the window sill of the cottage was the blueberry pie that Katrin had made for the faeries. Jax stole the still warm pie. As he rode away, Katrin saw him and got to the window in time to say, "That pie is for the faeries! It's them you'll have to answer to!"

Katrin wasn't the only one to catch Jax stealing the pie. Naomai and a flock of faeries were just coming around the corner of the chicken coop. She heard Katrin's warning and saw Jax ride away displaying the stolen pie and yelping with his cronies.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from MY NAME IS Prince Albert by Ronald D. Drobeck Copyright © 2012 by Ronald D. Drobeck. Excerpted by permission of abbott press. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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