Can't Complain         page 5

        Nicolas entered. He bowed and said. “Good afternoon, Your Majesty.” Mei Mei curtsied and said. “Princess, how do you do?”

Princess Jei Jei replied that she had no cause for complaint but if she had she would know exactly where to take it.

Although the cottage did not have a Complaining Room, Mei Mei did not miss it. Up to her knees in mud, she was as happy as a pig, and had no reason to complain.

Prince Nicolas soon gave up his turn to be Prince. He even changed his name. His official title was now: Nicolas, formerly known as Prince. In time, Prince Daniel became an excellent King. Queen Jei Jei was regal.

Mei Mei and Nicolas, formerly known as Prince, were content to pull weeds and plant seeds and hoe row upon row encouraging tender shoots to grow. Never was heard a discourteous word. As she stooped to set shoots of green rice in rows, Mei Mei loved to feel the mud squish between her toes.

On warm summer evenings, Nicolas formerly known as Prince, would gaze across the rice paddy that he and Mei Mei had planted. On his guitar, he would pick out a chord. Gentle rain would come down from heaven as the sun dipped behind the hills. In the twilight, Nicolas, formerly known as Prince, would begin to play as if he could actually make purple rain drift across the ripening rice.

When darkness fell, the applause from the frogs was deafening.

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