Abby came home from school yesterday with a lot of homework to do. Her mother had errands to run, and they didn’t get home until late. Abby was tired and didn’t want to do her homework. She and her mother shouted at each other about it. Abby went to her room and threw herself on the bed, tired and grouchy. She didn’t want to do her homework, and she was mad at her mother, so she decided to run away.

She remembered about the magic door in the closet, and decided she’d run away to Abbeville. She opened her closet door but the back wall wasn’t glowing. She didn’t understand what was different this time, since last time it was glowing. She got upset, but decided to lie on her bed and do her reading assignment. But she couldn’t find her reading book! She looked in her book bag; she looked to see if it was under her bed. She couldn’t find it. Just then she saw the glow from under the closet door. Abby said, “I think I get it – I have to be looking for something I lost for the door to open to Abbeville!”

She opened the closet door, and touched the back wall. Once again, she was in that

meadow in Abbeville. She walked to the gnome’s house, but he wasn’t at home. Just then she saw the fox coming toward her.

“I understand you’re too tired to do your homework. Is that right?”

Abby yawned and said, “Yes, I am tired. Can you help me?”

The sly fox grinned and said, “Oh, of course I can help you. Let’s just walk to my den and I’ll help you get your homework done in no time.”

Abby went with the fox, deep into the woods. It was starting to get dark. She heard an owl hoot in the distance, and she started to get scared.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Fox, but it’s getting too late – I’m going to need to go back home now.”

But the Fox just smiled and laughed.

“You can’t go home – your cousin Emily isn’t here with the Ipad to help you escape. You’re going to be my little girl from now on. I need someone to cook and clean and watch my fox kittens. And you’re it! You’re not a Princess anymore – you’re going to be a house maid.”

Abby said, “What do you mean I’m not a princess any more – I never was a princess.”

The Fox replied, “I know something you don’t know. When you were born, there was a lot of trouble in Abbeville. The king and queen were so afraid for your safety and welfare. They found out about the magic door to your room. They went through that door, and when they found themselves in Tallahassee, they decided to find a good mother and father to take care of you until things in Abbeville calmed down. They found your Mom and Dad, and put you in the crib. You really are a magic princess!”

Abby was really happy to find out she was a princess. But she wondered what happened to the baby her mom and dad had.

“What happened to their child?” she asked the Fox.

The fox said, “That child went to an orphanage and got adopted by another set of parents. She lives her in Abbeville now – would you like to meet her?”

Abby said, “Yes I would – can we do that now?”

The fox said, “Not now – maybe later. Right now you need to clean my den!”

The fox grabbed at Abby’s arm to drag her over to where the mops and buckets were stored. Abby said, “Ouch, you’re hurting my arm! Stop that!”

Just then Abby heard a noise outside the fox’s den. It was a sniffing noise, and then she heard a deep, menacing bark. She knew that bark – it was Xena! Xena must have followed her through the magic door, and was now outside the fox’s den, barking and growling.

The fox was afraid, and said to Abby, “What is that – is that a dog? I’m afraid of dogs – they chase and hurt me!”

Abby replied, “Yes, it’s my dog, Xena. She’s a princess too – a warrior princess! If you don’t let me go and take me to Emily, I’ll let Xena bite you!”

The fox agreed to help her find Emily. Abby and the fox walked outside the fox’s den. Abby took hold of Xena’s leash, and together, Xena, the fox and Abby walked over to the tree where Emily was sitting. As usual, she was eating an apple and playing on her Ipad. She waved as she saw Abby coming near.

“So you’re back – it’s kind of late, isn’t it kiddo? You’d better be getting home.”

Abby agreed, and as soon as Emily and Abby started creating the apartment in Roblox, the fox ran away because Xena had tried to bite him, and was now growling and glaring at him.

Abby and Emily worked on the Roblox picture of the back of her closet door. Pretty soon, the picture was complete. When they pushed on the door in the picture, the door opened and Abby was back in her room. But Xena didn’t come through! Her mother came in a moment later.

“Abby, have you seen Xena? I can’t find her anywhere. I put her leash on and went into the bedroom to put on my shoes to take her for a walk. When I came back, she was gone. Have you seen her?”

The door started to glow in the back of Abby’s closet. Her mother was looking for the lost Xena, so that opened the portal to Abbeville. Just then, Xena came bounding through the portal and pushed Abby’s closet door open with her nose. She wagged her tail, and was happy to see Abby’s mother – ready for that walk she was promised. Her mother gave Abby a puzzled look.

“What was Xena doing in the closet, Abby?”

Abby said, “I got mad at you about my homework and went back to Abbeville. A fox wanted to make me his housemaid, but first he told me I was a real princess. I was given to you and Dad when I was a baby, because the king and queen of Abbeville were afraid for my safety. So there’s another child in Abbeville that’s your real child – and someday I’ll get to meet her.”

Abby’s mother sighed. “You have the most vivid imagination, Abby. Honestly, I don’t know where you get these ideas. Let’s go take Xena for a walk before it gets too dark.”

Abby said, “Okay, mom. Then I’ll get that homework done.”

Abby’s mother picked up Xena’s leash and noticed something on her collar. It was a little patch of red fur.

“What’s this?” her mom asked.

Abby replied, “Oh, when we were in Abbeville, Xena had a little fight with the fox. Some of his fur got caught on her collar.”

Her mother said, “You are so clever, Abby, to come up with these ideas. Let’s go walk.”

So they went for a walk. Xena looked particularly proud. That night she slept with Abby and kept a careful watch on the closet door. She wasn’t about to let anything happen to her favorite little girl.