Once upon a time, in a magical kingdom far far away, there were nine princesses who lived in a grand palace. The eldest princess was ten years old, and the youngest was only six. Each day, they would play together in the palace gardens, counting the beautiful flowers and chasing butterflies.

One day, as they were playing a game of hide-and-seek, they stumbled upon a hidden door in the palace walls. Excitedly, they opened the door and found a winding staircase leading downwards. Without hesitation, the princesses began to explore the staircase, counting the steps as they went: eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen.

At the bottom of the staircase, they found themselves in a beautiful underground garden filled with all sorts of strange and wonderful plants. The princesses marveled at the sights around them, and they spent the whole day exploring the garden and having adventures.

As the sun began to set, the princesses realized that they needed to return to the palace before their parents worried about them. They quickly made their way back up the staircase, counting the steps again: sixteen, fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven.

Back in the palace, the princesses told their parents all about their exciting adventure and the magical underground garden they had discovered. From that day on, they would often sneak away to play in the garden, counting the steps as they went and having more and more wonderful adventures. And they lived happily ever after.

Reflections

1. What was the game the princesses were playing when they found the hidden door?
2. How did the princesses feel when they found the underground garden?
3. What did the princesses do in the underground garden?
4. Why did the princesses need to return to the palace before sunset?
5. How did the princesses' parents react when they heard about their adventure?