Yes we will be hosting our show every two weeks instead of every week due to time constraints. We want to make sure you get the best show possible so we’ve decided to have a little sit back to allow for more research and preparation. We also have big plans for our interviews so keep checking back to see who we’ve got lined up! Our next show will air on April 12th and our special return guest will be parenting coach Katherine Reschke. We will be talking about the pros and cons of video games. This promises to be a VERY interesting show with a lot of good information on both sides of the scale. Katherine has also very graciously agreed to give out some free advice based on parenting questions left on our listener feedback form, located at http://www.puddlepeoplehour.com/feedback.php

We want to hear from YOU! Feel free to use the feedback link, not only to submit questions for our upcoming guests, but also to tell us how we’re doing and give suggestions for future shows.

In other news…

Keep checking back with our new site! We have a lot of plans for the future. I’ll be adding a printable section that will include my coloring pages and eventually E-books, both free and low cost. We will also be adding a games section starting with a matching game. The Listen Here page will be up by the end of this week with links and information on how to listen to our show live and how to participate. Have more suggestions on things we can add to the site? Write into our feedback form! We welcome any and all ideas.

Until Next Time…

Puddle Pam

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How many video Game systems do you have in your household? I have five, count them five, and that’s not including the three computers we also have in the house. Of course only three of them can be played at any given time, but in my opinion that’s still an awful lot of systems, and a lot of time wasted playing games. I must admit however, I am not immune to the video game bug. As an avid reader in possession of a creative mind my favorite style of game is Role Playing Games, or RPG. I just can’t pass up a good storyline. These games are so addictive I sometimes get my children to play them, just so I can watch and follow the storyline.

Are video games destroying our children’s minds? While it is true that a lot of games are either a total escape from reality or violent enough to make Attila the Hun cringe, video games can teach a variety of skills including decision-making and hand-eye co-ordination. If you look hard enough there are also video games with educational applications, teaching reading, math, history, and even science. The key to what your child learns while playing a video game is your supervision and participation. An informed parent can help choose appropriate games, monitor frustration levels, and guide their children in seeing their game in a different way.

Another concern about video games is the lack of social interaction as well as the lack of physical activity. Here again, it’s up the parent to regulate how often and how long their child plays. The best way to do this is to start as early as possible and set reasonable limits. My answer to this was in getting them to play the games I enjoyed watching, or so I told myself. Sometimes it would work and I’d have children begging me to be allowed to go outside and play instead, other times it would backfire and a whole day would be wasted.

Games are a great way to teach our children skills that can help them as they grow. This week we will be looking, not only at video games and how to make informed decisions, but also at board games, card games, and active games.

Do you play computer or video games with your children? Which one is your favorite?

Till Next Time…

Puddle Pam

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WOW! What a great show today! We talked to Stacy Dawn, author of the new children’s series Harriet the Half-pint Holstein. Stacy was very kind to read an excerpts from the first book in the series, Harriet and the Musical Trio. We even got a sneak preview of her newest book, The Troll in the Chicken Coop, due to release April 1st. Check out Stacy’s books at http://www.harrietholstein.com/

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Craft: Homemade Musical Instruments

Materials:
• Plastic containers (Small margarine or cream cheese containers)
• Paper towel or toilet paper rolls
• Dried beans
• Rice
• Pasta
• Beads
• Wooden Dowels (1/2 inch works best, and 6 inches long)
• Tape
• String
• Ribbons
• Paints
• Stickers
• Paper plates

Shaker:
Simply put beans, pasta, beads or rice into a plastic container and tape the lid on. Your child can decorate it with beads, paint or stickers. You can also use paper towel or toilet paper rolls, taping each end to make sure none of the contents escape.

Rhythm Sticks:
All you need are two wooden dowels. Your child can decorate them with paint.

Tambourine:
This is another easy craft. Fill one of the paper plates with dried pasta, beads or beans. Place another paper plate upside down on top of the first. Tape them together or you can make holes around the rim and tie them together. Have your child decorate the plates with paint and/or stickers. You can also use ribbons to decorate.

