My life was normal. From birth, my mother cared for us but we all soon became too big for her to care for. So one day my mom's master brought me to some place that smelled really bad; it smelled of mold and despair. There were other humans in this place, each in their own rooms, and for some reason they were yelling. I did not like the yelling. It was very loud to my sensitive little three-month-old ears.

One cage as we passed held a very unusual man. He was the only one not yelling; in fact when he saw me he quieted down and did not yell. I appreciated that. But anyway, the master carried me on past the door and to another part of the building: A large door with chains hung on it. I did not like the smell of the place but if the master saw it fit for me then I would stay there.

The person in the room scared me for a moment after the master left, but then she gave me some food and I was happy to be in the room with her. Every day she would give me some funny-tasting water but I trusted her and drank it. The days turned into months and I was really beginning to love my new mistress. She never left our room and food was brought into her, so I was never alone. I liked that.

I was 21 in doggy years when my mistress told me that something special was going to happen today. I was excited. I was hoping that I was going to be taken outside for long walkies in the yard, but no, it was something else.

Early that afternoon I heard some noise in the hallway that led to our room. My mistress asked me if I needed a scratch and sat down on a stool in the center of the room. Moments later a scary-looking man opened the little peeping window on the door and opened the door. I was so excited I didn't even mind the smell of the leather coverings they were wearing.

My mistress was kind and put a leash on my neck so I would stay with her and not get into trouble with those yelling people in the hallway. We walked. I could hear someone yelling for the governor (my old master). The man yelling sounded very concerned about something. Before my mistress and I got to the doorway she told me that we had hide because she did not want someone named Wendell to see us just yet.

The man near the door went silent and I could smell blood. Soon another man entered the room and was yelling for Giles - probably the man that had been in the room earlier. I was very excited - this man smelled like the outdoors and I wanted to just go and jump up on him and lick his face; I already liked this man.

The scary people that had released us from our room were now hitting this man. I wanted to bite them but my mistress told me to be quiet and I was always told to listen to your master or mistress as the case may be. My mistress began talking: Something about him being far from his castle and then that he would beg at her feet for food. My mistress unleashed me; I ran to the man and wanted a good scratching, but no, I turned into him and him into me.

How can humans walk on two legs without falling over and how can they stand those things on their paws? I quickly removed them and then noticed to my dismay my tail was gone. My real body ran off and left me in his body. It was then that I began to realize my mistress was using me for evil and Mama always told us evil was no good.

My mistress left me with the scary person to take outside. This made me happy; I had not been outside in so long and I quickly forgot that I was in a human's body instead of my beautiful golden retriever body.

After the scary man took me outside I heard howling coming from the building. It sounded like another dog so I howled back. My mistress returned and was talking with the scary man who was beginning to look like he was going to bite my mistress. I was rolling around, happy to be in the dirt again like when I was a puppy - it was such bliss. But good things only last so long and my mistress hit me and told me to get in the carriage.

The ride was great fun! I was able to stick my head out the window though I got a bunch of looks from other humans. The carriage stopped at a very old looking castle. I may be a dog but I know what a castle looks like. The castle looked like it had not been lived in for years. When we entered the castle there were so many smells to take in and a large picture.

Being very curious I asked my mistress who it was. My mistress told me it was Snow White's stepmother. I had heard the story when the master would tell the little mistress a bedtime story. I became very scared of my mistress. She was evil but I still loved her; she after all had raised me from a scared little pup.

The next morning I was just exploring and the mistress yelled at me for being on all fours. She then told me that I was Prince Wendell of the Fourth Kingdom. I was starving and my mistress fed me but not in my bowl; on a plate like a human. She also would not give me my ball. Mistress left and told me to practice using my fork and knife. I think I got the hang of them though my face did get quite messy, but I did not care - the food was succulent.

Barking outside of the window grabbed my attention. When I went to the window it was me looking down. I tried to reach up and touch myself - that is how we were put into this mess in the first place. But the prince ran off hopefully to get help. He did not get back before the mistress returned. She hit me again for not cleaning up after myself.

The days went slowly. Every day I would have lessons on how to be this Prince Wendell and every time I did something wrong I was hit. I could not take it any longer. I had heard of humans hanging themselves at the last home so I decided I would try that. Some of the other people found me and notified the mistress. She yelled at me and then she knocked the chair from underneath me and yelled at me again. I had to take a horseback lesson but I hate horses. In fact I am scared of them.

The man helped me up and then hit the horse's rear. I still have nightmares of that horse. I was thrown from the horse but I found myself in a place I liked. It was a farm. A little girl lived there with her family. I was hoping maybe I had escaped my mistress and could find the prince and get my body back, but my role in the plot was not over. My mistress showed up and I became scared; I cowered in the corner as she killed the nice family that had helped me.

I went to the carriage and the mistress soon followed with something that smelled like breakfast but she told me it was something called troll head. We drove and came to a town with a lot of balloons and such in it. The mistress told me to hold the head out the window so I did anything to keep from getting another beating. When we arrived at a bigger palace I had to get out with out the mistress. I really had to go to the bathroom so I was fine with it.

I could not understand how the prince could eat such things. I mean the cheese sandwich was okay, but the cocoa - yuck. I had a very bad nightmare that night about never being a doggy again. A man I never met woke me up. He could tell I was not the true prince, so I told him the entire story - that was a big mistake. The nice man was also killed. I was scared again when the mistress killed him, we - or actually she - spoke with all of the servants and threatened them. The man I met in the other place with all of the people in it showed up and whispered to me that he was going to help. I knew I liked him.

My mistress was grooming me for the coronation for that night. I was nervous but I knew of Wolf's plan to bring someone named Virginia to the palace to help. He promised me that she could withstand the queen.

A horrible-smelling man came in to speak with the mistress. He had in his possession me - or actually the prince - but it was my body. I was correct that if we could only touch I would be a doggy again, but the man took the prince away before I could touch him. I was sent down to the party while the mistress went to her hiding place. It seemed to me that she was doing a lot of hiding for someone that was suppose to have all of those powers.

I danced with an old woman named Cinderella who I discovered was two hundred years old. I am not going to go into how I discovered it but just that I did. The questions that the nobles asked were hard. Deep down in my heart I was hoping I would not pass the test, but of course I did. The last question was from Cinderella, the woman I'd danced with. I thought I had failed the question but it amused her and she passed me. I was crowned and then the man named Wolf gave me something to drink. It smelled great so I gave my toast and drank.

When I awoke I found my head hurting for one, but also the mistress dead and a girl crying over her body. Wolf spoke with her and then released the prince. He jumped into my arms - or his arms - it is too confusing, but we did change back.

I was scared that now that my mistress was dead I was to be killed or just put out to wander the world alone. A celebration was held and I was one of the guests of honor. I was given a golden kennel and my own mountain of bones, though I would give them all up for the king, my new master. He was going to give me to Virginia and Wolf but decided he needed a friend around the palace that knew the suffering of royalty - just a joke on his part, but at least I have a great master now.

Destiny works in very mysterious ways, I can tell you that. I was taken from my mom and given to a crazy lady, but just when I thought my life was over I got a good and kind master in King Wendell.