Princess Willow
 
 Chapter Two
 In which Princess Willow and her friends look for Little Tiny Horsey’s true name.
             One bright spring day, Princess Willow was playing in the backyard of her small but beautiful castle where she lived with her mother and father. Princess Willow was showing her little sister, Zoe, how to use chalk to make lovely pictures on the cement that covered part of their backyard. As her little sister grabbed the fat pink chalk in her tiny hands to make a bright line on the cement, Princess Willow heard her mother calling.

 "Princess Willow!" called her mother. "Someone is here to see you! He wants to play with you!"
 Princess Willow leapt up and took her sister’s hand. She led Zoe back into the house to where her mother was waiting. Suddenly, from behind her mother she heard a horse’s whinny! It must be her new friend, Little Tiny Horsey!
 Running up to him, Princess Willow gave Little Tiny Horsey a big hug and said, "Welcome to my house, Little Tiny Horsey! Have you come to play some games with me? I have a lot of toys we can play with!"
 "Hello, Princess Willow," replied Little Tiny Horsey. "I would love to play some games with you. But I also have a problem that I hope you can help me with."
 "Of course," answered Princess Willow. "What’s wrong?"
 "Well," said Little Tiny Horsey, "I am growing up into a big horse now, and it is time for me to find my true name. Everyone calls me Little Tiny Horsey, but now I need a true name that can be my very own. Will you help me find it?"
 "I will certainly help you find your true name, Little Tiny Horsey," replied Princess Willow. "Where should we look?"
 "I think that we should look in the forest and in the town," said Little Tiny Horsey. "Can you ask your mother and father if they will let us go to the forest and to the town to look for my true name?"
 "You may go into the forest and the town to look for Little Tiny Horsey’s name," said Princess Willow’s mother.

 So the two friends prepared to go on their next adventure. As they walked away from the castle, they passed the hill where their friend Madeline the Fairy lived with her family. "Why don’t we see if Madeline the fairy would like to help us look for your true name, Little Tiny Horsey," suggested Princess Willow.
 "That is a very good idea!" answered Little Tiny Horsey. "We are all such good friends that I am sure we will have a lot of fun together on this adventure!"
 So Princess Willow and Little Tiny Horsey walked to where Madeline and the other fairies lived.

 "Madeline!" they called. "Are you here? It’s Princess Willow and Little Tiny Horsey who have come to visit you!"
 Far away, Princess Willow could see a bright purple shape flying towards them. She knew it was Madeline the Fairy!
 "Hello, Princess Willow! Hello Little Tiny Horsey!" called Madeline. "You look like you are ready for another adventure!"
 "Yes," answered Princess Willow. "We going to look for Little Tiny Horsey’s true name in forest and the town. Would you like to help us?"
 "I would love to help you," answered Madeline the Fairy. "We can have a new adventure together. Let’s go find your true name, Little Tiny Horsey," said Madeline.

 The three friends set off across the fields, Princess Willow walking, Little Tiny Horsey trotting, and Madeline the Fairy flying through the air. Soon they came to the big forest. The fairy, the horse and the little girl walked into the forest to look for Little Tiny Horsey’s true name.

 
 
After they had walked for a little while, they came upon a lively little stream flowing through the woods. By its bank, they could see a turtle eating some leaves from the green plants growing out of the water. Little Tiny Horsey stepped towards the turtle to peer down at him.
 "Excuse me, Mister Turtle, but may we ask you a question?" asked Little Tiny Horsey.
 The turtle looked up from his midday meal and tilted his head towards the horse above him. "Of course, my dear," he answered. "How can I help you?"
 "I am Little Tiny Horsey, and it is time for me to find my true name. We are looking for it here in the forest. Have you seen it?"
 The turtle stretched his neck all the way out of his hard shell and looked around for a moment. "Noooo, I can’t say I have," he said, thoughtfully. "But you might want to ask some of the faster creatures in the forest. I am a turtle, and we are very slow. I don’t travel very quickly and I don’t travel very far. Perhaps another creature has seen more than I have."
 "Thank you, Mister Turtle," replied Little Tiny Horsey. "We will ask a faster creature next. Good bye!"
 "Good bye, and good luck," said the turtle, slowly turning back to the bright green leaves he had been eating.
 Princess Willow, Little Tiny Horsey, and Madeline the Fairy continued on through the forest, looking in the underbrush for a fast forest creature to ask about Little Tiny Horsey’s true name. Soon they saw a big brown rabbit hopping across the path.