Excerpt from The Mother’s Survival Kit, written and illustrated by Pam Sargant

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Links mentioned on the show:

http://www.firedrakesweyr.com - Firedrakes Weyr Publishing LLC

http://www.harrietholstein.com - Official Site of the Harriet the Half-pint Holstein Series

http://www.stacydawn.com - Stacy’s Author Site

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Today’s guest was Tamara Wilson, one of the hosts of Special Needs Kids Talk Radio and owner of the site mommyland.comWe talked about special needs kids and cooking with kids. Tamara also shared a family recipe with us.

We had a few technical difficulties for this show but we managed to get it going again.

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Story: The Puddle People and the Missing Stream

by Pam Sargant and Mary Beth Marino

It all began when Mary and Louise were out playing after a huge rain one day. The sun came out and the girls decided to walk to the park. Now, Louise the younger of the sisters loved to jump and splash in puddles, but Mary didn’t like to get wet. So she made up a story about the puddle people, and that is where the adventure began.

When Mary started telling the story, a magical thing happened. There in front of the girls was a real puddle person named Drippin. Drippin loved stories and came to visit the girls often.

Drippin told the girls that they could go anywhere their imagination took them. One day the girls decided they would like to visit the enchanted forest beside their house. In an instant they were dancing down a path inside the forest. They hadn’t gone far before Mary started to notice something strange.

“What’s wrong with all the animals?” She asked. The animals all looked tired and droopy. Drippin climbed up to Mary’s shoulder to see. “Why don’t we ask them?” he replied. “The animals can talk?” Mary asked. She was surprised. Drippin smiled, “This is the enchanted forest.” He replied. “Anything can happen.” Mary shrugged and went over to a drooping deer. “Excuse me,” She asked politely, “Why do you look so tired?” The deer raised her head and answered, “So thirsty!” She whispered and looked towards the stream before putting her head back down. Mary looked at the stream and was surprised to see only a small trickle of water. Louise looked too. “What happened to all the water?” Louise wondered.

“My brother Edkin lives near the spring that feeds this stream.” Drippin answered, “Maybe he will know.”

“Let’s go!” Mary said and started down the path that ran along the stream. As they walked they talked about what could have stopped the water. “Maybe it was a mean wizard!” Louise wondered. Drippin told the girls that he didn’t know of any wizards that lived in the forest. They walked and talked for a long time until they finally came to a wall of sticks and mud. “Who could have put that there?” Mary asked. Just then Edkin popped up out of a bush. “The beavers have moved in.” He answered. “Beavers?” Asked Louise. “What are beavers? Are they evil wizards?” Edkin laughed, “Beavers are animals that live in the water.” He answered “They are not evil, they are here to help”

Mary was confused, “How can they help when they stop the water?” She wanted to know.

Edkin climbed up to Louise’s shoulder and pointed to other side of the wall. “Why don’t we ask?” he answered.

On the other side of the wall, that Edkin called a dam, the girls found lots of water and in the middle of it was a mound of sticks. “Mrs Beaver!” Edkin called. The girls saw a ripple in the water heading straight for them. When the ripple reached the edge of the pond a strange looking creature with big teeth crawled out. “Mrs. Beaver, I would like you to meet Mary and Louise.” Edkin started. Mrs. Beaver smiled and nodded. “What can I do for you girls?” She asked.

Mary was a little angry. “Why did you build that dam?” She wanted to know

Mrs. Beaver pointed a clawed paw towards the flooded area behind the dam. “My job is to control the water, so when it doesn’t rain for a while we will all still have enough. First I build a dam to create a pond for my home and a marsh for other animals to live in.”

“But what about the rest of the forest?” Louise asked.

Mrs. Beaver smiled. “When the pond rises enough, water will spill over the dam like a waterfall and fill the stream again.”

“But the animals are very thirsty NOW!” Mary sighed. “How can we help them while we wait?”

“Maybe we could get buckets?” Louise offered.

“No, it’s too far and heavy” Mary answered “But what about a trap door in the dam?”

Edkin winked at Drippin. The two puddle people climbed down off the girl’s shoulders and went over to Mrs. Beaver. Drippin whispered in her right ear, and Edkin whispered in her left ear.

Suddenly the beaver looked up at Mary and Louise and smiled with her great big teeth chopping up and down and then she darted off…out of sight.

“Where is she going? Louise whispered to Mary.

I don’t know shhhhh she whispered back. Let’s just watch and see what happens.

