The Perfectly Proper Prince Read Online Free PDF Page A

flying. It wouldn’t be good to have news of their adventure getting back to the castle…especially if the news reached Gabriella or her parents!
    Following the ringing of church bells and the clanking of blacksmiths’ hammers, the princesses walked toward the middle of town. As they neared the market in the village square, they heard hawkers selling their wares, children shouting, and babies bawling. A cartwheel squealed, and the princesses scrambled out of the way as a peddler’s wagon lurched past.
    Lysandra had only viewed the market from the inside of a carriage before. Now, with the other princesses at her heels, she rushed delightedly from one booth to another, pushing through the crowds to gawk at the variety of goods for sale. There were cages of hissing geese and clucking chickens, and all manner of fresh fruits and vegetables, including plump red strawberries; luscious, ripe peaches; big, juicy tomatoes; and huge purple beets.
    The princesses wandered up one crowded row and down the next, breathing in the smells of freshly baked pastries, dried herbs, and roasting chestnuts. They ran their fingers over well-crafted belts, sweet-scented candles, cloth of many colors, and beautiful leather boots.
    Coming upon a booth selling shiny, redapples, Lysandra couldn’t resist a purchase. She pulled her purse from around her neck and shook out a few gold coins. “Four, please,” she said.
    The merchant took the coins from her hand. “Thank you, miss.” He handed her the apples and Lysandra passed them out to her friends.
    â€œMmm,” said Fatima, taking a bite. “Delicious.”
    â€œHave you ever eaten roasted chestnuts?” asked Tansy, the juice from her apple running down her chin.
    â€œNo,” said Fatima. “We don’t have them where I come from.”
    â€œOh, you must taste them,” said Lysandra, and Elena nodded.
    While they were weaving their way through the crowd to reach a woman selling chestnuts, a ragged man barrelled right intoLysandra, knocking her over. Without even stopping to see if she was okay, the man plowed past the girls and disappeared.
    Fatima frowned. “How rude!” She and Elena helped Lysandra to her feet.
    â€œAre you all right?” asked Tansy.
    â€œI’m fine,” said Lysandra, brushing the dirt from her cloak. But when they reached the chestnut booth and she went to draw up her purse, it wasn’t there. “My purse!” she exclaimed. “It’s gone!”

8
Jack Flack
    S UDDENLY, FROM A PLACE DEEP IN THE MARKET, someone screamed. Lysandra followed the sound with her eyes. Waving his arms wildly to ward off an angry swarm of bees was the same ragged man who had knocked her down only moments before. Lysandra could guess what had happened. “Follow me!” she yelled to her friends.
    The four princesses wound their waythrough the crowd to where the pitiful man stood shrieking. A circle had cleared around him; no one wanted to get near the bees. Lysandra spied her open purse lying in the dust at the man’s feet. The neck strap had been cut. She hadn’t felt a thing when he’d taken the purse.
    Darting into the circle, Lysandra grabbed her purse and shut it. Instantly the bees flew straight up into the sky and disappeared. “Thank you, miss,” the man murmured sheepishly. He was covered with puffy red welts where the bees had stung him.
    Lysandra frowned. “If you needed money, you could’ve just asked. I would’ve given you some.”
    The man bowed his head. “Sorry, miss.”
    Elena stepped forward. “Those stings must hurt. Let me give you something to soothe them.”
    The man smiled, and Lysandra could see that several of his teeth were missing. “You’re very kind, miss,” he said to Elena. She poured a teaspoonful of lotion from her small blue bottle into his palm. “Rub it over each sting,” she directed him.
    The man