 "Ms. Rabbit!" called Princess Willow. "We wonder if you can help us?"
 The rabbit stopped suddenly, and sat back on her haunches, small pink nose quivering rapidly. "Yes yes yes? What is it? I am in a hurry, can’t stop and talk for too long. What do you want to ask? What is it?"
 "We are looking for Little Tiny Horsey’s true name. Mister Turtle thought that you might have seen it as you run around the forest so quickly all day," said Princess Willow.
 "No, no. Haven’t seen any names. No names. Not around here that I’ve seen. Try the flying creatures. Try looking in the sky. Nothing here on the ground. Sorry! Sorry! Nothing here. Good bye! Good bye!"
 "Oh!" replied Princess Willow, a bit surprised at just how quickly the rabbit talked. "Well, thank you anyway!" The rabbit hopped away so suddenly that she was gone before the princess had even finished speaking.
 "I will look in the sky," suggested Madeline the Fairy. "Maybe if I fly into the tree-tops I will meet a flying creature like a bird who can tell us about Little Tiny Horsey’s true name."
 "What a good idea," said Princess Willow. "We will wait down here for you."
 So Madeline the Fairy flew up into the tall trees to find a flying creature, and Princess Willow and Little Tiny Horsey sat down on the ground to wait for her and eat the lunch Princess Willow carried in her backpack. They leaned back against some wide tree-trunks so they could watch Madeline the Fairy as she looked among the thick leafy tree-tops. As they watched the sky, thick, dark clouds moved quickly across the blue. Soon, the bright spring sky had turned darker, and rain clouds blocked the sun that had been shining down on them only a few minutes before. Little Tiny Horsey turned to Princess Willow, shaking nervously.
 "Princess Willow, it’s getting dark here in the forest and I’m a little bit scared."
 "Don’t worry, Little Tiny Horsey," said Princess Willow. "It’s just rain clouds. The forest is just the same when it gets dark as it is when the sun is shining. Soon Madeline will return and she can make her magic light for you to help you feel better."
 Princess Willow and Little Tiny Horsey didn’t have to wait long, for soon they saw Madeline’s shiny purple dress and flashing blue wings as she flew down to them from the tree-tops.
 "Hello!" she called and came down to float in front of them. "I spoke to a bird, and she told me that she had not seen your true name, Little Tiny Horsey. I’m sorry."
 "That’s okay, Madeline," answered Little Tiny Horsey. "But what will we do now? It’s beginning to get dark and I’m am getting a little bit scared."
 "Don’t worry, I can make a magic light!" And with that, Madeline held out her hand and closed her eyes. In a moment the bight pink magic light created a soft glow around the three friends, making them feel safe and warm.
 "Come on!" said Princess Willow, jumping to her feet. "Let’s leave the forest before the rain starts. We can go into the town to keep looking for your true name."
 The three adventurers set off along the forest path and before they knew it, they had arrived at the edge of the little town. Suddenly they heard a low rumbling in the sky and it started to rain. Water poured from above them and Princess Willow started to run. Laughing as the warm spring rain made her hair and clothes all wet, Princess Willow headed toward the town with Madeline and Little Tiny Horsey following close behind her.
 Looking for somewhere to get out of the rain, the three friends ducked into a café that looked warm and comfortable. Princess Willow asked for three cups of hot chocolate, and they all sat down to talk and sip the sweet, delicious drinks.

 "Where shall we look for your true name, Little Tiny Horsey?" asked Princess Willow once she had taken a few warming sips of her hot chocolate.
 "I don’t know," answered Little Tiny Horsey. "There are many people here, but who would know my true name."
 
 
"Ahem." A voice sounded behind them. The three friends turned to see who it was.
 "Excuse me," said a man as he stepped up to their table in the café. "I heard you talking about a true name. You are looking for yours?" He turned to look at Little Tiny Horsey.
 "Yes. Have you seen it?" he asked excitedly.
 "I’m sorry, but I have not seen it," said the man. He was tall and looked very wise, with white hair and deep wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. "I am Mr. Tarilan, and I might be able to help you even though I have not seen your true name."
 "Oh, please do help us!" cried Princess Willow. "We have been looking for Little Tiny Horsey’s true name all day, but we have not found it."
 "I think," said Mr. Tarilan, "that you are looking in the wrong places. A true name is not found in the hearts of others, Little Tiny Horsey, but rather in your own heart. It is there that you must look for truth." Mr. Tarilan leaned over and patted Little Tiny Horsey on the head. "I know you will find what you are looking for." Mr. Tarilan winked at the three friends and turned away, disappearing out the café door into the rain.
 "What does he mean, Princess Willow?" asked Little Tiny Horsey. "How do I look into my own heart?"
 "I think," said Princess Willow slowly, "that he means that only you can know your true name. It’s already in your heart, you just have to think carefully and find out what it is."
 "I think I understand," said Little Tiny Horsey. "I have to think about what my name could be, and when I think of one that sounds right to me, then that’s my true name?"
 "Yes," said Madeline. "What name do you think might be yours?"
 "Well, when I learned that it was time for me to have a true name, I thought of many things it might be: Peter, Chamomile, Nasturtium, Ginger. But none of those names sounds quite right to me."
 "How about Fleetfoot, because you run fast?" asked Princess Willow.
 "Or how about Gentleheart, because you are kind and caring," suggested Madeline the Fairy.

 "No, no. None of those names sound like my true name. I need to think carefully. Wait a moment." Little Tiny Horsey closed his eyes and concentrated, just like he had seen Madeline the Fairy do when she was making her magic pink light. Little Tiny Horsey thought and thought and thought, until finally he opened his eyes and turned to Princess Willow and Madeline who were waiting quietly for him to find his true name.
 "I know!" he exclaimed. "It’s Ariel! My true name is Ariel!"
 "How wonderful!" Princess Willow leapt to her feet and clapped her hands with joy, and Madeline the Fairy flew in excited circles around them, laughing and smiling.
 "My name is Ariel," sang Little Tiny Horsey, who now was called Ariel. "A-R-I-E-L! Will you spell my name with me, Princess Willow and Madeline the Fairy?"
 "A-R-I-E-L! A-R-I-E-L! A-R-I-E-L!" the three friends spelled over and over.
 They left the café singing and spelling, "A-R-I-E-L!" and spelled Little Tiny Horsey’s new name all the way home so they could share the wonderful news with their parents. They had finally found the true name of the little horse, not by asking others what it could be, but by looking into their own hearts for the truth. And it was Ariel, A-R-I-E-L! A-R-I-E-L!

 
 Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Chapter Five |
 
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