As fast as she left Ms. Beaver came back with her 10 children. Mr. Beaver came too.
“O.k. children, let me see your teeth” instructed Ms. Beaver. The beaver children all lined up and each one of them had two protruding teeth that hung over their lower lip.

Louise giggled. “They have funny teeth,” she said, and Mary hushed her right away.

“Louise, that is not nice,” scolded Mary.

“Actually, their teeth is what makes the beaver so special,” explained Drippin.
“Watch what they are going to do with those teeth”, he grinned.

The two puddle people and the beavers all went to the dam. Drippin, Mrs. Beaver, and 5 of her children on one side, and Edkin, Mr. Beaver, and the other 5 children on the other.

“This is all very strange, Mary thought…”

All the sudden, Drippin and Edkin started singing,
When the water seeps through the dam,
We’ll have lots of water, thank you ma’am

While they were singing this silly tune, all the beavers started to use their teeth to chomp on the wall…they chomped and chomped and chomped. Little by little, they each gnawed away at the wall, and before you know it, water started coming through the dam and flowing down the stream!

“When the water seeps through the dam,
We’ll have lots of water, thank you ma’am.” The puddle people sang

All the animals from the forest smelled the water from way far away and came running to the water to drink…there were rabbits and deer, birds, and squirrels,
There were even two bunnies hopping to the water with 12 babies behind them!

Mary and Louise started dancing and singing along to the funny little tune.

“Maaaaaaaaaaaryyyyy!” “Louiseeeeeee!” They heard their mommy calling.

“Oh, it’s mommy!” they cried together
In seconds they were back at the edge of the forest.
The girls say goodbye to their friends and run home full of stories about beavers.

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Recipe from Tamara Wilson:

Easter Bunny Salad

Slice of Lettuce on plate
Peel and slice a fresh pear (Canned pears work great too )
Place the pear open side down
Place two cloves for eyes (I also use rasions and a broken tooth pick)
Two Almond Halves for the ears
1teaspoon of cottage cheese for a tail. (you can have more if you like)

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Links mentioned on the show:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Special-Needs-Kids Special Needs Kids Talk Radio

http://www.mommyland.com Mommyland

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Guest: Linda Sue Brooks - Author of Meet Toado and Friends
“This delightful series of Toado and Friends teaches life lessons in each adventure-filled story. Young children will read about different circumstances and learn how to deal with them.”We had a lot of fun with this guest! We also had a special treat. Linda read her book to us!

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Craft: Egg Carton Wreath

Materials:

• Cardboard
• Scissors
• Markers
• Paint and brushes
• Egg carton
• Glue
• Ribbon

1. Draw a circle on the cardboard
2. Draw another circle just inside the first one
3. Cut out the outside circle
4. Cut out inside circle
5. Paint cardboard circle
6. Take one of the egg cartons and cut apart each egg cup
7. Paint each egg cup
8. Allow paint to dry
9. Glue egg cups around cardboard circle
10. Arrange ribbon around cardboard circle and glue in place

Excerpt from Spring Survival Kit, written and illustrated by Pam Sargant

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Links Mentioned on the Show:

http://www.maginthat.net/author.html

http://www.divorceketeers.com

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This was our Spring Break Show. Mary Beth and I researched and gave out a lot of information about things to do with your kids during the march break. We also got a lot more ideas from suggestions in the live chat room.Correction: Read Across America is run by NEA, National Education Association

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Story:

What if it NEVER Stopped Snowing?

By Pam Sargant and Mary Beth Marino

At first, Mary and Louise were happy to see the snow. Snow meant angels, forts, snowball fights, and snowmen. But it had been snowing for three days now. They weren’t even allowed to go outside and play because it was snowing so hard you couldn’t see across the yard. And now the power had gone out. Right in the middle of their favourite TV show. They were bored, and just a little scared.

Daddy was busy making a fire in the fireplace and mommy was getting the flashlights and candles. The two girls sat down in front of the big picture window in the living room and stared out into the snowy night. “What if it never stopped snowing,” Louise whispered.

