Ruby Fixes the Castle Gate

A free castle bedtime story, written for ages 3–5 and ready to read aloud in about 3 minutes. Tonight's hero is Ruby.

Ruby raced past the lemon stand. There, at the summer carnival, stood a castle. Huge blue blocks made its walls. Yellow flags flapped above four towers. “I want to see every room!” Ruby cried.

Her friend Sir Pip hurried over. Sir Pip was a real castle knight. His silver helmet had one floppy red feather. His round shield showed a smiling lion. “Let’s explore together,” said Ruby.

They crossed the bumpy drawbridge. Clop, clop, clop! They peeked into the drum room. Boom, boom, boom! They marched through the crown room. The crowns were much too big. One fell over Pip’s whole helmet.

Then they reached the last gate. Ruby slipped through. Sir Pip stepped forward. Bonk! His round shield hit one side. He tried a tiny sideways shuffle. Bink-bonk! The gate was too narrow.

Sir Pip lowered his shield. His red feather drooped, too. “You can see the last room,” he said. “I will wait here.” Ruby looked back at her friend. “No,” she said. “We came together.”

Ruby looked at the castle wall. All the long blocks lay flat. This way, this way, this way. But one block stuck into the gate. It pointed the wrong way. That made the gate narrow.

Ruby put both hands on the soft block. She pushed. Squeak-scrape, squeak-scrape! The block turned flat with the wall. Now the gate had a big, wide space.

“Try now!” called Ruby. Sir Pip marched forward. His helmet went through. His feather went through. His smiling lion shield went through. Not one bonk! “Ruby fixed our castle gate!” he cheered.

Together, they found the last room. It held a bright red, squeaky throne. Sir Pip sat down. HONK! Ruby sat beside him. HONK-HONK! They laughed beneath the yellow flags, side by side.