Wendyrella Read Along

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

Wendy was always busy cooking, cleaning, and serving her stepmother, Queen Grimhilde; her stepfather, Captain Hook; and her stepsisters, Princess Odette and Giselle. One day while Wendy 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, Chef Louis. He handed Wendy a letter.

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

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

Wendy went up to her room in the attic and found an old dress in a trunk. "It was my mother's," she told the Hundred Acre Wood Toys, as she twirled around.

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

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

"Poor Wendy," a rabbit named Skippy said to his new friend Piglet. "Work, work, work. She'll never get her dress done."

"Hey! We can do it!" exclaimed one of the Hundred Acre Wood Toys. "We can fix the dress for Wendy." All the other Hundred Acre Wood Toys thought it was a wonderful idea.

Skippy and Piglet scurried to find some new trimmings for the dress. Giselle and Odette were throwing things away. "I wouldn't be caught dead in that sash," Giselle said, while Odette kicked aside her old beads. So the rabbit and the pig scooped up the discarded items.

Skippy and Piglet had to sneak past Shere Khan the tiger. It wasn't easy, but they did it! The Hundred Acre Wood Toys were proud of Skippy and Piglet. All of the Hundred Acre Wood Toys began to work on Wendy's dress.

The Hundred Acre Wood Toys and the Flying Type Pokémon measured and cut and sewed. They all sang as they worked. They couldn't wait to surprise their friend Wendy. But would they finish in time!

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

Wendy told herself the ball would be frightfully dull, but in her heart she knew it would be completely wonderful. Slowly, Wendy walked up the stairs to her attic room. When she entered her room, she couldn't believe her eyes. "Surprise! Surprise!" shouted the Hundred Acre Wood Toys and the Flying Type Pokémon. "Happy birthday!" cried a confused Piglet.

The Hundred Acre Wood Toys and the Flying Type Pokémon 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.

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

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

Wendy ran outside to the garden. The Hundred Acre Wood Toys felt terrible, but there was nothing they could do to help their poor Wendy.

It seemed as if her dreams would never come true. "It's just no use. There's nothing left to believe in," Wendy 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 Wendy's fairy godmother, an Alicorn named Princess Luna, and she was going to help Wendy go to the ball.

With a wave of her wand and a few magic words... ...a pumpkin became an elegant coach... ...a rabbit, a tiger, a bear, and a pig were changed into four horses... ...a horse was turned into a coachman... ...and Simba the lion became the footman. Luna was pleased. "Well, hop in, my dear, we can't waste time." But Wendy wasn't quite ready. "Don't you think my dress," she began.

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

Wendy was very happy as she rode to the ball. But at the castle, the King and Queen were not so happy. Their nephew, Prince Peter Pan, hadn't fallen in love yet. Sir Grimsby 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 Wendy arrived at the ball. When Peter saw her, he asked her to dance.

The King, the Queen, and Grimsby were amazed as they watched the couple dance. It looked as if Peter was falling in love with Wendy! Odette and Giselle were very jealous of the new girl. Their parents thought there was something familiar about her, though.

Wendy didn't notice them. She didn't know that the handsome flying boy she was dancing with was Peter. 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, Wendy noticed it was almost midnight. "I have to go!" she apologized, and she hurried away.

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

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

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

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

The brave rabbit and the brave pig worked hard to bring the key up to Wendy. But would they reach her in time!

By now Grimsby and Louis had arrived at Wendy's house.

Odette tried on the slipper. When it didn't fit, she blamed poor Louis! "Get away from me!" she shouted. The slipper didn't fit Giselle, either. "Are there any other ladies of the house?" Grimsby asked. "There is no one else," replied Grimhilde.

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

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

The End