Once upon a time, a king had a son named Prince Wicked. He was harsh and mean, always talking rudely or hitting everyone. Both inside and outside the palace, he was like a speck of dust in everyone's eye.
The people whispered to each other, “If he behaves this way as a prince, what will he do when he becomes king?”
One day, while the prince was swimming in the river, a big storm came. The sky turned dark. In the gloom, the servants who were with the prince swam away from him. They thought, “Let's leave him alone in the river. Maybe he will get swept away by the water.”
When they reached the shore, the other servants asked, “Where is Prince Wicked?” The ones from the river shrugged, saying they didn't know. They thought maybe he had already come ashore and gone home.
The king, not finding his son in the palace, asked about him. The servants explained about the storm and how they had lost sight of the prince. The king immediately had the palace gates opened, and all his people started looking for the prince along the river, but they couldn't find him.
The prince, in the meantime, was carried away by the river's current. Scared, he clung to a floating log. During the storm, a Rat and a Snake were also forced out of their homes on the river bank. They too found the same log and climbed onto it. A young Parrot, whose tree had been uprooted by the storm, also found refuge on the log. So there they were, four of them on a log, drifting down the river.
On the river's bank, a kind man lived in a small hut. During the storm, he heard the prince's loud cries. He thought, “I must help that person. I must save his life.” So he swam towards the log, pushed it to the shore, and saved everyone.
At his hut, he built a fire and took care of the animals first, then the prince. This made the prince upset because he thought he should have been taken care of first.
After the storm was over, they all said goodbye to the kind man. The Snake told the man where he could find a hidden treasure of gold. The Rat offered him hidden money. The Parrot promised to gather the choicest rice for him. Lastly, the prince promised to give him great riches when he became king.
After some time, Prince Wicked became the king. He was very rich now. One day, the kind man decided to see if they all would keep their promises. He visited the Snake, the Rat, and the Parrot, and they all happily kept their promises.
Finally, the man went to the city to meet the king. The king, seeing him, thought, “This man has come to ask for the riches I promised him. I must get rid of him before he tells the people that he saved my life.”
So the king ordered his servants to seize the kind man, take him out of the city, and banish him forever. As the man was being marched out, he kept repeating, “It's better to save weak animals than a prince.”
Hearing this, some wise people asked him about the prince he had saved. The kind man told them his story, and the people became angry at the king's unfairness. They decided they couldn't trust a king who could treat his savior so poorly. So, they drove him out from the city and made the kind man their new king.
One day, the king invited the Snake, the Rat, and the Parrot to the palace, and they all gladly came. The king had his servants dig up the gold and collect the money. He made a lovely gold tube for the Snake to live in, a clear glass box for the Rat's home, and a shiny golden cage for the Parrot. They all got their favorite food every day.
From then on, they all lived happily together. The new king was kind and fair, always putting the needs of his people before his own. The animals were always there to lend a hand, remembering how the king had saved them.
Once upon a splendiferous time, in a castle that had more rooms than you could count on your fingers and toes—even if you counted twice—lived Prince Wicked. And, oh boy, he was a real piece of work. Imagine someone who not only steals the last piece of cake at a birthday party but also smushes it in your face. Yeah, that’s our prince for ya!
Around the town, folks whispered like leaves in the wind. "If he’s so nutty now, can you even imagine him as king? Will he replace storytime with chores and outlaw ice cream?”
On one particular day, which started out as awesome as a Saturday morning cartoon, Prince Wicked decided to go swimming in the river. He was splishing and splashing like a dolphin with a sugar rush when—KABOOM!—a storm arrived like an uninvited party guest. The sky went all dark and spooky, like a closet you don’t want to check for monsters.
His royal helpers, who were also in the river, thought, "Aha! This is the golden ticket, lads. Time to swim away from Sir Grumpy-Gills." And, whoosh! They darted off like fish escaping a net.
