I have not publicly declared myself to be a true princess. I simply feel everything, and believe me, that is not easy.

I know that the prince has become dangerously dispirited. He has been looking for me, but I have avoided public places. I have not gone anywhere I might be seen.

But the time has come to make myself known, and so I will go out into the storm. I will go to the palace and knock on the gate. Of course, I will not be recognized, but I must go anyway. It is not a good time, but it is time.

The True Princess in How to Tell a True Princess, Yellow Fairy Book. Illustration by Kay Nielsen.