“Don’t be silly Louise, it HAS to stop sometime.” Mary answered. She thought for a moment, and then giggled. “What if it snowed so much it buried the house? It would be like a huge igloo! We would have to go out the window!” The girls started giggling and Louise felt a little better. Mommy came over and handed them each a flashlight. “What silly girls you are!” She smiled as she went to get the sleeping bags.

Mary was starting to have fun and Louise was starting to relax a bit more. “How would we get out?” Louise asked. Mary smiled and thought some more. “We could go out the attic window.” She answered. “But we would sink right down!” Louise countered.

Mommy came back with the sleeping bags and ushered the girls to the carpet in front of the fireplace. Daddy was starting to pop some popcorn. “What if…” Mommy started “We used tennis rackets like snowshoes? Then we wouldn’t sink into the snow.”

Mary giggled. “Daddy’s too big! He would break his tennis rackets.”

Daddy smiled as he continued roasting popcorn. “How about using trash can lids?” Louise laughed out loud as she imagined her daddy clanging across the snow like a robot.

Mary was imagining her daddy sliding down the snow bank. “They would make better sleds” she giggled.

Daddy had finished the popcorn and brought it over for them to munch on. It was mommy’s turn at the fireplace to make some hot chocolate. As daddy settled down near the girls he smiled. “What would we see in the snow after I slid down the snow bank?”

Mommy laughed like a cartoon villain, “Muahahahahaha, what if there was a polar bear buried in the snow at the bottom of the slope?”

Daddy gave her a look that melted into a lopsided smile. Louise just stared at Daddy. “A polar bear?” She whispered. Mary giggled. “If it was buried daddy would fly right off it like a ski jump.”

Louise looked at Mary. “What if the polar bear woke up and started to chase daddy?” Mary hugged her daddy. “He would be too fast on his trash can sled and leave the bear wayyyyyyyyyyy behind.”

Mommy brought the hot chocolate over and handed the cups out to everyone. “If daddy was going that fast, how would he stop?”

Louise, remembering getting lost last year blurted out, “What if we get lost in all that snow?”

“Rex will find us”, Mary said confidently. Rex, their large black lab who was napping by the fireplace, raised his head at the mention of his name

Louise yawned and put down her cup. “Wouldn’t he sink in the snow too?” Rex got up, walked over and laid down beside the little girl, wagging his tail.

Mommy gathered the cups, “What could Rex put on his feet so he wouldn’t sink?”

Mary settled into her sleeping bag. ”Frisbees of course,” She said. “Rex loves Frisbees”

Daddy handed his cup to mommy. “How would we make them stay on his feet?”

“Glue?” Louise offered. She thought Rex made a great pillow.

Daddy laughed, “Then we would never get them off. How about if I tied them on?”

The girls thought this might be a good idea and agreed. Mommy came and settled into her sleeping bag. “It must be getting cold and dark outside, after Rex finds us, how will we get home?”

It was Mary’s turn. “We could make a dogsled out of trees and Rex can take us home.”

Daddy smiled. “What if the trees were all covered too?”

Mary stuck her tongue out at daddy and laughed. “Then we’ll use your trash can lids.” She imagined mommy and Louise on one lid and her and daddy on the other.

Mommy thought that it would be hard for Rex to pull them all by himself, but Mary had the answer. “Rex will just call his friends to help.”

“Don’t forget about the polar bear.” Louise said. “How will we get past him again?” Mary had to think about that one. “We’ll make sure we go around him this time.” She decided.

Mommy laughed, “What if we don’t know where he is? Polar bears are awful hard to see in the snow you know.” Daddy thought that the noise of the barking dogs would wake the bear up anyway.

Louise snuggled against Rex. “Rex the wonder dog would scare that nasty old bear away!”

Daddy laughed. “If I saw a big black dog bouncing up and down in the snow with frizbees on his feet I would run too!”

Just then the roaring of the wind stopped outside. “shhh,” Mommy said, “I think the storm’s over.”

They listened to the silence. Mary got up and went to the window. “It stopped snowing!” She cried. “I told you it would stop!” She said to Louise and stuck her tongue out at her.

The lights came back on just as she was going back to her sleeping bag. “Awww,”
she pouted, ”Just when we were having so much fun!”

