Princess Kamala is an eleven-year-old young girl living in 12th century West Africa.
Within her family, she is the third child of four siblings, having two brothers and one
sister. Her father works very hard hunting and farming to provide for the family; while
her mother also works hard caring and maintaining the family. Kamala is a loving,
caring, and unselfish child. She helps her mom with the daily chores. She wakes up
early each morning to bring water used for washing, and meal preparation that her mother
cooks for everyone. She helps her younger brother make his toys and her older brother
with his duties at school. She works very hard to please all her family members and
friends. Although Kamala has a loving disposition to all who know her, she holds her
own feelings in and does not share them. She dreams and wishes that she were a princess
living someplace else. For years she keeps her dream secret and does not reveal her
idea to anyone. Kamala knows her dreams are impossible because of how humbles her
circumstances are. She fears that if others knew of her dream, she would be ridiculed by
close friends, neighbors, and worst, family members. She could not bear the thought of
people laughing or making fun of her, so she goes about her daily chores in silence,
holding her feelings deep inside where no one can find them. Holding her dreams secret
fosters feelings of loneliness and sadness. Loneliness, isolation and not sharing her
thoughts and feelings begin to take its toll. She slowly becomes depressed and sullen.