Once upon a time, there lived a handsome man and a beautiful woman. They were kind gentle and generous to all. The man worked hard to make his wife happy, and his wife loved him wildly. They lived in a quaint home in the middle of a beautiful kingdom.

A large meadow behind the house provided flowers through spring and summer, and in a small field, sweet lambs grazed beside contented cows. It was a home filled with cheer. When the husband and wife had a perfect baby girl, the home became happier still.

They named the baby Ella, and from the moment she was born, she was their little princess. True, she had no title or crown or castle. But she was the ruler of her own little kingdom. The forest and meadow were her borders, and the birds in the air and the critters in the fields were her subjects.

Whether she pretended to be an elephant traipsing through the Sahara or a wild horse galloping through the meadow, everyone, from the mice in the house to the cooks in the kitchen, was happy to play along. Both animal and human alike fell under her enchantment, happier when in her presence.