Mommy started to clean up while daddy took the girls to their beds. “Can we play what if again tomorrow?” Mary wanted to know. Daddy smiled and nodded. He kissed each girl on the forehead and tucked them into bed. When he had left the room the girls looked at each other and giggled. They had the same idea. For the next hour they whispered back and forth…”what if?”

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Craft: Snowflakes
Materials:PaperScissors

Take a piece of paper and fold it in half. Then fold in half the other way. Next fold in half diagnally twice.

Keeping a hold of the center fold, cut or tear shapes into your triangle. One idea was to use hole punches with different shapes.

Craft #2 Easter Egg Flowers

Materials:

• 8 Egg shaped Styrofoam balls
• 8 Pipe Cleaners
• Paint
• Construction paper
• Pie tins
• Scissors
• Markers

1. Pour paint into the tin plates, leaving one plate for mixing
2. Stick one pipe cleaner into each egg shaped ball
3. Dip “eggs” into paint then roll in empty plate to create swirly designs
4. Allow to dry
5. While paint is drying, use markers to draw flower shapes on the construction paper
6. Cut out shapes
7. Find the center of each flower shape and cut a small hole
8. Push the flower shape onto the pipe cleaner so that it rests just under the egg shapes
9. Add extra flower layers or leaves if desired

Excerpt from Spring Survival Kit, written and illustrated by Pam Sargant

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Links mentioned on the show:

http://akidsheart.com/holidays/spring/spring.htm Printable activities
http://www.dltk-holidays.com/spring/printables.htm Printable activities
http://familyfun.go.com/games/indoor-outdoor-games/specialfeature/spring_activities_ms/ Games
http://childparenting.about.com/cs/holidays/a/springcrafts.htm Crafts
www.seussville.com games and printable activities
http://www.nickjr.com/ Safe online activities

http://www.nea.org/readacross/index.html Read Across America

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We had a wonderful conversation with Rita Trevalyan Author of Takuhi’s DreamYou can find Rita’s books at http://www.firedrakesweyr.com

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Story: The Little Goose Girl (Revised by Mary Beth Marino)

Once upon a time, in a land called Andover, there lived a royal family. They lived in a beautiful castle that stood high on a mountain-top looking over the kingdom and the village below.

Now the King and Queen, Charles and Isabella, had a grown daughter named Gwendolyn who made a beautiful young princess. King Charles was very proud of his daughter and wanted only the best for her; so he and Queen Isabella, promised her in marriage to a young prince from another Royal family, who lived in a kingdom far, far away, called Silas.

“We must start to prepare the gifts for Gwendolyn to present to her new family, Queen Isabella told Charles. We must select find treasures befitting the occasion. I will pack jewels, goblets, and beautiful linens handsomely embroidered, to go with her! And we shall also send Elise, her maiden servant to help her with her needs; and of course, she must take her beloved horse, Falada, for since he is a speaking horse, he will guide her during the journey”.

The King and Queen agreed that all the plans were in order and there was but one thing left to do before sending their Gwendolyn off to marry her husband prince in Silas.

“My dear Gwendolyn”, the King said. As you know there are only two things in the Kingdom that possess magical powers and was given to you at birth. One is your beloved horse, Falada, who can speak, and the other is a magic potion we saved all these years to be used only in case of your danger.

The King handed Gwendolyn a small bottle containing the magic potion. If you find yourself in grave danger from someone, take a sip of this potion and it will give you the power you need to fight anything. The princess took the bottle from her Father and put it safely in her dress pocket, tapping it to make sure it was in there safe and sound.

So, the next morning, the princess and her maiden servant, Elise, set out for their long journey to Silas. They rode for a very long time when finally, the princess, tired and thirsty, asked Elise to stop and rest.

“Would you please get down from your horse and fetch me a cup of water, Elise? My throat is very dry” she said.

Elise hesitated only for a moment; then a big scowl came on her face when she answered, “Get off your fancy horse and get it yourself! I am tired of being your slave!”

Shocked by the maiden’s fierce command, Gwendolyn had no choice but to do as she said; so she got off Falada and went for the water herself. She could not even use her gold cup stored in the maiden’s saddlebag! She paid no attention, and just walked down to the brook where she and Falada drank their water. Then the horse said to Gwendolyn,

“if your mother knew this, it would break her heart;
She was worried about you right from the start.”

