A Feast on Green Leaves
Little Princess Lily twirled a bright blue ribbon, her eyes wide as she watched the bustling palace kitchen. "Zoom!" she whispered, pretending to fly. Big Auntie Mala, with her sparkly apron, carefully placed a giant banana leaf on a long, long table. "Oh, what a big green plate!" Lily giggled, pointing with her tiny finger. Other palace helpers, humming happy tunes, brought out bowls of yummy, creamy payasam. It smelled sweet like flowers and honey. Lily loved payasam! "More, more!" she bounced, her pigtails flopping. Auntie Mala just smiled and patted Lily's head. "Soon, little one. This special feast is for everyone, to share happy memories of our Golden King." Lily wondered what happy memories felt like. She looked at the empty spaces on the big green leaves, waiting for friends.
A Fluffy Visitor
The fluffy-tailed squirrel, Squeaky, wiggled his nose. His tiny eyes blinked at the sweet smell of payasam. "Chirp, chirp!" he chattered, hopping onto the window sill. Princess Lily stopped twirling her ribbon. "Look, Auntie! A squirrel friend!" she exclaimed, her voice a soft whisper so as not to scare him. Squeaky tilted his head, watching the creamy bowls. Lily knew squirrels loved yummy treats. She carefully scooped a tiny bit of payasam onto a small, clean leaf. "Here, Squeaky!" she offered, holding it out gently. Squeaky sniffed the air, twitching his whiskers. He took a tiny step, then another, closer to the sweet-smelling leaf. Lily held her breath, hoping Squeaky would be brave enough to try the special feast food.
The Rumbling Noise
The loud rumble made Squeaky jump! He zipped away, back into the green garden, his fluffy tail disappearing in a flash. "Oh no!" cried Lily, her little leaf of payasam tipping over. The sweet cream spilled onto the floor with a tiny splat. Auntie Mala rushed to the window, peering out with a worried frown. "What was that big noise?" Lily asked, her blue ribbon forgotten. The rumbling came again, a bit closer this time, like a giant tummy grumbling. "It sounds like... a very big wagon, dear," Auntie Mala explained, her voice a little shaky. Lily imagined a wagon bigger than the palace, full of wobbly wheels. She felt a little scared for the first time that day, wondering if the feast would be okay.
