shannon hale - walker books · copyrighted material by walker books. not for distribution. shannon...

Copyrighted Material by Walker Books. Not for distribution.

Shannon Hale & Dean Haleillustrated by

LeUyen Pham

Copyrighted Material by Walker Books. Not for distribution.Copyrighted Material by Walker Books. Not for distribution.

First published 2017 by Walker Books Ltd 87 Vauxhall Walk, London SE11 5HJ

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Text © 2014 Shannon and Dean HaleIllustrations © 2014 LeUyen Pham

The right of Shannon and Dean Hale, and LeUyen Pham to be identified as authors/illustrator of this work has been asserted by them in accordance

with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

This book has been typeset in Kennerly

Printed in China

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted or stored in an information retrieval system in any form or by any means,

graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, taping and recording, without prior written permission from the publisher.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data:a catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN 978-1-4063-7645-6

www.walker.co.uk

For our own Princess MagnoliaS. H. and D. H.

To Luna, Emilie, Julia, Angelique, and Deniz – my little group

of supercool princessesL. P.


Chapter 1

Princess Magnolia was having hot chocolate and scones with Duchess Wigtower. The hot chocolate was hot. The scones were sweet. The breeze from the window was warm and wishy.

“How lovely of you to visit,” said Princess Magnolia. “And unexpected.”

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“I love to meet people in their

own homes,” said Duchess Wigtower. “I always uncover

secrets.”“Secrets?” said

Princess Magnolia. “Yes, secrets,” said

Duchess Wigtower. “Hidden messes, skeletons in closets, that sort of thing.”

“Closets?” said Princess Magnolia.The hot chocolate burnt her lip. The breeze knocked her curls into her face. She was no longer enjoying herself.

“You seem so prim and perfect.” Duchess Wigtower leant forward. “But everyone has a secret.”

Princess Magnolia brushed crumbs off her frilly pink dress. She hoped she didn’t look nervous. Because she did indeed have a secret. A huge secret. A secret she didn’t want anyone to uncover. Especially not the nosy duchess.


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Just then, Princess Magnolia’s glitter-stone ring rang.

The monster alarm, thought Princess Magnolia. Not now!

“What was that ringing sound?” asked Duchess Wigtower.

“A bird?” said Princess Magnolia.She wished her ring’s ring sounded anything like a bird. It didn’t.

“Strange bird,” said the duchess.“Maybe it’s sick,” said Princess

Magnolia. “I should check.”


Princess Magnolia minced to the door. Her glass slippers went tink-tink-tink-tink.

“You’re going to just leave me here?” said the duchess.

“I’ll hurry back!” said Princess Magnolia.

She smiled sweetly. She shut the door softly.

And then Princess Magnolia ran.


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Chapter 2

Princesses do not stuff frilly pink dresses into broom closets.

Princesses do not wear black.

Princesses do not run.


And princesses most definitely do not slide down secret chutes and high-jump castle walls.

But then, most princesses do not live near an entrance to Monster Land.

Stopping monsters was no job for prim and perfect Princess Magnolia. But fortunately Princess Magnolia did have a secret.


She was secretly the Princess in Black! And stopping monsters was the perfect job for the Princess in Black.

shannon hale - walker books · copyrighted material by walker books. not for distribution. shannon...

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