Princess Mira wanted to make a map of the palace garden. The old map showed the fountain, the great gates, and the wide path to the terrace. It did not show her favorite places.
She drew a circle for the bench where her grandmother told stories. She drew three dots for the stones beside the pond. Then she drew a tiny square where the gardener kept spare pots.
Her brother looked at the page. ‘How will anyone find the great gates?’
Mira had forgotten them. She added the gates at the edge.
The next morning, the gardener asked to see her map.
‘May I borrow it? A new helper starts today.’
Mira was pleased until she realized that her tiny square had no label. The helper would not know what it meant.
When the helper arrived, Mira sat beside him and explained each mark. He asked questions: Which path stayed dry after rain? Where was the tap? Which bench had shade at noon?
Mira took him through the garden. Together they found answers. She added the tap, the dry path, and a patch of shade.
At the pond, they stopped beside her three stones.
‘What are these for?’ he asked.
‘Sitting and watching,’ she said.
He sat for a moment. A small frog moved under a leaf. The fountain sounded softer from there.
‘That belongs on a map too.’
Mira made two copies. One went to the helper. One went beside the garden door, where visitors could see it.
Her brother studied the new labels.
‘Now I can find the gates,’ he said. ‘And the frog.’
Mira smiled. She had started by drawing places she loved. Questions had helped her make a map that someone else could use.
That evening, she sat on the story bench with her grandmother. She pointed to the small circle on the page.
‘We are here,’ she said.
Her grandmother put an arm around her.
‘A very good place to finish the day.’
