Usborne First Reading: King Donkey Ears

This story is about a king, Meg, a servant, the king's best friends, a tree, a woodcutter, and a harp. There was once a king with a big secret. He didn't even tell his best friend. No one knew...except the servant who cut his hair. Every month, the king had a hair cut. Then he sent the servant to prison. In July, it was Meg's turn. Meg saw the king's ears."Eric...what lovely hair..." She was shocked, but she didn't say. As soon as Meg had finished, the king cried," off to jail!" "But my mother is sick," said Meg. "She needs me." The king thought of his own mother. He didn't like putting people in jail. "Okay, " said the king. "Promise me you'll never tell anyone." "I promise!" That night, it was all Meg could think about. She had to tell."I'm going to burst!" At last, she had an idea. She wouldn't tell anyone. She'd tell a tree! "The king's got donkey ears!" So she did. Now Meg felt much better. Later, a woodcutter chopped down the tree. The tree became a harp. One day, the king gave a huge concert. But the new harp played a very strange tune. "The king's got donkey ears...The king's got donkey ears..." "You told my secret!" the king roared at Meg. The king's best friend came forward. "It's not a secret,"he said."We all know." "And you don't mind?"asked the king. "Of course not!" So the king freed all the Servants. And he learned to love his ears.