Safia opened her eyes and stretched.
"Today, I will be a princess."
She informed her parents of the decision.
They were mostly supportive.
"What would you like for breakfast, Princess Safia?" asked her mother.
Safia thought very hard.
"What would a princess eat for breakfast?"
"I think princesses eat very healthy because they have to grow big and strong," said her father.
"I know just the thing," said Mother.
"A bowl of fruit and some whole grain waffles with just a bit of syrup to keep your majesty sweet."
When breakfast came, Safia's father pulled out her chair.
She sat at the table and began shovelling food into her mouth.
"Tsk, tsk," said her mother.
"If you're a princess, you have to eat like one.
Sit up straight, use your fork and spoon and keep your elbows off the table."
"And eat slowly," reminded her father.
Safia nodded and picked up her fork.
"Being a princess is hard work," she thought.
After breakfast, Princess Safia wanted to play outside.
"Of course, Princess Safia," said her father.
"But don't get your clothes dirty. Princesses never have stains on their clothes."
Safia played outside for awhile, but she grew weary of avoiding puddles and dirt and soon came back in.
"Being a princess is hard work," thought Safia.
After lunch, Safia performed some "royal" duties and then announced her afternoon itinerary.
"I am having a ball," she informed her parents.
"I will need a beautiful new ball gown. And the ballroom will need to be decorated with balloons and streamers.
The theme of the ball is pink."
Mother and Father looked at each other.
"Princesses always use their manners," said her father.
"Please," said Safia.
"Well," said Mother, "you have been pretty good. I think a ball might be in order."
While Father went to get supplies, Safia and Mother looked in the attic for the perfect ball gown.
"I found it," said Mother.
It was pink and lacy and Safia thought it was just perfect.
"I will be the belle of the ball in this," she said as she put it on.
Then her mother pulled out something else - a crown!
"What a beautiful princess you are, Safia," said her mother.
Soon, the neighborhood kids began to arrive, each dressed in their finest attire.
"Princesses have to be nice to everyone and make sure everyone is getting along," reminded her father.
Princess Safia wanted to spend all of her time with her best friend, Madeleine, but because she was a princess, she talked to everyone.
And when Mother brought out punch and cake, instead of being first in line, Safia helped serve her friends because Mother told her that the best princesses put their subjects' needs before their own.
Finally, after all of her friends had a slice of cake, Safia had one too.
It was strawberry flavored, with pink frosting, and it was delicious.
After cake, Safia wanted to play freeze dance, but her friends wanted to play hide and seek.
"Princesses always listen to what their subjects want," said the father, so Princess Safia played hide and seek with her friends instead of freeze dance.
"Being a princess is hard work," thought Safia.
Pretty soon, it was dark and time for her friends to go home.
Princess Safia thanked all of them for coming, because princesses should be always grateful when their friends come to visit.
After the last child left, it was time for Princess Safia to get ready for bed.
She put on her most stately pajamas and brushed her teeth.
"Can't I stay up a little bit later?" she asked. "I am a princess."
"Princesses have to get a lot of rest," said Mother, "so they can be ready for the morning."
"Being a princess is hard work," said Safia.
"Try being a princess' mother," her mother replied.
