Princess Serenity was a little girl who lived in a sunny Castle. Its towers were pink. Its flags went flap, flap, flap. Serenity loved to wave at every bird.
One morning, she opened her curtains. Oh no! The Castle had no colors. The pink towers were gray. The yellow doors were gray. Even the little red apples in the kitchen were gray.
Princess Serenity held her small golden crown. “Colors, come back!” she said.
But the colors did not come back.
At the garden gate stood another little princess. Her name was Princess. She wore a blue cape and big green boots. Splash! One boot was in a puddle.
“Hello,” said Princess. “I saw a gray butterfly. I think something is wrong.”
Then they heard a soft cackle from the tall tower. “Hee-hee-hee!”
Sorceress lived there. She was not big and scary. She was old, purple, and very grumpy. Her hat was bent like a banana.
“I took the colors,” said Sorceress. “Nobody invited me to the Castle Color Picnic.”
Princess Serenity felt sad for Sorceress. “Oh,” she said. “You wanted to come?”
Sorceress folded her arms. “Maybe.”
“I am sorry,” said Serenity. “Will you help us put the colors back?”
Sorceress looked at the gray flowers. She looked at the gray sky. She looked at her gray socks. “My socks are boring,” she whispered.
“Let’s find the Color Bell,” said Princess. “It is under the rainbow bridge!”
So the two little princesses and Sorceress walked through the Castle. Step, step, step.
First, they found a sleepy red ladybug on a gray leaf. “Wake up, tiny dot,” said Serenity.
The ladybug opened its wings. Pop! Red flew into the air like a little balloon. It went into Serenity’s crown. Now one jewel shone red.
Next, Princess saw three yellow ducks near the fountain. “Quack, quack,” said the ducks. They shook their feathers. Swish! Yellow flew into the crown. Now two jewels shone.
Sorceress found a blue raindrop hiding in a teacup. “Come out,” she said, very gently. The raindrop rolled onto her finger. Plink! Blue flew into the crown.
They went past the cookie room. A cookie was still brown. “I kept my color!” it said.
“Good cookie!” giggled Princess.
The cookie gave them a crumb. The crumb sparkled orange. Into the crown it went.
At last, they reached the rainbow bridge. But there was no rainbow. Only a gray mist lay across it.
“I am a little afraid,” said Princess.
Princess Serenity held her hand. “We can walk together.”
Sorceress tapped her wand. “I can make a tiny light. Just a tiny one.”
A warm purple star appeared. It was small, but it was enough. The three friends crossed the bridge: step, step, step.
Under the bridge was the Color Bell. It was round and silver. It had a rope made of clouds.
“Pull it!” said Princess.
Serenity pulled. Nothing happened.
Princess pulled. Nothing happened.
Sorceress pulled. Nothing happened.
Then Serenity smiled. “All together.”
They held the cloud rope together. One, two, three! Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!
Red rushed back to the roses. Yellow jumped onto the doors. Blue splashed into the fountain. Green ran over the grass. Pink hugged the towers. The whole Castle shone bright again.
The Color Bell gave Princess Serenity a surprise. It dropped a small treasure chest at her feet. Inside were three sparkling color wands: one red, one blue, and one purple.
“One for you,” Serenity told Princess. “One for you,” she told Sorceress. “And one for me.”
Sorceress’s purple wand made a tiny star. “May I come to the next picnic?” she asked.
“Yes!” said Serenity and Princess.
At the picnic, they ate colorful cookies. The ducks danced. The ladybug napped on a rose. And Sorceress wore bright yellow socks.
Princess Serenity looked at her shining Castle. She had found the colors, made a new friend, and earned a beautiful magic wand. “What a happy day,” she said.
Flap, flap, flap went the flags above the Castle.