Kairirella Read Along

Narrator: This is the story of Kairirella. You can read along with me in your book. You'll know when it's time to turn the page when the chimes ring like this. (chimes ringing) Let's begin now.

Once upon a time in a faraway land, there was a young girl named Kairi. When she was a child, her mother, Anastasia/Anya Romanov, died. Her father, Dimitri, found a new wife who had two daughters a few years younger than Kairi. But after Kairi's father died, the Stepmother found a new husband. They were very cold and cruel to Kairi. The kind girl was forced to work as a servant in her own house. Still, Kairi was always cheerful. Sure that one day her dreams of happiness would come true, she started each day with a song.

Kairi was always busy cooking, cleaning, and serving her stepmother, Eris; her stepfather, Xemnas; and her stepsisters, Alice Liddell and Minnie Mouse. One day while Kairi was doing her chores, she heard a knock at the door. "Open in the name of the King and Queen." a man shouted. It was the King and Queen's messenger, Brock. He handed Kairi a letter.

Eris and Xemnas were giving Minnie and Alice music lessons. Kairi knocked at the door. "We warned you never to interrupt!" barked Xemnas. Then Kairi showed him and Eris the letter. It was an invitation to a royal ball for the Prince! "By royal command, every eligible maiden is to attend," Eris read.

"That means I can go!" Kairi cried happily. "You!" Minnie shrieked. "We see no reason why you can't go to the ball." Xemnas said in a silky voice. "*If* you get all your work done..." Eris added, "and *if* you find something suitable to wear." "Oh, I will," promised Kairi, hurrying away. "Do you realize what you just said?" a horrified Alice asked her parents. But Eris and Xemnas had a plan. "Of course. We said *if*," answered the evil goddess of chaos. "Ohhh...*if*," Alice repeated. Minnie giggled.

Kairi went up to her room in the attic and found an old dress in a trunk. "It was my mother's," she told Prince Louie, Young Baloo, Young Bagheera, Young Shere Khan, Young Hathi, and Young Winifred, as she twirled around.

"It's a little old-fashioned," admitted Kairi. "But I can fix that." She took out a book and found a picture of another dress. She had just started making plans when she heard a shrill cry. "Kairi!" "My dress will just have to wait," she said patiently. "I'm coming," she called, as she headed down the stairs.

"Now let's see," Kairi's stepmother said, "there's the large carpet in the main hall, clean it! Oh yes, and the tapestries and the draperies---" "But I just finished," Kairi said. "Do them again!" ordered the cruel man. The Stepparents planned to keep Kairi so busy that she would never have time to work on her dress for the ball.

The plan worked. Eris, Xemnas, and their two daughters kept Kairi so busy that the sweet girl didn't have a moment to work on her dress.

"Poor Kairi," a young snake named Young Kaa said to his new friend Baba Looey. "Work, work, work. She'll never get her dress done."

"Hey! We can do it!" exclaimed Winifred. "We can fix the dress for Kairi." Louie, Baloo, Bagheera, Shere Khan, and Hathi thought it was a wonderful idea.

Kaa and Baba Looey scurried to find some new trimmings for the dress. Minnie and Alice were throwing things away. "I wouldn't be caught dead in that sash," Minnie said, while Alice kicked aside her old beads. So the young snake and the donkey scooped up the discarded items.

Kaa and Baba Looey had to sneak past Buster the dog. It wasn't easy, but they did it! Louie, Baloo, Bagheera, Shere Khan, Hathi, and Winifred were proud of Kaa and Baba Looey. Louie, Baloo, Bagheera, Shere Khan, Hathi, and Winifred began to work on Kairi's dress.

Louie, Baloo, Bagheera, Shere Khan, Hathi, Winifred, Augie Doggie, Boo Boo Bear, Pixie, Dixie, and Ding-A-Ling Wolf measured and cut and sewed. They all sang as they worked. They couldn't wait to surprise their friend Kairi. But would they finish in time!

Soon it was eight o'clock. "The carriage is here," Kairi told her stepparents. "Why Kairi, you're not ready," said her stepmother, sounding surprised. "Aren't you going, child?" "No, I'm not going," Kairi hadn't had a chance to work on her dress all day. "There will be other balls," her stepfather told her smugly, knowing that he and Eris had kept Kairi from going to this one.

Kairi told herself the ball would be frightfully dull, but in her heart she knew it would be completely wonderful. Slowly, Kairi walked up the stairs to her attic room. When she entered her room, she couldn't believe her eyes. "Surprise! Surprise!" shouted Louie, Baloo, Bagheera, Shere Khan, Hathi, Winifred, Augie Doggie, Boo Boo Bear, Pixie, Dixie, and Ding-A-Ling Wolf. "*¡Feliz cumpleaños!*" cried a confused Baba Looey.

