Though Queen Olympia's daughters' ideas about ruling were different from her own, that didn't give her the right to ridicule and disregard their ideas. Whenever I clean my room, I feel restricted from making my own decisions because, being a naturally messy person, I tend to procrastinate and would rather spend the time on other meaningful activities and leave my room as I'm comfortable with it.Īnother interesting lesson I was reminded of in Once Upon a Marigold was to respect other people's opinions and feelings. Even in my daily and ordinary life, I can relate to these feelings often. Her mother, Queen Olympia, was always forcing her into lessons on ruling, manners, and many other 'stiff, proper skills,' never leaving Marigold any time for herself, or letting her make her own decisions. However, Marigold's life was much more complicated. Christian succeeded in this when he was only six, by running away from home. Throughout the story, both Christian and Marigold felt restricted by too many rules, and were trying to break free of them and make their own decisions. Although I've never run away from home, met princesses or trolls, or lived in crystal caves, I can very much relate to many of the feelings and emotions of the characters. Right from the start, I loved reading Once Upon a Marigold. When he finally gets the courage to contact her, through p-mail (pigeon mail), he finds out her name is Marigold, and starts a long correspondence between them. But Christian is especially attracted to the younger, dark-haired princess. He is an uninvited guest at the balls and banquets, and even at the weddings of the three triplets. He watches the three beautiful, blond princesses grow up, as well as their smaller, dark-haired sister. Through a small telescope, Christian can watch King Swithbert's castle, and all the goings-on there. However, when he is found by Ed, a short, friendly troll, he becomes a young inventor living in a beautiful cave with his troll foster father. Christian is only a small boy when he runs away from home, tired of living in stiff suits, with too many siblings and too many rules. Once Upon a Marigold is a riches-to-rags fantasy about a young runaway boy, a plain, unpopular princess, and a four-foot-tall troll. What if you were a princess who lived a perfect, happy life except for one minor problem-your mother kept trying to marry you off to a boring royal suitor so she could become queen? What if you had never met or talked to your best friend except by letter? And what if, after too many boring suitors to count, you fell in love with someone you weren't allowed to marry?

Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris