There are also passages that strongly tempt one to adopt an allegorical interpretationfor example, this character stands for God, and that scene represents the conversion experience, etc. There is, indeed, a touch of moralizing in this taleor at least, the virtuous hero and heroine are strongly contrasted with the villainous people of the capital cityyet at the same time, it is a very quirky and unorthodox kind of moralizing, which even casts a moralistic preacher as a villain! MacDonald had a background as a minister, so it should come as no surprise that his fairy tales are influenced by religious ideas. But before the danger is over, a very small group of people will have to fight against a huge army…

Of course, the brave and thoughtful young princess is also a great help. With very few people to count on, Curdie must rely mostly on his wits, his courage, his boundless energy, some ugly friends, and his mattock (which is like a pickaxe combined with a hammer). When he finally reaches Irene and her father, he finds out that the king is being drugged and that his courtiers are plotting to overthrow him. He is menaced by dangerous birds, wicked townspeople, and the corrupt and treasonous servants and courtiers in the kings palace.

On his way, Curdie is befriended by a bizarre and ugly creature (formerly a pet of the goblins). After a few tests of his faithfulness, that mysterious young-old lady gives Curdie a special gift and sends him on a mission.Ĭurdie, at first, does not know what his mission is aboutonly that he is to go to the capital city, present himself to the king, and find out how he is needed.

He is, to say the least, a big disappointment…until Princess Irenes great great grandmother, the magical lady that lives in the dove tower of the kings house in the mountains, confronts Curdie with his shortcomings. He doesn’t whistle or sing any more, he no longer spends much time looking at beautiful animals and plants, he is not such a good son to his parents, and he has stopped believing in the magic that he had a brush with in his previous adventure. Curdie, the miners son, no longer has the Princess Irene to protect or the goblins and their bizarre creatures to fight against. The sequel to The Princess and the Goblin begins with a taste of the sort of disappointment that, in real-life stories, often follows the happily ever after ending.

The princess and curdie