ISSN: 2397-9607 Issue 280In this 280th issue of the Baba Indaba’s Children’s Stories series, Baba Indaba narrates the fairy tale “THE BLUE PARROT”Long ago and far, far away, in a part of Arabia where groves of palms and sweet-scented flowers give the traveller rest after toilsome journeys under burning skies, there reigned a young king whose name was Lino. He had grown up under the wise rule of his father, who had lately died, and though he was only nineteen, he did not believe, like many young men, that he must change all the laws in order to show how clever he was, but was content with the old ones which had made the people happy and the country prosperous. There was only one fault that his subjects had to find with him, and that was that he did not seem in any hurry to be married, in spite of the prayers that they frequently offered him.The neighbouring kingdom was governed by the Swan fairy, who had an only daughter, the Princess Hermosa, who was as charming in her way as Lino in his. The Swan fairy always had an ambassador at the young king’s court, and on hearing the grumbles of the citizens that Lino showed no signs of taking a wife, the good man resolved that he would try his hand at match-making. ‘For, ’ he said, ‘if there is anyone living who is worthy of the Princess Hermosa he is to be found here. At any rate, I can but try and bring them together.’Now, of course, it was not proper to offer the princess in marriage with hers and her mothers permission to do so. So the ambassador arranges to have a portrait painted of the Swan Fairy’s daughter. And so the plans are put in motion to make the King fall for the Princess Hermosa.Are the two aware that they are being manipulated? Nevertheless, do they fall for each other? And if they don’t is there any fallout resulting in bad blood between the King and the Swan Fairy? Oh, so many unanswered questions…… Well the only way to find out is to download and read the story for yourself!Baba Indaba is a fictitious Zulu storyteller who narrates children’s stories from around the world. Baba Indaba translates as ‘Father of Stories’.Each issue also has a ‘WHERE IN THE WORLD – LOOK IT UP’ section, where young readers are challenged to look up a place on a map somewhere in the world. The place, town or city is relevant to the story. HINT – use Google maps.33% of the profit from the sale of this book will be donated to charities.INCLUDES LINKS TO DOWNLOAD 8 FREE STORIES