Long ago and far away, in a beautiful castle of gold, the Princess
Velricanina was pondering a very serious, modern problem. Resting her delicate,
pale face in her cupped, white hands, she puzzled over it for hours.
Finally, her maid, Rosette, entered the room under a large stack of folded
blankets. “Aye, don’t trouble that there pretty black ‘ead, Princess.”
“Oh, Rosy!” The Princess sighed. “The kingdom is in turmoil.” She raised her
olive green eyes to look into Rosette’s deep brown ones. “As the Princess, it is
my duty to set the fashion for the people. Yet I have worn every possible
outfit, and my people are even now demanding a new one. I don’t know what to
do!” A single, sparkling tear dropped into the lap of her satin dress. She
blinked, fluttering her long, dark eyelashes.
Rosette dropped the sheets on the bed and unbraided the princess’s hair. She ran
the golden comb through the whole dark length of it. “ ’ave you tried…linen?”
she suggested.
“Yes, every kind of fabric ever invented has been used.”
“Cardboard, then. Or newspaper.”
“Yes, yes,” said Velricanina. “Both of them.”
“ ‘ow about…Paper!”
The Princess lifted her head, a gleam of hope in her large eyes. “Paper!”
The maid, mistaking the exclamation for a question, continued. “Paper. The stuff
made from trees, you know. Good for writing paper, it is, an’ the stuff
newspaper’s printed on. Only try it without ink, that won’t take weeks to wash
off, it won’t.”
“Yes!” The Princess was in ecstasy. “I shall call the Royal Dressmakers
immediately!”
And so, soon the Princess stepped out on her marble balcony clutching in her
dainty hand what would soon become the latest in purses…the paper bag!
They were sold in a variety of colors, and everyone carried them, praising
Velricanina and Rosette ever after for their unending wisdom, creativity, and
resourcefulness.
The End
.