Percy is a prince. He lives in a beautiful country called Pinland. Peter is his
father. He is the King of Pinland. They both live in the palace. Last summer, Percy was sad.
'You can't play with the other children in the sun,' the King said to Prince
Percy. 'They are poor, but you are rich. One day you are going to be King
of Pinland.' Many poor children played outside the palace. Every day they ran, jumped
and danced. Sometimes they worked with their mothers and fathers in the
fields. They were poor, but they were healthy.
Prince Percy sat in the palace and ate too many cakes and ice-creams.
He was a fat prince. Near the palace there was a big, dark forest. 'Let's go and
play in the forest!' said the children. 'We can climb trees.' Some old people
in the town were angry. 'Don't go in the forest!' they said.
'It's dangerous. The Angry Man lives there. He will eat you.' The children laughed. They were
not afraid. One day Prince Percy looked out of the palace window. He saw the
children playing and laughing in a field near the forest.
'They're happy,' he thought. 'Why can't I play with them?' He bounced a ball
on the floor sadly. Then a boy shouted to Percy, 'Come here and play with us!' The boy's name
was Podd. He was fat. Prince Percy was afraid. 'My father will be angry,' he said.
'Don't be afraid,' said Podd. 'Come and play with us!' Percy looked
at the children. They were happy. He carried his ball to the field and
played with the children. Podd looked at the trees. 'I'm going to play in the
forest!' he said. 'Come with me!' 'No, don't go!' said his friend, Tom. 'The Angry
Man lives there. He will eat you.' 'I'm not afraid,' Podd said. He went to
the forest. Prince Percy and the children followed him. Suddenly Podd saw a thin old man.
He had a very angry face. 'Help!' shouted Podd. 'It's the Angry Man. He will eat us!'
The children ran away But Prince Percy was too fat. 'I can't run quickly enough!' he said.
The Angry Man caught him. Percy was afraid. 'Are you going to eat me?'
he asked the Angry Man. 'No,' said the Angry Man. 'Come to my house. You can work for me.
My name is Alan.' Percy went to Alan's house in the forest. He worked hard.
He cooked, cleaned, chopped wood and dug in the garden. In the evening, Percy was
tired and hungry Alan gave him enough food, but not too much. There were
no cakes or ice-creams. Prince Percy worked hard every day. Every evening Percy and Alan ate
bread, chicken, vegetables and fruit. They drank water and tea. Percy was
not a fat prince now. He was slim and healthy.
'Why are you angry?' asked Percy one day. 'Why don't you live in thetown?'
'Everyone in the town laughed at me,' said Alan. 'Why did they laugh?' asked Percy-
'Because I was thin and ugly,' said Alan.
Now Prince Percy and Alan were friends, so Alan was not angry He was a
happy man. Percy ate enough food but he did not eat too much food.
Now the Angry Man was not angry, and the fat prince was not fat!
But the prince was not happy. 'I want to go and see my father in the
palace,' he said. 'I want to play with the children.' Alan and the prince went to the palace.
The people in the town saw them. They were amazed. 'Look at the prince!' they said.
'He was a fat prince, but now he's slim!
And look at Alan! He was an angry man, but now he's happy!'
'I ate less food and I worked hard,' said Percy proudly, 'so now I'm slim.'
'I want to be slim!' said Podd. 'I will eat less food, too.'
The King was very happy to see his son. 'You can play with the other
children,' he said. 'And Alan, you can come and live at the palace.