The King and Queen loved Princess Hmph very much, and tried to give her whatever she wanted, but they often had no idea what that might be, because "Hmph" was all she would ever say to them either. "Someday she will change," they told each other, but they were not so sure.
The Royal Cook, The Royal Clown, the Royal Tutor, the Royal Toymaker, the Royal Lifeguard, the Royal Storyteller, and all the rest of the palace,all tried to give her whatever she wanted, but they also had no idea what that might be. "This has to change," they all told each other. And one day it all did change, and this is the story of that day.
The Royal Lifeguard had taken the Princess, and some of the other palace children, to the beach. Princess Hmph had a blow-up alligator that she liked very much, not that she would ever say so, of course. This might have been because it had a fierce expression, much like her own.
Although the Royal Lifeguard told her not to, Princess Hmph paddled her blow-up alligator far from shore. When he blew his whistle for her to come back in, "Hmph" was her only reply, as she paddled steadily further away.
After a while, Princess Hmph was hungry, and decided it was lunch-time, but when she tried to paddle her alligator back to shore, she could not. The wind and the waves carried her further and further away. "Hmph," she cried, and kicked the dumb alligator. This turned out to be a bad thing to do, for it made her fall off. "Hmph," she cried again, this time to no one in particular.
Things might have gone very badly for the Princess, but just then a wise and kindly dolphin happened to pass by. "Would you like some help getting to shore?" he asked. "Hmph," she replied.
Now, even the dolphins in the sea had heard of Princess Hmph, so he knew at once who this must be, and decided to help her. But dolphins are playful, and he thought that first they could play a little game.
"Would you like to play tag?" he asked the Princess. "Hmph," she replied.
"Would you like to race, then?" "Hmph," she replied again.
This went on for quite a while. No matter what games the dolphin suggested, he always got the same answer. "Well then, are you quite sure you wouldn't like some help?" asked the dolphin again, getting ready to swim away. By now it was getting dark, and the Princess was no closer to shore.
"Yes, please, I would like to go to shore," said Princess Hmph, as politely as she knew how. And the dolphin carried her, and even her alligator, safely back to the beach.
The King and the Queen, and the Royal Lifeguard, and all the rest of the palace staff, came running down to the water, happy to see Princess Hmph alive and well, but very fearful of what she would say.
"I am happy to be back," said the Princess, hugging the King and Queen. Then she thanked the dolphin, and finally, she asked the Royal Cook "may I please have some dinner?"
At first, no one could believe the change, and they did not think it would last. But it did, and they all lived happily ever after.