Fairy tale · Independence · Humor
The Princess Who Refused the Tower
The tower is booked. She isn't going.
- Age range
- Ages 5-9
- Reading time
- 7 minutes
- Category
- Fairy tales
What happens
A curse requires a princess to be locked in a tower until rescued. She reads the terms, spots a loophole about who counts as a rescuer, and proceeds to rescue herself while a very confused dragon takes notes.
Read the opening
Listen to this story
The letter arrived on a Tuesday, sealed with wax and smelling faintly of smoke. YOU ARE REQUIRED, it said, TO ATTEND THE NORTH TOWER UNTIL SUCH TIME AS YOU ARE RESCUED.
Beneath that, in smaller writing: rescuer to be of noble character, arriving on horseback, etc., etc.
Alva read the small writing four times. "It doesn't say," she said slowly, "that the rescuer can't be me."
The rest of the story is written around your child — their name, their age, and the hero they describe.
What if your child were the hero?
Make This Story About My ChildFree, about 20 seconds, no card needed — this same adventure, starring them.
Imagine your child in this story
Type a first name. Imagiverse writes, illustrates and narrates the whole story in about a minute — free, no card needed.
Why this one is worth your time
- Subverts the passive-princess pattern without lecturing about it.
- Reading closely is the hero's superpower — a nice model for children learning to read carefully.
- Comic dragon keeps it light for younger listeners.
Talk about it afterward
- What loophole did Alva find? Can you say it in your own words?
- When have you solved something adults expected someone else to solve?
What if your child were the hero?