The Cost of Gold: A True Fairytale (Paperback or Softback)

What would you do if you had to choose between a castle, gold, and all the riches you ever wanted or the love of your family? In this charming and thought-provoking tale, Maggie and Henry are quickly presented with a very big decision.

The two siblings live with their parents in a very small house, with little food, few clothes, and no riches, but as Father always says, "We don't need riches to make us happy! We don't need gold, jewels, or castles. We have each other and that's all that matters."

Maggie often dreams of having a life with the things that she has never had, and on one particular day, after working hard with her brother, Maggie gets that opportunity. She meets a golden frog who explains that he will give her and her brother all that they have ever dreamed of, under one condition--that they leave their parents and never speak a word to anyone about this choice.

After thinking hard about this decision, Maggie and Henry leave to go to their very own castle where they become royalty. Indeed, they do have everything they could have ever dreamed of, and more! However, after living this new life for some time, the siblings realize that they need more than things in their lives to be happy. Maggie and Henry miss their parents and the love that they felt in their small home.

This fairytale will leave you thinking about what really matters in life, and open a dialogue with children about what they cherish most in their lives.

Daniel Mault has been a third- and fourth-grade teacher in Western New York since 2007. Daniel graduated from Buffalo State College, where he obtained his bachelor's degree in childhood education and his master's degree in education technology. Daniel also creates teacher resources for the site, Teachers Pay Teachers. You can find these resources, as well as materials that can be used with The Cost of Gold: A True Fairytale, at www.mrmaultsmarketplace.com.

Jessie Miller is an illustrator who writes for kids, sells art online, and draws on YouTube! After studying animation at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, she moved to Buffalo, New York, where she lives with her husband and their hyperactive pets. Learn more about her by searching Pigknit online.