Gwendolyn turned to the horse and said,

“We won’t tell my mother, you NOR I,
Let’s just continue our journey, bye and bye”.

They continued their journey, noticing as they went the sun shining down on the meadow of flowers, and the birds flying, and the bees humming, all in happy turns.

Later on, as the sun was going down, once again, Gwendolyn was thirsty and tired, and needed to rest for awhile. She had forgotten all about the meanness Elise had shown her earlier that day, she asked the maiden servant, “Elise, would you please fetch some water from my golden cup, I am very thirsty.”

“If you are thirsty than get your OWN drink of water, Elise shouted in a nasty voice…”I am NOT your servant!”

Tears were streaming down Gwendolyn’s face as the princess and Falada strolled down to the brook. She bent down to drink; but she did not notice that her little bottle of potion fell from her pocket, and was quickly floating down the brook. Falada once again said,

“If your mother knew this, it would break her heart,
She was worried about you right from the start.”

Too weak from crying, Gwendolyn slowly started to mount her horse. Suddenly, she heard Elise shout once more, “Falada belongs to me now, and you get this old, weary donkey!” And, before we travel again, take off that dress and give it to me! YOU shall wear my old plain clothes…you can see how it feels to be a maiden servant!”

Now Elise looked o.k. in Gwendolyn’s gown, but her face was still very ugly. A person who is mean on the outside, usually had an ugly face on the outside. Whereas, Gwendolyn, in the plain old clothes, still had all the beauty and delicacy of being a princess, for she was beautiful both inside and out.

“And if you have any ideas of telling anyone about this, I shall find you in your sleep and see that you are punished, and you will never see your parent’s again.” shouted Elise.
“I am the princess bride now!”

So, as their journey came to an end, they approached the castle and saw the young handsome Prince running toward them. He was ready to welcome his new princess bride. He went to Elise, who was pretending to be the princess, and was lifted off of Faldala, and swept into the Prince’s arms, to be carried off into the castle.

Gwendolyn, the REAL princess stayed outside wondering what she would do now? The prince’s Father, King George, stared at Gwendolyn from the castle window above, and noticed how delegate, beautiful and gentle she was, and sad.

He approached the pretend princess, Elise, and asked her what the maiden servant should be doing. ‘Put her to work dear King, so that she does not grow lazy! Now the King didn’t have actual work, but he decided that Gwendolyn could help Conrad, the Geese Boy, with the flock of Geese roaming the countryside. And so now, the princess would be called the “Geese Girl”.

In the meantime, Elise, the phony princess, was afraid that Falada, that stupid speaking horse, might tell the Prince that she was not the real princess, so asked her future husband the prince, to do her a favor.

“Falada, that stupid horse who can talk, gave me nothing but trouble on my journey here, would you please get rid of the horse so I don’t have to see him again?” asked the fake princess, Elise.

“Anything that will make you happy my dear.” said the prince.

The prince had a horsemen take Falada to the village stable where his bride-to-be would not have to lay eyes on him ever again.

The next day, the Goose girl and the Goose boy were driving their geese through the village, when Gwendolyn spotted Falada in the stable. She ran up to her horse, threw her arms around him and said,

“Oh Falada, it is such a big mess we are in,
I don’t know if we’ll EVER be happy again”

The magical talking horse replied:

“If your Mother knew of this pain you suffer,
Her heart would deeply break like no other.”

Gwendolyn said nothing more, as she and Conrad continued on their way, driving their geese into the meadow.

Gwendolyn sat to rest for a minute, and shook her hair from her braids, allowing the wind to blow through her hair. Conrad, upon noticing this, stared at the beautiful Geese Girl and thought how beautiful she was with her golden hair and fine delicate skin.

Gwendolyn noticed Conrad staring at her; but suddenly, a gust of wind swirled around Conrad’s head, stealing his cap and flying it in the air across the meadow!

Conrad shouted to the gusty wind,

“I’ll run and fetch my cap from thee,
“It’s the maiden beauty I need to see”

 

Her beauty binds me at the heart
I must return and not stray apart;”

 

But when Conrad caught his hat and returned, Gwendolyn already had her hair up in braids again. Conrad was so disappointed, he did not speak to the Goose girl the rest of the day, and when they returned to the castle, he went straight to the King with his tale.

