The Knight Who Was Afraid of the Dark

Sir Reginald was the bravest, strongest knight in the whole kingdom. He was very kind. He helped people, and he was not afraid of anything. Well, almost anything. Sir Reginald had a big secret: he was afraid of the dark. At night, he made sure his room was full of bright, warm candles. He never, ever went into the dark castle cellars. He was a brave knight, but he did not like spooky shadows. 'A knight cannot be afraid,' he would tell himself. 'I must be brave.'

One night, there was a big, loud thunderstorm. CRASH! BOOM! The wind blew, and the rain fell. The little princess, Clara, came running to Sir Reginald. She was crying. 'Oh, Sir Reginald, help!' she cried. 'My little kitten, Patches, is lost! I heard him meow. He is in the tallest, darkest tower!' Sir Reginald's heart skipped. The tallest, darkest tower? It was the spookiest place in the whole castle. He was very, very scared. But the princess was so sad, and he was a very kind knight.

Sir Reginald's knees were knocking under his shiny armor. 'Do not worry, princess,' he said in a shaky voice. 'I will save him.' He took a deep, brave breath. He lit one tiny, little candle. His hand was shaking as he walked to the tower door. He pushed it open. CREEEAAK! It was so dark. Spooky shadows danced on the walls. 'Patches?' he called. He walked up the winding, stone stairs. 'Meow!' He heard a little cry from way up at the top. 'I am coming, little cat!' he called.

He climbed higher and higher into the dark. Finally, he reached the top. There, in a corner, was the little kitten. Patches was not scared at all! He was sitting, watching the rain. When he saw Sir Reginald, he started to purr. 'Purrr, purrr.' It was a loud, happy, rumbling sound. Sir Reginald picked up the soft, warm kitten. The purring sound made him feel safe. It was a friendly sound in the dark. He carried Patches all the way back down. He realized the dark was not so scary, after all. He was not just a brave knight; he was a knight who was brave enough to face his fears to help a friend.