The Little Princess

1 ."Mommy, are princesses real," asked AVA.

"Yes," said Mommy. "But they look just like other children."

"But their daddies are kings," said Ava. "That makes them special."

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2

"Yes," said Mommy. "But you are just as special. For you are the daughter of the most wonderful King in the whole world."

"I am?" Ava looked surprised. "Our Daddy isn't a king, is he?"

Mom laughed. "No. But God is our King! And He is our Father too.  He gave us Daddies to help keep us safe.

Ava dear, her mother said,

Guess what I in my Bible read,

God your Father

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3

"Mommy! If God is my Father and also my King, am I a princess?

Mommy nodded and gave Ava a big hug. "Yes, but our King isn't like all the other kings. Our King can look into people's hearts. Most of all, He wants His princesses to be beautiful on the inside."

Sudden her dog, Reba, began to bark.

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4

Ava looked out the window. An little orange kitten was trying to run across the yard. "It's just dragging its back leg," cried Ava. "I think it's hurt."

She ran outside -- just as the little kitten disappeared under a row of bushes.

5

Ava tried follow it. She looked for an opening in the bushes, but there was no hole to slip through. So she got down on her knees and began to crawl. But the prickly branches tore her dress, scratched her arms and pulled at her hair.

"Ouch," she cried and tears came into her eyes. But she kept on crawling. Finally she reached the other side.

6

She stood up and looked around. The trees seemed big and scary, and she couldn't see the kitten anywhere.

Oh, no!" she cried. "Where am I?"

She looked down at her bruised knees, her bleeding arm and her torn dress -- and she started to cry.

Then she remembered something Mommy had said. God was her Father and her King! He would would take care of her.

"Dear Father and King," she cried. "Please help me get home again. And please help the kitten. Amen"

7

"Ava, Ava... Where are you, Ava."

Mommy was calling her! And Daddy, too!

"Here I am!" she shouted.  Soon, they came running toward her from the street.

Daddy lifted her up in his strong arms, and Mommy hugged her.

 "You disappeared so fast," she said. "I didn't see where you went."

8

"I wanted to find the cat."

She looked around. High up in Daddy's arms she could see so much more.  "There it is," she shouted. "Behind that rock!"

Daddy carried her over to the rock and the three knelt down. "It's back leg is broken, and it has lots of sores and bruises," he said. "It may have been hit by a car."

"Here is a collar with a phone number," said Mom. "Maybe we can find its owner."

9

Daddy pulled out his cell phone and called the number. A girl answered, so Dad explained what had happened. "We will come and get him right away," said the girl.

It didn't take long before she and her mother arrived. Very gently they lifted the cat into a box. They thanked Ava and her parents again, then carried the box to their car and drove to the animal hospital.

10

It was almost dark outside by the time Ava and her parents came home. 

"Thank you, little princess, for being so kind to the kitten," said Mommy. 

"But I don't look like a princess at all," said Ava. "Look at my dress. It is all torn and dirty. I have scratches all over my arms and legs. And I lost both of my hairclips!"

"Remember, our King looks at your heart," said Mommy. "He noticed how brave you were when you crawled through those prickly bushes. He saw a little princess who was especially beautiful on the inside. And that's what counts most of all."