“Why has this maiden, upset you so?” asked the King.

“There is something very strange about this maiden, AND her talking horse, Conrad said. Every day she speaks to this horse he talks back to her! Then, when she took her hair from her braids, I watched it blow in the wind, highlighted with golden sunlit streaks, and her face looked as gentle as porcelain. She is much to soft, delicate and fragile to be a mere maiden servant, or even a Goose Girl, your King!”

The King, upon hearing this tale, and seeing Conrad so taken with the Goose girl, remembered that he TOO thought the same thing that first night he saw her. She was indeed of soft features and somewhat fragile.

So the next day, the King followed the Goose Girl and Goose Boy into the village. When he saw Gwendolyn stop and speak to her beloved horse, Falada, he also realized it was the same horse Elise had asked the prince to send far away. He watched quietly as Gwendolyn said to Falada,

“Oh Falada, it is such a big mess we are in,
Will we NEVER, EVER, be happy again?”

“I am the princess, and the maiden is Elise,
She took you, my jewelry and even my valise!”.

“If we tell, she promised to hurt us in our sleep,
She is marrying my prince and I shall forever weep!”

 

Gwendolyn said goodbye to the horse, and went on to drive the sheep to the meadow with Conrad. She did not see that the King was trailing behind them and hiding.

Once in the meadow, Gwendolyn shook her braids once again, so her hair could catch the wind. Immediately, the King saw exactly what Conrad had seen the day before. Her hair shown with streaks of sunlight, and her face looked like a princess, not a maiden servant or Geese Girl at all!

When Conrad and Gwendolyn arrived back at the castle that evening, the King sent for them.

“Do not be afraid little goose girl, but I have found out who you really are!” said the King. I heard you talking to your magic horse today, and I promise, I will not allow this lie to go on any longer.”

A maiden servant entered the room, and took Gwendolyn to her new bedroom in the castle, and dressed her in a fine gown befitting a princess. She put beautiful jewels around her neck and soft slippers on her feet. And the maiden servant took her back to the King, where the fake princess Elise, and the handsome prince we sitting.

Now the King had told his son of Elise’s lie, he and the Prince were now going to test Elise. Upon seeing the REAL princess bride, Gwendolyn, the prince was filled with joy and his heart beat fast, seeing how beautiful and delicate she was.

Elise did not notice that it was really Gwendolyn who sat on the other side of the prince; she was far too beautiful to be the goose girl. So the party began with the entire guest eating and drinking and having a wonderful time.

After the feast, the King said he had a story to tell. The guests gathered round the circle as the King began telling the story. He told them how a REAL princess had become a maiden, and a Geese Girl. He explained that REAL Princess had a maiden servant who tricked her, threatened her, stole her horse, jewels and finery, and MOST of all, had stolen her beloved prince whom she was suppose to marry!!

The crowd spoke in whispers upon hearing this tale, and watched as Elise gasped in shock! She immediately looked at Gwendolyn, knowing the real princess was back, and surely she would be banished from the castle forever. The Prince took Gwendolyn’s hand, the REAL bride-to-be, and slowly turned to Elise, the maiden servant.

“You have caused my beautiful princess pain,
Lied, and cheated for your own gain,

 

To the stables to clean and lay new hay,
You will live with the horses… forever and a day!!”

 

And so it was, Elise was living in the stable with the horses, and Princess Gwendolyn and her new faithful maiden servant, started preparing for the Royal Wedding.

The Princess Brides parents, King Charles and Queen Isabella, arrived for the wedding and were so pleased that their beloved daughter was so happy. She was marrying the handsome prince as was the promise made so long ago…in a land where there are talking horses, magic potions and a prince and princess who would someday be the King and Queen of Silas. There was one thing though. …that did surprise them, though they made no mention.

They wondered why on earth the former maiden servant Elise, who was their daughter’s maid, was assigned to live among the horses and clean up after their smelly mess. But it was not polite to ask, and besides, they liked this new maiden servant who took good care of their daughter.

So, the Prince and Princess were married, all was well with the Royal family, and they lived happily ever after, all except for Elise, who was dirty allll the time, and had this funny smell about her!

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Links Mentioned on the show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/parentsandkids - PKTR (Parents and Kids Talk Radio)

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