My Very UnFairy Tale Life (13 page)

I gasped. “Prince Lamb, is that you?”

“It is indeed,” said the lamb. “I guess Klarr's magic has finally worn off.”

Despite his curly hair and his wide dark eyes, I could see something of the human boy he'd been moments earlier. “Are you okay?” I asked.

Prince Lamb looked down and examined his four legs. Then his sheep mouth stretched into a smile. “I'm better than okay. I finally feel like me again!”

“Wait,” I said. “If Klarr's magic is gone, does that mean the Silence spell is over?”

“Look!” said Ribba, pointing.

The dozens of creatures who'd escaped Klarr's prison were milling around, looking shocked and overjoyed at the same time. Every single one of them had a mouth.

“It's true!” cried Crong. “The Silence is over!”

I couldn't believe it. I'd done it. As much as I hated to admit it, the Committee had been right. I
had
been the one for the job.

“Jenny the Adventurer,” said Prince Lamb. His voice was loud and official. “We are grateful to you for your help. You have done this land a great service.” He gave me a deep bow.

My cheeks burned. “It wasn't just me. It was all of us.”

“Our kingdom cannot even begin to show you our gratitude,” he continued. “But we shall give you whatever reward we can. Any jewels or treasure you desire.”

I glanced over at the frogs and Anthony, who were all beaming at me with pride. As I ran my fingers over my mother's bracelet, I had to admit that helping magical kingdoms did feel really good. My parents had been adventurers, and I was meant to be one too. I smiled.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” I said. “But I have all the treasure I need.” I paused, unable to believe what my tongue wanted to say next. But I realized it wasn't any chip in my head urging me to say it. The Committee had nothing to do with it at all. It was just how I really felt. “Friendship is the best reward.”

Acknowledgments

What are you doing reading the acknowledgments? Don't you think Jenny would roll her eyes if she saw you looking at a list of cheesy, sentimental stuff? But even she would have to admit that sometimes a heartfelt thank-you is in order, so here we go:

To Ray Brierly for being an awesome husband, best friend, and first reader.

To my amazing family and friends for a lifetime of love and support.

To my critique partners—Sheryl DePaolo, Anne Handley, Megan Kudrolli, and Alisa Libby—for letting me know when I'm on the right track and not being afraid to tell me to start all over.

To my fabulous agent, Ammi-Joan Paquette, for an unlimited supply of wisdom and enthusiasm.

To Rebecca Frazer, Aubrey Poole, and the rest of the Sourcebooks team for taking a chance on my wacky little book.

To the Associates of the Boston Public Library for giving me the opportunity to call myself a real writer and to the PEN New England Discovery Award committee for reassuring me that I was on the right path.

To the faculty, students, and friends at Simmons College for continuing to challenge and inspire me.

And to all the writers, readers, librarians, booksellers, and bloggers who make the children's book community such a rewarding place.

About the Author

Born in Poland and raised in the United States, Anna Staniszewski grew up loving stories in both Polish and English. After studying theater at Sarah Lawrence College, she attended Simmons College where she earned an MA in Children's Literature and an MFA in Writing for Children. She was named the 2006–2007 Writer-in-Residence at the Boston Public Library and a winner of the 2009 PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award. Currently, Anna lives outside of Boston, Massachusetts, with her husband and their adopted black Labrador, Emma. When she's not writing, Anna spends her time teaching, reading, and challenging unicorns to games of hopscotch. You can visit her at www.annastan.com.