Exerpt from The Deaf Prince:
One day when Thomas was almost three years old, he and Christina played in the castle courtyard. As Thomas ran to his mother he tripped over a piece of wood on the ground and hit his head on a rock. Queen Lilli ran to him. Thomas had a big bruise on the side of his head. He was knocked out for two days. Queen Lilli and Christina were with Thomas when he woke up.
“How are you?” his mother asked. Thomas looked at his mother.
“Thomas,” Christina said. Thomas did not look at Christina.
“Thomas!” Christina yelled. Thomas still did not look at Christina.
Lady Diana brought the doctor. A few minutes later the Doctor talked to the King, Queen, Christina, and Lady Diana.
“Thomas can’t hear. I can’t cure him,” the Doctor said.
Everyone was sad. Queen Lilliana, Christina, and Lady Diana cried.
When the Fairy Queen Rose visited Thomas she told King William, “I wish I could help, but fairy magic cannot heal injuries like this.”
“Yes, I know, Queen Rose.”
Christina came to the King and Fairy Queen. She pulled on the King’s hand and said, “Thomas! Thomas!”
King William and Queen Rose followed Christina to Thomas’s bedroom. He lay on the floor, crying. King William hugged him and Thomas quit crying.
“Is Christina his best friend?” Queen Rose asked.
“Yes,” King William said.
“Good! I give her the power to talk with Thomas.”
“He can’t hear. How will she talk to him?” King William asked.
“She will. That is all I can tell you,” Queen Rose said.
Thomas is a young prince in a fairy tale kingdom who loses his hearing at a young age. Because he is deaf, he never learns to speak with his mouth. His friend Christina is the daughter of a duke and a fairy princess. Although Christina has no magical powers, she is the one who teaches Thomas ‘listen’ and ‘speak’.