Louie, Baloo, Bagheera, Shere Khan, Hathi, Winifred, Augie Doggie, Boo Boo Bear, Pixie, Dixie, and Ding-A-Ling Wolf had finished her dress. She could now go to the ball! "Oh, how can I ever---oh, thank you so much," the delighted girl cried.

Kairi dressed quickly and raced down the stairs calling, "Wait! Please! Wait for me!" Eris and Xemnas were shocked. Now they would have to let Kairi go to the ball---or would they? "Those beads, they give it just the right touch," the Stepfather observed. "Don't you think so, Alice?" the Stepmother asked one of her daughters. Alice saw that Kairi was wearing her old beads. "Thief!" Alice cried. Then Minnie noticed her old sash.

The two girls tore at Kairi's dress. By the time they were finished, the dress was in rags and Kairi was in tears. "Good night," the Stepparents said, as they left for the ball with their horrible daughters.

Kairi ran outside to the garden. Louie, Baloo, Bagheera, Shere Khan, Hathi, and Winifred felt terrible, but there was nothing they could do to help their poor Kairi.

It seemed as if her dreams would never come true. "It's just no use. There's nothing left to believe in," Kairi sobbed.

"Nothing?" asked a voice. "Now you don't mean that. If you'd lost all your faith, I couldn't be here, and here I am." It was Kairi's fairy godmother, a French maid named Belle, and she was going to help Kairi go to the ball.

With a wave of her wand and a few magic words... ...a pumpkin became an elegant coach... ...a young snake, a tiger cub, a puppy, and a donkey were changed into four horses... ...a saber-toothed tiger was turned into a coachman... ...and Snoopy the beagle became the footman. Belle was pleased. "Well, hop in, my dear, we can't waste time." But Kairi wasn't quite ready. "Don't you think my dress," she began.

Belle looked at Kairi. "Goodness! You can't go to the ball in that!" She waved her wand one last time, and Kairi was wearing a beautiful ball gown. Kairi loved her dress. "And look--glass slippers. Why, it's like a dream--a beautiful dream come true." Then Belle told her that like all dreams, this one would end. The spell would be broken at midnight.

Kairi was very happy as she rode to the ball. But at the castle, the King and Queen were not so happy. Their young friend, Prince Ventus, hadn't fallen in love yet. Professor Elm told the King and Queen that falling in love at the ball would be like a fairy tale--and it would never happen!

Just then Kairi arrived at the ball. When Ventus saw her, he asked her to dance.

The King, the Queen, and Professor Elm were amazed as they watched the couple dance. It looked as if Ventus was falling in love with Kairi! Alice and Minnie were very jealous of the new girl. Their parents thought there was something familiar about her, though.

Kairi didn't notice them. She didn't know that the handsome Keyblade Bearer she was dancing with was Ventus. But she did know that she was falling in love!

The couple went for a walk. They laughed and talked. Time seemed to fly by--and all too soon, Kairi noticed it was almost midnight. "I have to go!" she apologized, and she hurried away.

Ventus didn't even know her name. "Wait!" he called. But Kairi couldn't wait. As she rushed down the steps of the castle, she lost one of her glass slippers. Still, she didn't stop.

Ventus told Professor Elm he would marry the maiden whose foot fit the slipper. She was the girl of his dreams. Meanwhile, Kairi was sitting by the side of the road. Everything had been changed back. But Kairi still had a glass slipper--and memories of a magical night.

It wasn't long before everyone knew Ventus was looking for his mystery maiden. Professor Elm was going from house to house to find her. The news made Kairi happy--too happy for the Stepparents' liking.

So the Stepparents locked Kairi in her attic room. "You can't keep me in here. Please," sobbed Kairi. The Stepmother put the key in her pocket. Kaa and Baba Looey wanted to help. They took the key from the Stepmother.

The brave young snake and the brave donkey worked hard to bring the key up to Kairi. But would they reach her in time!

By now Professor Elm and Brock had arrived at Minnie's house.

Alice tried on the slipper. When it didn't fit, she blamed poor Brock! "Get away from me!" she shouted. The slipper didn't fit Minnie, either. "Are there any other ladies of the house?" Profesor Elm asked. "There is no one else," replied Eris.

Just then they heard Kairi calling. "Your Grace! Your Grace!" The young snake and the donkey had freed Kairi! The jealous stepparents didn't want to let Kairi try on the slipper, so they tripped up Brock, and the slipper broke! Luckily, Kairi had her other slipper in her pocket. Professor Elm was delighted.

And so was Ventus. He had found the girl of his dreams. But no one was happier than Kairi. All of her dreams had come true. Kairi and Ventus lived happily ever after.

The End