Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, there lived a brave and clever princess named Elizabeth. Elizabeth was engaged to marry a handsome prince named Ronald, and they were very happy together. She wore beautiful dresses and lived in a grand castle.
One day, a fierce dragon flew into the kingdom. The dragon was so powerful that he destroyed the castle with his fiery breath and took Prince Ronald away to his dark cave. Elizabeth was left with nothing but a paper bag to wear, as all her lovely clothes had been burned by the dragon.
Elizabeth was determined to rescue Prince Ronald. She put on the paper bag, tied it with a string, and set off on her journey. She followed the dragon’s trail of destruction through forests and mountains, never giving up.
Finally, Elizabeth reached the dragon’s cave. She saw the dragon resting after his rampage. Thinking quickly, she called out to him, “Hey, dragon!”
The dragon opened one eye and growled, “Who dares to disturb me?”
“It is I, Elizabeth, the Paper Bag Princess. I’ve heard you are the fiercest dragon in the world,” she said bravely. “But I bet you can’t burn down ten forests with your fiery breath.”
The dragon, feeling proud of his abilities, took a deep breath and let out a massive flame, burning down ten forests. Elizabeth clapped her hands and said, “Amazing! But I bet you can’t fly around the world in ten seconds.”
The dragon, eager to prove himself again, flew off in a flash, circling the globe in no time. When he returned, he was very tired.
“That was incredible!” Elizabeth said. “But I bet you can’t burn down five mountains with your fiery breath.”
The dragon, now exhausted, tried to breathe fire but could only manage a small puff of smoke. He was too tired to continue.
Seeing her chance, Elizabeth said, “You’re such a great dragon, but it seems you’ve run out of energy. Why don’t you take a nap?”
The dragon, too tired to argue, laid down and fell asleep instantly. Elizabeth quietly tiptoed into the cave and found Prince Ronald.
“Ronald, I’ve come to rescue you!” she whispered.
Prince Ronald looked at Elizabeth and frowned. “You don’t look like a princess. You’re wearing a dirty old paper bag. Come back when you’re dressed like a real princess.”
Elizabeth was shocked and hurt by Ronald’s words. She had just braved many dangers to rescue him, but he only cared about how she looked.
Elizabeth stood tall and replied, “Ronald, your clothes might be nice, but you’re not a very nice person.” She turned and walked out of the cave, leaving Ronald behind.
Elizabeth returned to her kingdom, where everyone cheered for her bravery and cleverness. She realized that she didn’t need a prince to be happy. She was strong and smart all on her own.
Elizabeth lived happily ever after, proud of her adventures and the lessons she had learned. She knew that being kind and brave was what truly mattered, not fancy clothes or what others thought.
The end.
Follow-Up Questions:
Why did Elizabeth wear a paper bag on her journey?
How did Elizabeth outsmart the dragon?
What lesson did Elizabeth learn about Prince Ronald?