Author(s): Babette Cole

Junior Fiction 5-9-year-olds

Eric the giant comes to Princess Smartypants' door, having mysteriously found items of male clothing. Princess Smartypants recognises them as property of the princes, and sets off to the fairytale land, to see what the princesses can tell them. Cinderella, Snow White and Rapunzel are in tears because their fiances (the princes) have all disappeared. Princess Smartypants asks the three princesses where they last saw their men, and she works out where to go next. She and Eric find that the princes have been kidnapped by a fierce troll and are being made to work the troll bridge. Princess Smartypants says she will swap the giant for the princes as he is a more effective worker. But, of course, she intends no such thing. The troll agrees and puts the princes on one end of the bridge, ready to make the crossing. At the pivotal moment, Eric jumps on his end of the bridge and the other side is flung up (like a seesaw). The princes are flung into the air back to Princess Smartypants' side. She grabs them and hurls them to safety. Eric jumps again, and the troll goes flying ...flying ...flying ...never to be seen again.