Lilorella Read Along

Narrator: This is the story of Lilorella. 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 Lilo Pelekai. When she was a child, her mother, Chel, died. Her father, Tulio, found a new wife who had two daughters a few years older than Lilo. But after Lilo's father died, the Stepmother found a new husband. They were very cold and cruel to Lilo. The kind girl was forced to work as a servant in her own house. Still, Lilo was always cheerful. Sure that one day her dreams of happiness would come true, she started each day with a song.

Lilo was always busy cooking, cleaning, and serving her stepmother, Queen Gnorga; her stepfather, Captain Gantu; and her stepsisters, Queen Lahwhinie and Moana. One day while Lilo 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, Huckleberry Hound. He handed Lilo a letter.

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

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

Lilo went up to her room in the attic and found an old dress in a trunk. "It was my mother's," she told Monterey Jack, Zipper, Alvin, Brittany, Theodore, and Eleanor, as she twirled around.

"It's a little old-fashioned," admitted Lilo. "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. "Lilo!" "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," Lilo'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," Lilo said. "Do them again!" ordered the cruel shark-headed alien. The Stepparents planned to keep Lilo so busy that she would never have time to work on her dress for the ball.

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

"Poor Lilo," a chipmunk named Chip said to his new friend Dale "Work, work, work. She'll never get her dress done."

"Hey! We can do it!" exclaimed Brittany. "We can fix the dress for Lilo." Monterey Jack, Zipper, Alvin, Theodore, and Eleanor thought it was a wonderful idea.

Chip and Dale scurried to find some new trimmings for the dress. Moana and Lahwhinie were throwing things away. "I wouldn't be caught dead in that sash," Moana said, while Lahwhinie kicked aside her old beads. So the two chipmunks scooped up the discarded items.

Chip and Dale had to sneak past Fat Cat. It wasn't easy, but they did it! Monterey Jack, Zipper, Alvin, Brittany, Theodore, and Eleanor were proud of Chip and Dale. Monterey Jack, Zipper, Alvin, Brittany, Theodore, and Eleanor began to work on Lilo's dress.

Monterey Jack, Zipper, Alvin, Brittany, Theodore, Eleanor, Top Cat, Spook, Fancy-Fancy, Brain, Benny the Ball, and Choo-Choo measured and cut and sewed. They all sang as they worked. They couldn't wait to surprise their friend Lilo. But would they finish in time!

Soon it was eight o'clock. "The carriage is here," Lilo told her stepparents. "Why Lilo, you're not ready," said her stepmother, sounding surprised. "Aren't you going, child?" "No, I'm not going," Lilo 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 Gnorga had kept Lilo from going to this one.

Lilo told herself the ball would be frightfully dull, but in her heart she knew it would be completely wonderful. Slowly, Lilo walked up the stairs to her attic room. When she entered her room, she couldn't believe her eyes. "Surprise! Surprise!" shouted Monterey Jack, Zipper, Alvin, Brittany, Theodore, Eleanor, Top Cat, Spook, Fancy-Fancy, Brain, Benny the Ball, and Choo-Choo. "Happy birthday!" cried a confused Dale.

Monterey Jack, Zipper, Alvin, Brittany, Theodore, Eleanor, Top Cat, Spook, Fancy-Fancy, Brain, Benny the Ball, and Choo-Choo 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.

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

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

Lilo ran outside to the garden. Monterey Jack, Zipper, Alvin, Brittany, Theodore, and Eleanor felt terrible, but there was nothing they could do to help their poor Lilo.

It seemed as if her dreams would never come true. "It's just no use. There's nothing left to believe in," Lilo 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 Lilo's fairy godmother, a princess Aurora, and she was going to help Lilo go to the ball.

With a wave of her wand and a few magic words... ...a pumpkin became an elegant coach... ...a four chipmunks were changed into four horses... ...an elephant was turned into a coachman... ...and Spike the dog became the footman. Aurora was pleased. "Well, hop in, my dear, we can't waste time." But Lilo wasn't quite ready. "Don't you think my dress," she began.

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

Lilo was very happy as she rode to the ball. But at the castle, the King and Queen were not so happy. Their nephew, Prince Experiment 626 - AKA, Stitch - hadn't fallen in love yet. Snagglepuss 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 Lilo arrived at the ball. When Stitch saw her, he asked her to dance.

The King, the Queen, and Snagglepuss were amazed as they watched the couple dance. It looked as if Fievel was falling in love with Lilo! Lahwhinie and Moana were very jealous of the new girl. Their parents thought there was something familiar about her, though.

Lilo didn't notice them. She didn't know that the handsome blue experiment she was dancing with was Stitch. 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, Lilo noticed it was almost midnight. "I have to go!" she apologized, and she hurried away.

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

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

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

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

The two brave chipmunks worked hard to bring the key up to Lilo. But would they reach her in time!

By now Snagglepuss and Huckleberry had arrived at Lilo's house.

Lahwhinie tried on the slipper. When it didn't fit, she blamed poor Huckleberry! "Get away from me!" she shouted. The slipper didn't fit Moana, either. "Are there any other ladies of the house?" Snagglepuss asked. "There is no one else," replied Gnorga.

Just then they heard Lilo calling. "Your Grace! Your Grace!" The chipmunks had freed Lilo! The jealous stepparents didn't want to let Lilo try on the slipper, so they tripped up Huckleberry, and the slipper broke! Luckily, Lilo had her other slipper in her pocket. Snagglepuss was delighted.

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

The End