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You're built to win it. Welcome to snoozecast, the podcast designed to help you fall asleep. Find us at snoozecast.com and if you enjoy our show, please share us with a friend. This episode is brought to you by a gilded frame. Tonight, we'll dive into the second part of her tale, The Rose in the Ring, written by William Makepiece Zachary, and first published in 1854, the first episode in this series aired four weeks ago. Zachary, known for his sharp wit and social commentary, infuses The Rose and the ring with humor and fantasy, offering a playful critique of royalty and social expectations in a magical setting. Previously, King Valoroso of Palflegonia received a letter about Prince Bulbo's visit, sparking excitement and a whirlwind of preparations. In this episode, we explore Princess Angelica's early life, filled with whimsical palace events and a hint of royal mischief. Let's get cozy. Close your eyes. Relax your body into the softness of your bed.

Now, take a few deep breaths. Chapter 4.

How Black Stick was not asked to the princess Angelica's christening. When princess Angelica was born, her parents didn't invite fairy Black Stick to the welcome party. They even told their dormant to turn her away if she showed up. The dormant's name was Gruffinuff. He was chosen for the job because he was tall and strict and could easily send away unwanted visitors by saying, they're not home. rough enough was married to a Countess and they argued a lot. One day, Fairy Blackstick came to visit the Prince and Princess, who were sitting by an open window. Gruff enough told her they weren't home and was about to shut the door on her. Please leave, Fairy Blackstick," he said. But the Fairy used her wand to stop the door from closing. Gruff enough, frustrated, came back out and asked the Fairy, Do you really think I'm going to stand here all day? The fairy calmly replied, You are going to stay at that door all day, all night, and for many years. Gruff enough, standing in front of the door with his legs wide, started laughing and said, ah, ah, ah, that's a good one. What's happening? Let me down. Then suddenly he couldn't speak anymore. As the fairy waved her wand, Gruffinough felt himself lifting off the ground and floating against the door. Suddenly he felt an odd sensation in his stomach, like a pressure holding him still. His arms floated above his head, and his legs tucked beneath him. A coolness spread through his body as if he were becoming solid and unyielding, like metal. All he could say was, oh, before he became completely silent and couldn't speak anymore. He really was turned into metal. From being bold and rude, he became brass. He was turned into nothing more than a door knocker. He was stuck there in the hot summer sun and during the freezing winter nights, icicles formed on his brass nose. The postman would tap on him and even the most impatient boys with letters would nudge him against the door. When the king and queen, who were still a prince and princess back then, came home from a walk that evening, the king said, Hey dear, you've had a new knocker put on that door. It looks a lot like our porter. What happened to that lazy fellow? The maid polished his nose with a rough cloth and once when Princess Angelica's little sister was born, he was even wrapped up in an old glove. Another evening, some mischievous young men tried to pry him off the door with a wrench. Later, when the queen decided to change the color of the door, the court painters painted both him and the door, P. Green. Yes, gruff enough certainly had plenty of time to regret being rude to Ferry Blackstick. As for his wife, she didn't miss him much. He often spent his time at the pub and had disagreements with her, along with some unpaid debts to local shopkeepers. Everyone simply assumed he had left to start a new life in Australia or America. When the Prince in Princess became King and Queen, they moved to a new home, and the porter gradually faded from memory. Chapter 5 How Princess Angelica took on a little maid. One day, when Princess Angelica was still a little girl, she was walking in the palace garden with Mrs. Gruffinoff, her governess. Mrs. Gruffinoff was holding a parasol over Angelica's head to protect her fair skin from getting freckles. Angelica was also carrying a bun to feed the swans and ducks in the royal pond. They hadn't made it to the duck pond yet when a funny little girl came totalling up to them. She had a mess of hair blowing around her chubby cheeks, and looked like she hadn't been washed or combed in a long time. She was wearing a torn cloak and had only one shoe on. Mrs. Gruff enough asked, you little rascal, who let you in here? The little girl replied,

give me that bun, me very hungry." Princess Angelica, curious, asked, Hungry? What's that?

