Princess Furball facts for kids

Princess Furball is a children's book from 1989. It was written by Charlotte Huck and illustrated by Anita Lobel. This book was the first of five children's books written by Charlotte Huck. Anita Lobel has illustrated many books over more than fifty years.

The story is like a Cinderella tale. It is similar to the English story 'Catskin'. It also reminds readers of the 'Many Furs' or 'Thousand Furs' story by the Brothers Grimm. This type of story comes from the British Isles, Central Europe, and Eastern Europe. Between 1989 and 1994, 22 different versions of the book were printed. These were in both English and Japanese. The book has even been used in school classes.

The Story of Princess Furball

A Princess's Escape from a Bad Deal

The story begins with a princess who has no mother. She often feels lonely. Her kind nurse, who taught her many skills, has recently passed away. The princess is good at writing, reading, dancing, and cooking.

Her father, the king, does not pay much attention to her. He makes a deal to marry her off to an ogre. In return, he will get fifty wagons of silver. The princess is very upset about this. She tries to stop the wedding. She asks her father for four impossible wedding gifts.

She wants a dress "as golden as the sun." She also asks for a dress "silvery as the moon." Then, she requests a dress "as glittering as the stars." Finally, she asks for a coat made from a thousand different types of fur. Sadly, her father is able to find all these gifts. This means she must marry the ogre.

Life in a New Kingdom

With no other choice, the princess decides to run away. She takes her new dresses and the fur coat. She also brings a golden ring, a thimble, and a small spinning wheel. Her mother had given her these special items.

Wearing her coat of a thousand furs, the princess walks through the night. It is snowing, and she goes deep into a forest. This journey takes her to a new, unknown kingdom. The next morning, the king of this land is hunting with his men. They find the princess sleeping inside a hollow tree. She had spent the night there.

The king's men capture her. They make her work in the palace kitchen. A grumpy cook watches over her. Her sleeping place is a woodshed near the kitchen.

The Mysterious Ball Guest

One day, the princess learns the king will have a big ball. She begs the cook to let her see the guests arrive. He agrees. She quickly goes to her shed. There, she cleans up and puts on her first amazing dress.

At the ball, she charms the king. He doesn't recognize her as the "Furball" who works in his kitchen. At the end of the night, she quickly leaves. The king doesn't get a chance to ask her more questions.

Back in the kitchen, the princess is told to make soup for the king. She makes a soup that tastes much better than the cook's usual soup. She then secretly drops her mother's golden ring into the king's soup bowl. The king loves the new taste and is surprised by the ring. He asks the cook about it. The cook points to Furball, saying she made it. But the princess pretends not to know about the ring.

Revealing the Princess's Identity

Another ball is held, and the princess repeats her plan. She asks the cook to let her peek at the guests. Then she puts on her next beautiful dress. The king is once again very impressed by her.

Later, Furball prepares soup for the king. This time, she drops her thimble into it. The king questions her again, but she still doesn't tell him the truth.

A third ball takes place. This time, the princess drops her spinning wheel into the soup. But something is different this time. While dancing, the king had slipped the golden ring onto the princess's finger. She either didn't notice or forgot to take it off. When questioned about the spinning wheel, the ring on her finger reveals her true identity to the king.

The king tells her he loves her. He understands her sad story after she explains where she came from. The princess and the king then get married. They live happily ever after.