The princess may try seven times to escape by changing her colour and changing her shape.” But each time Princess Eliza changes – into a blue fish, a yellow chick, a red fox or a black cat – the wicked wizard finds her and sets her another horrible task… Enjoy the story with twenty seven yoga poses for kids!
It was Princess Eliza’s birthday. She was just blowing out the seven candles on her cake (Candle: Lying flat on your back, arms out wide, lift your legs and feet up to the sky. Your toes are the flickering candle flames.) when a wicked wizard flew down the chimney and into the room (Warrior 2: Standing with your feet wide, bend your front knee and spread your arms out wide). “Why didn’t you invite me to your party?” he thundered. “Because wicked wizards like turning people to stone,” replied princess Eliza. “So they do,” said the Wizard, and he turned the King, the Queen and all the party guests into stone (Mountain: Standing tall and perfectly still, breathing steady).
Just then in through the window flew the Princess’s Fairy Godmother (Flying: Standing up tall, step forward and tilt, lifting your back foot off the ground, sending it long and strong behind you like a tail. Stay steady and balanced as you take your arms out wide to the sides like wings and fly). When she saw what had happened, she waved her wand and said “the Princess may try seven times to escape by changing her color and changing her shape.” The Wizard climbed up the chimney with the Princess (Climbing: Standing tall, using opposite arm to leg we climb up) and carried her away to his tall dark castle.
The next day was Monday. The wizard unlocked the cellar door (Door: Come to two knees, then stick one leg out to the side, reach up with one arm and tilt over towards your stretched leg to open up your door. Don’t forget to close it on the other side). He was holding the big fat book which contained all his magic. “This is your first chance to escape” he said. “I shall count to one hundred and then I shall come and find you.” He opened his book (Treasure Chest: Sitting on your bottom, bring the soles of your feet together and fold your body down over the top of your feet to close your treasure chest), closed his eyes and began to count. Princess Eliza ran outside, jumped into the water and turned herself into a blue fish (Fish: Lying on your back, prop yourself up on your elbows and point your toes down. Then pop your chest up to the sky and look all the way back behind you). The Wizard opened his eyes, looked in his magic book and found where she was.
On Tuesday morning, it was her second chance. The Wizard opened his book (Treasure Chest: Sitting on your bottom, bring the soles of your feet together and fold your body down over the top of your feet to close your treasure chest), closed his eyes and began to count. Princess Eliza ran to the farmyard. She turned herself into a yellow chick (Chicken/Malasana: Bend your knees deeply, sinking down until your hips are lower than your knees. Bring your palms together at heart center. Push your elbows into your knees to open your hips) and hid in some straw. The Wizard opened his eyes, looked in his magic book and found where she was.
On Wednesday morning, for the third chance the Wizard opened his book (Treasure Chest: Sitting on your bottom, bring the soles of your feet together and fold your body down over the top of your feet to close your treasure chest), closed his eyes and began to count. Princess Eliza ran to the meadow and changed herself into a green grasshopper (Grasshopper/Frog: Crouch down, up on your toes, with your knees out wide and use your hands for balance).Unfortunately, The Wizard opened his eyes, looked in his magic book and found where she was.
On Thursday, she turned herself into an orange fox and hid in a pile of orange leaves (Fox: We press our feet and hands into the floor as we lift our bottoms to the sky, going woof woof). On Friday, she turned herself into a purple butterfly and fluttered among some purple flowers (Butterfly: Sitting tall, bring the soles of your feet in touch and flutter your knees up and down like a butterfly’s wings). On Saturday, she turned herself into a black cat and lurked in a black tunnel (Cat: On all fours, round your back up and then down). But each time the Wizard found her!
On Sunday morning, the Wizard came on to the roof (House: Standing with your legs wide, hands together above your head, making a pointy roof), “this is your last chance” he said. “If I catch you this time, you must stay and work for me for the rest of your life.” Then he opened his book (Treasure Chest: Sitting on your bottom, bring the soles of your feet together and fold your body down over the top of your feet to close your treasure chest), closed his eyes and began to count. Princess Eliza turned herself into a white gull and flew up into a cloud (Bird: Standing up, bend forward from your middle, keeping your back long and straight. Your arms become wide wings floating up and down at your sides as you fly like a bird / Cloud/Child Pose: Sit on your heels, slowly bring your forehead down to rest in front of your knees, rest your arms down alongside your body). But as she hovered above the roof where the Wizard was still counting, she saw the words forming on the page of his open book. “So that’s how she finds me!” she cried. Then she had an idea. She turned herself into a page of the Wizard’s book – a perfectly blank white page with no writing on it. The Wizard opened his eyes, looked in his magic book. But the next page in his book was blank and white. He shouted and hurled the book into the moat. All the Wizard’s magic was gone!
At that moment in the palace, the King and Queen and all the party guests came back to life. Princess Eliza had turned herself from a white page into a blue fish and was swimming to the edge of the moat (Fish: Lying on your back, prop yourself up on your elbows and point your toes down. Then pop your chest up to the sky and look all the way back behind you). She turned herself into a yellow chick and ran across the corn in the farmyard (Chicken/Malasana: Bend your knees deeply, sinking down until your hips are lower than your knees. Bring your palms together at heart center. Push your elbows into your knees to open your hips). She turned herself into a green grasshopper and hopped over the grass (Grasshopper/Frog: Crouch down, up on your toes, with your knees out wide and use your hands for balance). She turned herself into an orange fox and raced through the orange leaves (Fox: We press our feet and hands into the floor as we lift our bottoms to the sky, going woof woof). She turned herself into a purple butterfly and fluttered over the purple flowers (Butterfly: Sitting tall, bring the soles of your feet in touch and flutter your knees up and down like a butterfly’s wings). She turned herself into a black cat and streaked through the black tunnel (Cat: On all fours, round your back up and then down). She turned herself into a white bird and flew all the way back to the palace (Bird: Standing up, bend forward from your middle, keeping your back long and straight. Your arms become wide wings floating up and down at your sides as you fly like a bird). And she finally changed herself back into a princess! The King and Queen and all the party guests hugged her (Hugging: Give yourself a big hug by wrapping your body with your arms). Then Princess Eliza cut her birthday cake and everyone had a slice.
Relaxation:
What a lovely story of Princess Eliza. What an adventure of her! How she outwit him at the very end. Thanks to her patience and determination, all the Wizard’s magic was gone and she finally changed herself back into a princess. Sometimes we may face problems in life. We can solve our problems if we are patient and determined. Just like Princess Eliza…
When you feel ready, you can slowly start to move your fingers and toes. Pulling your knees to your chest, give them a big hug. Rolling over to one side, lift up to a comfortable sitting position. Bring your hands together in front of your chest. Thank you for doing yoga with me today. Namaste!