Back at the castle, the king, who was as worried as a dad waiting for finger paintings to dry, asked, "Where is my darling little Prince... uhm, Wicked?”
The helpers scratched their heads and said, "We sorta kinda lost him when the sky threw a tantrum.” Immediately, the whole castle turned into an episode of "Where’s Wally?" but with less stripey shirts and more frowns.
Meanwhile, Prince Wicked found himself white-water rafting without the raft. He clung to a drifting log like it was a life-sized candy bar. But soon, he had company! A Rat, a Snake, and a Parrot also scrambled onto the log. All of them had been kicked out of their cozy homes by the temperamental storm.
"Hey, is this log a party bus or what?" squawked the Parrot, ruffling his feathers.
"As long as it’s not a sinking ship, I'm good," hissed the Snake, coiling around the log.
Nearby, in a charming little hut by the river, lived a man so kind, he’d help a squirrel cross the road. He heard the collective cries and yelps and splashed into the river like a superhero without a cape. He pushed the log ashore and saved the day!
In his warm and cozy hut, the kind man gave snacks to the animals first. Prince Wicked’s face turned redder than a cherry lollipop. "I can't believe this! I'm a prince, you know! Princes go first!"
The kind man chuckled. "Sometimes, it’s not about the crown, but about the heart.”
After some chit-chat and towel-drying, it was time for goodbyes and pinky promises. The Snake hinted at a treasure chest filled with bling, the Rat mentioned a secret stash of glittering coins, and the Parrot squawked about a whole field of the best birdseed ever. Prince Wicked grandly announced, "When I become king, you’ll be richer than a pirate!”
Fast-forward a bit and Prince Wicked now wore the big crown, becoming King Moody-Boots. The kind man thought, "Time to see if these folks keep their word." The Snake, Rat, and Parrot? Gold stars for them—they remembered their promises. But King Moody-Boots? He acted like he never met the man and tried to shoo him away.
The kind man, being led away, shouted, “Always remember, it’s way cooler to be friends with nice animals than with a stinky prince!”
People in the town heard this and were angrier than a hornet at a picnic. They kicked King Moody-Boots out faster than you could say ‘not fair!’ and they crowned the kind man their brand-new, super-duper king.
Soon after, it was reunion time! The Snake got a tunnel so shiny you'd think it was made of diamonds, the Rat got a little house as clear as a soap bubble, and the Parrot got a cage so golden it would make the sun jealous. And they all feasted on their favorite yummies each day.
From then on, they lived happier than a puppy with two tails, played nicer than best friends at a playground, and there was never a grumble about doing chores or eating veggies. Most importantly, storytime and ice cream were never ever outlawed.
In a realm of old, Prince Wicked wore
A crown of cruelty, myth and lore.
"What will he do as king?" folks feared,
As he vanished one day, just as they'd reared.
A storm had come, the servants fled,
Leaving the prince for river's bed.
A kind man saved him, Rat, and Snake,
And Parrot too, from the river's wake.
In a humble hut, they warmed by fire,
Learning of kindness, lifting them higher.
Promises made of treasures grand,
When skies were clear upon the land.
Years flew by, the Prince now King,
Rich yet rotten, a worrisome thing.
Kind man returned to claim his prize,
From Snake, from Rat, and Parrot's skies.
Each kept their word, so pure and fair,
But the King’s own promise turned to air.
"Banish him," said the King, in haste,
Worried that truth would go to waste.
But the man’s last words rang true and wide,
“Better to save beasts than let evil bide.”
The townspeople heard and chose to act,
Driving out the King, a justice-packed act.
Kind man was king, a twist of fate,
In his reign, love overtook hate.
Snake, Rat, and Parrot in palace dwell,
In golden homes, where kindness could gel.
Together they thrived, in peace, in grace,
A kingdom transformed, a loving place.
A lesson learned for each and all,
It's love and truth that make evil fall.
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