This sweet story offers a comforting message: a parent’s love is always there to come home to.
Prince Chirpio likes growing up as royalty, but his selfishness and thirst for adventure prompts him to leave the kingdom and fly off to where he can make his own rules. He soon discovers that adventures can be lonely, and he misses the love and protection of his father. Can he go back home? Will his father still love him? Luckily, his father the king is eager to welcome Chirpio back and to convince his young prince that he will always love him―no matter what.
Parents will appreciate that the story focuses on an important felt need: making sure their children know Mom and Dad will always love them. This fresh take on Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son will show young hearts that there’s no getting away from a parent’s love.
I Love You No Matter What
By J. RutlandThomas Nelson
Copyright © 2013 J. Rutland
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4003-2195-7Chapter One
Today had been a bad day. Little Blue had forgotten to clean his nest, he had been mean to his baby sister, and he had spilled his bowl of birdseed. First his father was sad, then he was angry, and finally he just shook his head at his little bluebird.
"Daddy," Little Blue said with a pout, "since you probably don't love me anymore, I'm leaving the big oak tree for good."
"I'm very sorry to hear that," Daddy Blue said patiently. "But before you leave, I'd like to tell you a story of a very special bird much like you. His name was Prince Chirpio."
Far away, in Skinny Tree Kingdom, Prince Chirpio had always liked being royalty. He liked living in the castle and wearing his royal robe. But he didn't like that his father, King Puffbelly, still expected Chirpio to follow certain rules. He was to practice his chirping. He was to save his birdseed pie until after dinner. And he was never to wander beyond the borders of the kingdom.
One night, while Chirpio and his father were pretending to slay dragonflies, Chirpio said, "Father, I'm a brave prince. I should be going on adventures. I should be fighting real dragonflies. I should be rescuing princesses."
"My, my, that's a lot of shoulds," replied King Puffbelly. "But I love you too much to let you leave the kingdom just yet, my son. One day you will take your special bag of birdseed I've saved for you, and you'll have an adventure of your own, but for now I'm going to keep your feathers safe here with me."
That night, Chirpio lay in his nest thinking. I am a brave prince, he thought. Finding adventure is much more important than keeping my feathers clean.
He decided to go ahead and get his bag of birdseed now and find a land of excitement where he could make his own rules.
While the rest of the royal family slept, Chirpio tossed the bag of birdseed over his shoulder, tiptoed through the castle gates, and flew off into the darkness.
He flew and he flew.
Then he marched and he marched.
Finally, when his wings and feet were just too tired, he leaned against a rock and fell fast asleep.
Chirpio awoke a few hours later with an empty tummy and worn-out wings. Soon a grasshopper came hopping through the trees.
"I'm Prince Chirpio," the young prince declared. "I need to rest before my big adventure. If I give you some birdseed, will you make a royal nest for me? One fit for a prince?"
"Give me enough seed, and I'll make you a nest fit for a king!" said the grasshopper, and he got to work.
Soon a caterpillar and turtle arrived.
"Could you share some seed with us too?" the turtle asked.
"Well," answered Chirpio, "I'm going on an adventure, and I really need a robe and breakfast. If you will make me a cool royal robe and a giant chocolate birdseed pie, I'll pay you with seed."
So the caterpillar and turtle got to work.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from I Love You No Matter Whatby J. Rutland Copyright © 2013 by J. Rutland. Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
