Princess Lily lived in a beautiful castle with towers that tickled the clouds. She had a room full of toys, dresses of every color, and a crown that sparkled. But Lily wasn’t always happy. She wished she had a *very* best friend. She thought a best friend would make everything perfect.
One evening, as the sun began to set, Lily noticed something was wrong. The castle gardens, usually twinkling with hundreds of fireflies, were dark. Not a single little light blinked! Lily peeked out the window and saw Old Man Tiber, the castle gardener, looking very worried.
“What’s wrong, Old Man Tiber?” Lily asked, rushing outside. “Where are all the fireflies?”
Old Man Tiber sighed. “They’ve lost their glow, Princess. A big gust of wind blew out the special flower pollen they need to shine. Without it, they can’t light up the garden.”
Lily’s heart felt a little sad for the fireflies. She thought about how much she loved seeing their lights. “Can we help them?” she asked.
Old Man Tiber explained that the pollen only grew on a special flower high on Whisperwind Hill, and it was a long journey. Many had tried to reach it, but the path was steep and rocky. Lily didn’t hesitate. “I’ll go!” she declared.
The next morning, Lily, with Old Man Tiber guiding her, set off for Whisperwind Hill. The path *was* difficult. Lily stumbled on rocks and had to carefully climb over fallen branches. She wanted to give up, but she remembered the dark garden and the fireflies who couldn’t shine.
Finally, they reached the flower. It glowed with a soft, golden light. Lily carefully collected the pollen in a small, silk pouch. On the way back, she helped Old Man Tiber carry a basket of berries he’d gathered, even though her arms were tired.
Back at the castle, Lily gently sprinkled the pollen over the fireflies. Slowly, one by one, tiny lights began to flicker. Then, brighter and brighter they shone, until the garden was filled with a magical glow!
The fireflies danced around Lily, their lights twinkling like thank yous. Lily realized she *did* have a best friend – not one person, but hundreds of tiny, glowing creatures. And she felt a warmth inside that was brighter than any crown.
Old Man Tiber smiled. “You see, Princess,” he said, “true beauty isn’t about sparkling dresses or shiny crowns. It’s about a kind heart and helping others.” Lily hugged Old Man Tiber tightly. She knew he was right. From that day on, Princess Lily wasn’t just a princess who *had* everything, she was a princess who *gave* everything – especially kindness.