And handed the girl the bun.

Mrs. Gruffenoff then said to the king and queen, Who had arrived with their nephew, Prince Giglio. Look how kind and generous Princess Angelica is. She met this little girl in the garden. I don't know how she got in or why the guards didn't stop her, and the sweet princess gave her the whole bun." "'I didn't want it,' said Angelica. "'But you're still a darling little angel,' said the governess. "'Yes, I know I am,' said Angelica. "'Little girl, don't you think I'm very pretty? She was wearing a lovely dress and hat, and her hair was perfectly curled, making her look very nice. Oh, pretty, pretty," said the little girl, dancing around, laughing, eating her bun. As she ate, she sang, oh what fun to have a plum bun, how I wish it never was done. Her song and funny accent made Angelica, Jigglyo, and the King and Queen laugh heartily. I can dance as well as sing, said the little girl. I can dance, sing, and do all sorts of things. She ran to the flower bed, picked some primroses, rotted dendrons, and other flowers, and made herself a little wreath. She danced in front of the king and queen in such a funny and charming way that everyone was delighted. Who was your mother? Who were your relatives, little girl? Ask the the queen. The little girl replied, Little baboon was my brother. Big baboon was my mother, never heard of anyone else. Then she danced away on her one shoe, making everyone laugh. Angelica said to the queen, Mommy, my parrot flew away from its cage yesterday, and I've lost interest in my toys. I met this lovely little girl, and I think we could be great friends. I'd like to invite her home and share some of my old clothes with her. Oh, how generous and kind," said Mrs. Gruffinuff. And, Jeleka, continued, I have some clothes that I've worn a lot and don't need anymore. I'd like to give them to her and have her be my new friend. Would you like to come home with me little girl?" The child clapped her hands and said, Yes, I'll come home with you. You're a pretty princess. I'll have a nice dinner and wear a new dress. Everyone laughed again and took the little girl back to the palace. After she was cleaned up, had her hair combed and put on one of Princess Angelica's old dresses, she looked almost as beautiful as Angelica. Not that Angelica ever thought so, because she believed no one could be as pretty good or clever as herself. To make sure the little girl didn't become too proud, Mrs. Gruff enough put her old ragged cloak and single shoe into a glass box. A card was placed inside with the words, these were the old clothes of little bitcinda found and kindly taken in by her royal highness princess Angelica. The date was also added and the box was locked up. For a while, Little Betzinda was a favorite with Princess Angelica. She danced, sang, and made up little rhymes to entertain her. when the princess got a monkey, then a dog, and later a doll, she lost interest in Betzinda. Betzinda became very sad and quiet, no longer singing her funny songs, because no one cared to hear them. As Betzinda grew older, she became a devoted companion to the princess. Though she wasn't paid, she worked diligently, mending clothes, styling Angelica's hair, and never complaining. Always enthusiastic to help, she woke up early, stayed up late, and was always ready to assist, becoming an exemplary friend and helper. As the two girls grew, Betzinda continued to support Angelica. She made her dresses better than the best dress makers and was useful in many ways. While Angelica had her lessons, but Sinda would sit and listen. She picked up a lot of knowledge by paying attention to the teachers when Angelica was bored or thinking about the next party. When the dancing teacher arrived, Betzindal learned along with Angelica. When the music teacher came, she watched him and practiced the princess's music while Angelica was at parties and balls. When the drawing teacher came, Betzinda paid close attention to everything he did. She also learned French, Italian, and other languages from the teachers who came for Angelica. In the evenings when the princess was going out she would say, Betzinda, you can finish what I've started. Yes, Miss, Betzinda would reply and and cheerfully take on the task. Not just finishing what Angelica started, but doing it herself. For example, when Princess Angelica started drawing a warrior's head, it might look like a rough sketch. But by the time she finished, the warrior would look much more detailed and maybe even a bit more handsome. Angelica would then put her name on the drawing, the king, queen, court, and especially poor Giglio would admire the picture and say, was there ever a talent like Angelica's? The same thing happened with her embroidery and other skills. Angelica actually believed she did all these things herself and enjoyed all the praise as if it were true. She started to think she was the best young woman in the world and that no young man was good enough for her. Meanwhile, Batcinda, who didn't hear any of this praise, remained humble.

