No one knew that a snake lived in the hollow of a large tree. But one day, when Princess Beatrice was playing near the tree, she saw two eyes watching her. She didn’t know that the eyes belonged to a snake. So, she said, “Hello! I’m Princess Beatrice. Will you play with me?” “I will,” pat came the reply, “But only if you promise not to be frightened when you see me!” The princess promised and the snake slithered out. For a moment, she stopped, terrified. Then, she remembered her promise and offered her ball. Soon, they became friends and spent hours playing together. The snake would hang like a swing and she would swing on the tree, or they played hide-and-seek. One day, the princess happily hugged the snake. Suddenly, it turned into a handsome boy! “I’m Joel. I was under the spell of a wizard and you have broken that!” Princess Beatrice had found her best friend!
The Snake
