Crown Princess Victoria Kaiulani was born on Christmas Day, 1875. Kaiulani lived a life of privilege, expecting to ascend to the throne as queen of the Hawaiian Islands.

Princess Kaiulani was 13 years old when Robert Lewis Stevenson, one of the world's most popular writers, lived briefly in a grass hut next door to the royal estate. He fascinated the young girl with tales of the South Seas as they sat on a stone bench under a banyan tree. Shortly after their meeting, the princess was sent to England to further her education. The two never saw each other again.

Kaiulani returned to her homeland as a princess without a kingdom in 1897. The monarchy had died four years earlier when Queen Liliuokalani was forced to abdicate. The islands were about to be named a republic by the U.S.

Kaiulani's fairy-tale life ended tragically when she caught a cold while riding in a rainstorm. It led to her death at age 23.

I made a grass hut to remember Kaiulani's would-be kingdom using directions I found at familyfun.go.com on the Web. Type "little grass house" in the search box. While the grass grew well on the roof of my house, the "yard" did not.

Supplies you will need:

• 4 new standard kitchen sponges in various colors

• Ruler

• Permanent marker

• Scissors

• Large plastic food storage container

• Spray bottle of water

• ½-cup grass seed

• Floral pins

Wet the sponges slightly to create a good growing surface.

Use the ruler to mark the halfway point on the sponge you will use for your roof. Insert the pointed end of the scissors into the side of the sponge and cut along the line to create a hinge. Do not cut the two sides in half.

Measure and divide the side wall in half to create two pieces.

Cut a sponge in half for the front and back walls. Cut a door out of the front and cut the tops into peaks to meet the roofline.

Divide the last sponge in half lengthwise and cut a small section the length of the house out of each one, then "wrap" around the walls of the house.

Fit all the pieces together and secure with floral pins, attaching the roof to the sides then the front and back walls. Attach the lawn last.

Place the house on an upturned lid of a plastic container. Spray the house and sprinkle grass seeds on the surfaces.

Keep the house moist, warm and well-lit. Place the container over the house but leave it ajar on the lid to prevent mold. When your grass needs mowing, remove the cover.