She was a kind and grateful girl, always eager to help

and make those around her happy.

This also showed that Angelica had her own flaws

and wasn't the perfect figure everyone might have imagined.

Chapter six. How Prince Jigglyo behaved himself. Let's talk about Prince Jigglyo, the nephew of the king and queen of Paflegonia. As mentioned earlier, as long as he had a nice coat to wear, a good horse to ride, and money in his pocket, he didn't worry about losing his crown in scepter. He was a carefree young man who wasn't very interested in politics or studying. His tutor had an easy job because Giglio refused to learn classical subjects or math. The Lord Chancellor of Pathlegonia, Squartusu, was unhappy because the prince wouldn't study the country's laws and constitution. However, the King's gamekeepers and Huntsman thought Jiglio was a great student. The dancing teacher said he was very graceful and dedicated, and the first lord of the billiard table praised his skills. The tennis court groom also spoke highly of his abilities. The captain of the guard and fencing master, the brave and experienced Count Kutasov heads off, declared that since his duel with the fearsome general grumbest skin, he hadn't seen a better swordsman than Prince Jiglio. Don't worry, there was nothing improper about Prince Jigglyo and Princess Angelica walking together in the palace garden and Jigglyo politely kissing Angelica's hand. First of all, they are cousins and the queen, who is also in the garden, though you can't see her because she's behind a tree,

always hoped they would marry. Jiggly-O and Angelica both liked the idea, and Angelica thought her cousin was handsome, brave, and kind. However, she was very clever and knew a lot of things, while Giglio didn't know much and had little to talk about. For example, when they looked at the stars, Giglio didn't understand much about them. One night while they were standing on a balcony, Angelica pointed out the big dipper and said, there is the bear. Jiggly-o asked, where? And then said, don't worry, Angelica, if a dozen bears come, I'll do everything I can to keep you safe. Angelica thought this was sweet, but also a bit silly, saying, you're very kind, but you're not very wise. Jiglio didn't know much about flowers or butterflies, either. He was unfamiliar with botany and entomology, and Angelica felt that her own knowledge was more impressive. While she liked Giglio, she sometimes looked down on him because of his lack of knowledge. But when it was just the two of them, Angelica liked her cousin quite a lot. King Valoroso was in poor health and loved his fine meals, which were prepared by his French cook, Marmitonio. Because of his health and love for good food, people thought he might not live much longer. The thought of the king leaving his position worried the cunning Prime Minister, Glomboso, and the scheming old lady in waiting, the Countess. They were concerned about what might happen when Prince Giglio, whom they didn't know well, and who had different views, married his cousin and became king. If Jiglio became King, they would lose their positions quickly. Mrs. Gruff enough would have to return all the jewels, laces, snuff boxes, rings and watches that belong to the Queen, Giglio's mother. And Glomboso would have to pay back a huge amount of money, 217,987,439 pounds, 13 pence, and 6 half pennies. money that was left to Prince Giglio by his late father. The Lady of Honor and the Prime Minister disliked Prince Giglio because they had wronged him. To make things worse, they spread misleading rumors about him to turn the king, queen, and princess against him. They claimed Giglio struggled with spelling common words, like writing Valoroso with two elves and spelling Angelica with two elves. They suggested he spent too much time in the stables and had financial troubles with local vendors. They also said he occasionally fell asleep in church and enjoyed playing cards with the pages. It's also important to remember that the queen liked to play cards. The king sometimes dozed off in church, and they both enjoyed eating and drinking a lot. And if Jigglyo owed a little money for pastries, who would pay back the huge amount of 217,987,439 pounds, 13 pence, and 6 half pennies. Despite these unfair accusations, Princess Angelica started to view her cousin differently. He began to laugh at him, make fun of him, and avoid him at court events. Jigglyo was hurt by this, and became so stressed that he had to go to bed and call for the doctor. King Valoroso had his own reasons for disliking his nephew, Prince Giglio. For those who wonder why, I suggest looking into Shakespeare's works, where you can find out why King John disliked Prince Arthur. As for Queen Valoroso, who was Giglio's aunt, and not very strong-minded, she tended to forget about him when he wasn't around. She was more focused on her card games and evening parties, and didn't pay much attention to anything else. I have a feeling that two certain individuals, who shall remain unnamed, would have preferred if Dr. Pill Drafto, the court physician, could have taken care of Prince Giglio's situation entirely. However, the doctor's treatments only seem to make Giglio's condition more challenging, keeping him in his room for several months until he became very thin. During this time, a famous painter named Tomaso Lorenzo came to the court of Paflegonia. Lorenzo was the official painter for the King of Crem Tartari, Paflegonia's neighbor. He painted everyone at court, and people were very pleased with his work. Even Countess Gruffinoff looked young, and Glomboso appeared cheerful in his portraits. Some people said he was flattering too much. Princess Angelica, however, thought he hadn't made her portrait look as good as it could have. She was determined to support the artist, and hoped her father would make Lorenzo a night of the order of the cucumber. Even though everyone at court insisted that Princess Angelica was already such a talented artist that taking lessons was unnecessary, she decided to have Tomaso Lorenzo as her teacher. When she painted in his studio, her pictures were truly amazing. Some of her works were featured in the book of Beauty, and others were sold for large amounts at charity bazaars. Angelica did sign her drawings, But I have a feeling that the real credit for those beautiful pictures goes to Lorenzo. It seems he had other intentions besides just teaching her to draw. One day Lorenzo showed Princess Angelica a portrait of a young man in armor. He had beautiful blue eyes, fair hair, and a look that was both sad and intriguing. Who is this, Mr. Lorenzo? Ask the Princess? Countess Gruffinoff, who was always full of praise at it, I've never

