The Princess of Merrylandia
by Sally Jennings
Once upon a time,
long, long, ago,
in the country of Merrylandia,
there lived a princess.
The princess was named Bloombia.
Princess Bloombia did not like her name.
Bloombia wanted to be named
Ann Marie Bonnie Sue,
not Bloombia.
In fact, the last name on earth she wanted
was Bloombia.
Bloombia's father, King Merrill,
and Bloombia's mother, Queen Merribeth,
liked the name Bloombia.
"We named you Bloombia," they said,
"and Bloombia is what you will be called."
Bloombia was unhappy.
Bloombia felt like Ann Marie Bonnie Sue all over.
She looked at her face in the mirror.
Her face looked to her like a girl named Ann,
not a girl named Bloombia.
She looked at her ears.
Her ears were hard to see in one mirror,
so she used two.
Her ears looked to her like a girl named Marie,
not a girl named Bloombia.
She looked at her knees.
They looked to her like a girl named Bonnie,
not a girl named Bloombia.
She looked down at her toes.
They looked to her like a girl named Sue,
not a girl named Bloombia.
From her head to her toes,
Bloombia felt like Ann Marie Bonnie Sue.
What could she do?
She thought about her problem
when she was eating her breakfast porridge.
She looked at herself in her spoon
and saw Ann Marie Bonnie Sue.
She thought about her problem
when she played on the castle bridge
throwing stones into the moat.
She looked at herself in the water
and saw Ann Marie Bonnie Sue.
She thought about her problem
when she played hide and seek
in the hall of mirrors.
She looked at herself in the mirror walls
and saw Ann Marie Bonnie Sue.
What could she do?
What could she do,
about not being named
Ann Marie Bonnie Sue?
She asked everyone she knew
to call her Ann Marie Bonnie Sue.
"I can't, Bloombia,"
said her best friend Megan.
"My mom says your parents,
the King and Queen,
would be angry."
"I can't, Bloombia,"
said the baker in the castle kitchen,
"I want to keep this job,
not get fired."
"I can't, Bloombia,"
said her sewing teacher,
"I have to call you what you are named,
it's the law here in Merrylandia.
His Royal Highness,
your Daddy, the King,
said so."
When Bloombia asked her nanny to call her
Ann Marie Bonnie Sue,
her nanny said "No, that will never do.
You're named Bloombia,
NOT Ann Marie Bonnie Sue."
Poor Bloombia
What could she do?
What could she do
about not being named
Ann Marie Bonnie Sue?
One day, her father, King Merrill,
announced a talent contest.
Anyone in the whole kingdom could enter the contest.
Many prizes would be given out,
to many winners.
Bloombia made a plan.
She practiced singing a song she wrote.
She practiced dancing a dance she made up.
She made a big sign.
On the day of the contest,
Bloombia dressed all in blue.
She tied a ribbon in her hair.
It was blue.
She wore a long gown, with ruffles.
It was blue.
She wore shiny shoes, with bows.
They were blue.
She had a hat, a purse, and a shawl.
All of them were blue.
When it was Bloombia's turn
to perform, she danced her dance.
She sang her song.
She held up her sign.
The song she was singing was
"Please, oh please, call me
Ann Marie Bonnie Sue.
Please, oh please, won't you?"
The dance she was dancing
was the Bloombia Blues.
See, that's why she dressed in blue.
The sign she held up was
"Cheer for Ann Marie Bonnie Sue".
During the song,
people sang along,
but King Merrill frowned.
When she danced,
they clapped,
but Queen Merribeth watched quietly.
When she held her sign up,
the people cheered,
and the King and Queen whispered to each other.
Then the King said,
"Bloombia, I can see you have worked very hard
to make it clear
you want to be called Ann Marie Bonnie Sue."
"Let me ask the people," the King said.
"Cheer for what you want to call her,"
announced the King.
"Should she be Bloombia?"
The people were silent.
"Or Ann Marie Bonnie Sue?"
The people cheered loudly.
So the King announced
"Very well, my daughter,
from now on, you will not be Bloombia,
you will be Ann Marie Bonnie Sue."
The crowd cheered and cheered.
"We love you,
King Merrill."
"We love you,
Queen Merribeth."
"We love you,
Yes, indeed we really do,
Princess Ann Marie Bonnie Sue!"
As for the Princess of Merrylandia,
She was so happy she didn't know what to do,
now she was Princess Ann Marie Bonnie Sue!