Once upon a time in a faraway land...

...an old friend named Amanda gave a certain little girl named Danae a bee-utiful doll named Cinderella. Straight from Disney World, the Holy Land of princesses.




Cinderella spent many a night being snuggled by Danae, many a day being carried by Danae, and many a car trip tucked next to Danae.





Until one day not long ago, Danae (later claiming it was an attempt to scare her mama) threw Cinderella to the top of a tall torchiere lamp...while the lamp was on and standing next to her family's almost dead and dry Christmas tree.






Danae's Mama, not knowing what was going on, smelled a plastic burning type of smell and assumed it was coming from the Christmas tree or something the lovely children put in the outlets. I This woman ran from one end of the room to the other, trying to figure out where the ever-growing smell was coming from and questioning the children at the same time...who kept replying with "I don't know."


Finally, after a few minutes, Danae stated, "I didn't do anything Mama! Cinderella's just sitting in the lamp."


Danae's Mama didn't even think to look up. But upon hearing this statement, she quickly grabbed the lamp, yanked out good 'ol Cindy, opened the front door, and stuck the tall lamp out in the cold. Many a car must have driven by on this family's busy road and wondered what a smoking lamp was doing on the front porch, but Danae's Mama didn't have time to think of such things until days later.


Poor Danae's Mama! All that day she was sick just thinking about this event. What if even a few more minutes went by before she realized something was wrong? What if the Christmas tree had caught on fire? That day was filled with hugs, lectures, and "What if..." thoughts.


And Poor Cinderella...she never saw it coming.