seen anyone so handsome." That, said Lorenzo, is my young master, his royal highness Bulbo, crown prince of crim tartari. He is also the Duke of Acronuria, the Marquis of Paluflo Spuio, and a night-grand cross of the Order of the Pumpkin. You can see the Order of the Pumpkin on his chest. He received it from his father, King Padela I, for his bravery at the battle of Rimbamba Mento. In that battle, he triumphed over the King of Ogoria and more than 200 of the King's giants. The remaining forces were eventually overcome by the Krim Tartar army after a tough fight, though the Krim Tartars also face significant challenges. Princess Angelica thought to herself, what a prince, so brave, so calm, so young, what a hero. The prince is not only brave, but also very talented. Lorenzo continued. He knows every language. Sings beautifully. Plays all sorts of instruments. And even composes operas. His works have been performed for thousands of nights at the Imperial Theater of Crem Tartari. He also danced in a ballet before the King in Queen, and he was so charming that his cousin, the beautiful daughter of the King of Circassia, fell in love with him. Why didn't he marry the poor princess? Asthen Gelica with a sigh? Because they were first cousins, and such marriages are not allowed. Replyed Lorenzo. Besides, the young prince had already given his heart to someone else. And who is she, Ashten Gelica? I'm not allowed to say, answered the painter. Can you tell me the letter of her name? The princess asked eagerly. You can guess it, said Lorenzo. Angelica tried to see, then a Y, an X, a W, and went through almost the entire alphabet. When she got to d and it wasn't right, she grew very excited. When she reached c and it wasn't right, she became even more nervous. Finally, when she reached B and it wasn't that either, she said, oh dear, gruff enough, lend me your smelling bottle. And hiding her head in the countess's shoulder, She whispers faintly. Could it be A? It is A, said Lorenzo. And although I can't tell you the name of the princess he loves so dearly, I can show you her portrait. With that, he pulled back the curtain from a gilded frame. To Angelica's shock, the frame held a mirror, and she saw her own reflection. Yn yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n yw'n y you