Princess Trumpetina was the most beautiful princess in the Kingdom of Winky Wonky. People travelled for days just to see her. She looked down on them from her tower and waved delicately, never staying for more than a moment.

Her long auburn hair shone like a sunbeam and her emerald green eyes were spellbinding. An army of servants attended to her every need and she owned every toy that ever was.

There was just one problem.

She couldn’t help trumping. A lot. She trumped in the morning, she parped during dinner and trumpeted away all night.

No one complained because she was the princess. The King and Queen pretended it didn’t happen. Since she was a baby they had given everyone strict instructions not to complain about the whiff.

Trumpetina picked flowers in the castle garden. She was happy. The sun was on her back and she could feel the warm breeze stroking her beautiful face. She parped away happily. Suddenly she heard a muttering. She strained to hear. “Ewwwww,” she heard Bill the gardener say as he clutched his nose.” Is that Trumpetina again? She stinks!”

Trumpetina ran away. Tears streamed down her plump cheeks. She locked herself in the castle tower and refused to go out. The King and Queen pleaded; “Nobody minds sweetheart,” they said through the door, their noses pressed against the wood. “Yes they do!” Trumpetina shouted, “My name is all wrong for a start. From now on I want you to call me Tina”. The King and Queen left the tower; their heads hung in despair.

No one knew what to do.

When Trumpetina’s tears had dried up, she hatched a plan. She invited Carmen the good witch to her tower. “Can you help me?” she pleaded. “All I want is to be like everyone else” Carmen shook her head so fast that green glitter sprayed out of her hair. “No, no, no. Trumpetina” she exclaimed. “You need to go outside this Kingdom, go and explore!”

Trumpetina thought for a moment. She had never been outside Winky Wonky. What if people laughed at her? Carmen’s words rang in her head. Her body bristled with excitement as she gathered her six unicorns and silver carriage and rode off into the night through the Kingdom walls; trumping all the way.

The next morning she awoke in a strange land to the sound of crickets knocking their knees together. She wearily stepped out from the carriage and looked around “Hello there!” boomed a loud voice. In front of her stood a huge troll with a friendly grin. “Not seen you before” he said. “Would you like me to show you around Widdly Tiddly?”

Trumpetina thought that a troll would be as good a protector as any. He told Trumpetina his name was Harry and did a trump so loud the ground shook. He wafted his nose blowing Trumpetina over in the process. “Oooo excuse me” he said. “In Widdly Tiddly you will find that everyone trumpets morning, noon and night.”

Trumpetina stared up at Harry’s big hairy face. Harry stared right back into Trumpetina’s lovely one. Neither said anything. Then Trumpetina let off a rip roaring fizzcrack and laughed. They laughed so hard it hurt.
“I can see I’m going to like it here” Trumpetina said happily.

They strolled around all day. Harry showed Trumpetina all the sights. They rode on a merry go round, fed the giant ducks and ate ice cream. Everyone they met trumped just as much as she did. No one complained about the smell or told her off.

They strolled back to her carriage hand in hand as the sun went down. An unlikely friendship but the best kind.

She said goodbye with promises to visit again. As she rode home; the unicorns sang her a lullaby and she fell into a peaceful dreamless sleep.

The next morning after doing an almighty trumpet she brushed her gleaming auburn hair, put on her best diamond gown and stood on the castle steps. People from all over Winky Wonky gathered to catch a glimpse of her beauty, hoping it might rub off. This time she stayed a long while. Carmen the good witch looked on proudly.

Then it came.

‘PAAARRRRRRRRRPPPPPPPP!’ went the Princess’s bottom.

The crowd fell silent.

Then do you know what happened?

Everyone in the crowd started to copy her. There were trumps all round and giggles and laughter.

The King and Queen were awoken by all the chaos. When they saw everyone having such a good time they joined in. The King laughed so much that tears were rolling down his big jolly face.

Since that morning there has been a national trump day in the Winky Wonky calendar and Princess Trumpetina always wins the trumping competition, unless Harry comes to stay! Which he does, every now and then.