The grandmother turned out the light and slowly left the dark room. Then suddenly a burst of energy came from the child's bed. "Grandma, Grandma I can't sleep." "Shh child. If you don't sleep Santa Claus won't come." "But I can't sleep." "Well now what are we to do." "I know" shouted the little girl as she bounced up and down on her bed. "Tell me a story, tell me a story." "O.K. if you think it will help you get to sleep." Grandma sat down in her chair next to the bed and began. "Once upon a t..." "No, no" interrupted the little black head peeking out from under the covers. "Tell me a new story. Tell me a story like one I have never heard. I don't want the three bears or Goldilocks. Tell me the greatest story you can tell." The grandmother leaned back in her chair and put her hand to her mouth. "Now that could be difficult." "Try grandma, try." "How about a story about a princess." "Yea, yea!".

"Once upon a time there was a little girl. In a lot of ways she was just like any other little girl." "Did she have curly hair?" "Oh, yes she had curly black hair just like yours. Even though she was just like every other girl she was different. She was a princess. Her father was the king of all of Egypt. They called him the Pharaoh. Being a princess was nice. There were always people around to tell you where your toys are and you can always ride your pony if you want." "She had a pony!?" "Oh yes! Princesses have ponys, and horses even.

"But being a princess wasn't all fun. Sometimes she had to dress up in stiff dresses and sit around like a perfect little lady while the adults talked about boring things. But what was worst of all princesses are not allowed to go out of the castle and just play with the kids on the street. Sometimes this princess would just sit at her window and look at the other kids laughing and running in the streets. She was lonely. She was so lonely that every night she would pick a star and wish on it. She would wish that she could have a brother or a sister to play with. One night she was really really lonely and she went to her window to wish on a star and you know what?" "What?" whispered the girl. "When she looked out she saw the brightest star she had ever seen in the east. It was so bright it made the moon look dull. And so that night she wished upon that star."

"What happened grandma? Did she get her wish?" "Well it took a while but her wish came true. But one day not long after a mother and a father came into town and they had a little baby boy with them. The little boy was a prince of sorts because he would grow up to be a King. Well no princes or Kings came to Egypt without being the guests of the Pharaoh. So they came to stay at the castle while they were in Egypt. When the little princess saw them she was a little surprised. They didn't look at all like princes and princesses. They looked like everyday people. They dressed in everyday clothes just like the people she saw out of her window. They weren't at all like the people that came to see her daddy in the court. But she knew right away that this baby prince was the friend she had been wishing for. So she helped his mother take care of him.

"At first he wasn't a lot of fun he just cried and stuff like all babies do. But as he got older the princess taught him all kinds of games and they had lots of fun. She would let him ride her pony and they would play hide and seek and she would teach him things just like he was a little brother. She wasn't lonely any more. But then one day he had to leave and she was sad, but she was older now and could understand. He was a prince and he was going to be a king. So he and his parents had to leave and go to another land so that when he grew up he could be the King of the Jews.

"Do you know who that little prince was who was the princess's friend?" "No, who was it?" "It was Jesus. And now if you are ever lonely and want a friend all you have to do is wish and Jesus will be your friend just like he was the little princess's. Now you go to bed." "That was a good story grandma. Good night."