Princess Nell and the Bedtime Bell

Princess Nell lived in a small castle on a green hill. It had a moat full of ducks and one tall, thin tower.

Nell did everything at a run. She ran to breakfast. She ran to the bath. She even ran down the stairs, bumpety-bumpety-bump.

“One day,” said her mom, the Queen, “you might try walking.”

“One day,” said Nell, “I might.”

Wherever Nell ran, Butter the goat ran after her. Butter was a small white goat who loved ribbons. Not wearing them. Eating them.

Now, in Nell’s kingdom, nobody went to sleep until the Bedtime Bell was rung. It was a little silver bell, and it hung by the castle door on a long blue ribbon. Every night somebody carried it up the tower and rang it. Then the whole kingdom put out its lamps and went to bed. The farmers did. The ducks did. Even Mabel did. Mabel was the kind giant next door, and she slept in the field with a haystack for a pillow.

“Tonight,” said the Queen, “you may ring the Bedtime Bell.”

Nell was so pleased she ran three times round the table. Butter ran three times round the table too. Then Nell ran to the castle door to fetch the bell.

The hook was empty.

Nell looked out of the window. All over the hills, the lamps were still lit. In the farmhouse, the farmer yawned. In the mill, the miller yawned. In the moat, every duck yawned.

“Don’t worry, everybody!” said Nell. “I’ll find it!”

And off she ran. Behind her ran Butter.

Ting, ting, ting.

* * *

Nell had no time for the bridge. She hopped across the moat on the stepping stones. Hop, hop, splash! The splash went all over the ducks.

“Sorry, ducks!” said Nell.

The ducks shook their feathers. They were too sleepy to mind.

Butter hopped across the stepping stones too.

Ting, ting, ting.

Mabel was sitting in her field with her chin in her hands. She was as tall as a barn. Her pockets were as big as wheelbarrows.

“Mabel!” said Nell. “Have you got the Bedtime Bell?”

“I don’t think so,” said Mabel. “But my pockets are very big. Let’s look.”

Mabel put her hand in one pocket. Out came a turnip. She put her hand in the other pocket. Out came a teacup.

“So that’s where my teacup went!” said Mabel. She was very pleased about the teacup. But there was no bell.

“Never mind,” said Nell. “I’ll find it!”

And off she ran.

Ting, ting, ting, went Butter, behind her.

Mabel looked down at the little white goat. She opened her mouth to say something. Then she yawned instead, and forgot what it was.

* * *

Nell ran back over the stepping stones.

“Sorry again, ducks!” said Nell.

She ran down to the castle kitchen. The cook was stirring the cocoa with both eyes half shut. Nell looked in the bread bin. No bell. She looked in the flour jar. No bell, and now her nose was white. She looked under the biggest pot. No bell at all.

Ting, went Butter, by the kitchen door.

Nell was much too busy to notice.

“Maybe the bell went up the tower by itself,” said Nell. “Maybe it’s waiting for me at the top!”

The tall, thin tower had one hundred and one steps, round and round and round. Nell ran up them. Butter ran up them too.

Ting, ting, ting, all the way up.

By the top, Nell was not running. She was puffing. She sat down on the very top step. There was no bell up here either.

“Oh, Butter,” said Nell. “I have looked everywhere.”

Butter sat down next to her.

Ting.

Nell looked at Butter. Butter looked at Nell.

There, round Butter’s neck, was the Bedtime Bell. It hung on the blue ribbon, all tangled round and round. The ribbon had been long. Now it was short. Butter had eaten half of it.

“Butter!” said Nell. “You had it all the time!”

Butter chewed the end of the ribbon and said nothing. Goats are like that.

Nell laughed so hard she had to hold on to the wall. Then she untangled the bell, stood up tall at the top of the tower, and rang it.

Ting-a-ling! Ting-a-ling! Ting-a-ling!

The sound went out over the moat, over the field, and over all the green hills.

* * *

Down in the farmhouse, the farmer blew out the lamp. Down in the mill, the miller blew out the lamp. One by one, all over the kingdom, the little lights went out. Soon there was only the moon, and the stars, and one lit window in the castle.

In the moat, the ducks tucked their heads under their wings. In the field, Mabel set her teacup on the grass, laid her head on her haystack, and closed her eyes.

Nell tied the bell back round Butter’s neck with what was left of the ribbon. Butter had carried it all the way up. It seemed only fair.

Then Nell went down the stairs. For the very first time, Princess Nell walked. One step, and then another step, all one hundred and one of them.

Butter walked behind her.

Ting, very softly. Ting.

The Queen was waiting at the bottom. “You walked,” she said.

“I’m too sleepy to run,” said Nell.

The Queen carried her to bed and tucked her in. “You rang the bell for the whole kingdom,” said the Queen. “And you found it all by yourself.”

“Butter helped,” said Nell.

Butter lay down at the foot of the bed and ate the very last bit of ribbon. The bell slid off onto the rug.

Ting.

The Queen picked it up and smiled. “Tomorrow,” she said, “we will hang it on a ribbon Butter doesn’t like.”

“There isn’t one,” said Nell, and yawned.

The Queen blew out the lamp in the very last window. The castle on the green hill was quiet under the moon. The ducks were asleep. Mabel was asleep. Butter was asleep.

Nell smiled into her pillow. Then, last of all, Princess Nell went to sleep too. Slowly, for once.