Somebody Else's Prince facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Somebody Else's Prince" |
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| Author | Evelyn Sharp |
| Country | Britain |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Children's literature |
| Published in | The Other Side of the Sun |
| Publisher | John Lane |
| Media type | |
| Publication date | 1900 |
Somebody Else’s Prince is a magical short story by Evelyn Sharp. It was published in 1900 as part of her book, The Other Side of the Sun. This collection also includes other tales like The Weird Witch of the Willowherb and The Magician's Tea-Party.
Contents
Meet the Author: Evelyn Sharp
Evelyn Sharp (1869–1955) was a very important writer. She also worked hard for women’s suffrage in Britain. This was a movement to give women the right to vote.
She was a key member of groups like the Women's Social and Political Union. She also helped start the United Suffragists. During the First World War, she became the editor of a newspaper called Votes for Women.
Evelyn Sharp was even put in prison twice for her activism. She also refused to pay certain taxes to protest. She was a well-known author, especially for her children's books.
Story Summary: Princess Gentianella's Adventure
This story is about a King and Queen who have five children. They have four sons and one daughter, Princess Gentianella. Each child has their own garden, all lined up.
Princess Gentianella's garden is the most beautiful. It is at the very end of the row and has a tall stone wall around it. Her parents kept building the wall higher as she grew. They wanted to stop her from seeing the world outside. They thought this was a smart way to protect her.
Prince Hyacinth Leaves Home
As the four princes grew up, they left their gardens one by one. The youngest prince, Prince Hyacinth, said goodbye to his sister. Princess Gentianella was very sad. She would now have to play in the gardens all by herself.
But Prince Hyacinth tried to cheer her up. He said, "Perhaps, if you wait long enough, some other prince will come into your garden, and then you can ask him to play with you."
A Mysterious Visitor and a Hidden World
On the same day Prince Hyacinth left, a creature called a wymp appeared on the wall. Princess Gentianella asked the wymp what was on the other side. The wymp teased her, telling her about the world beyond the wall.
Then, the wymp helped Princess Gentianella climb onto the wall. She could finally see for herself!
To her surprise, she saw another garden on the other side. In this garden, she saw a Prince! His name was Prince Amaryllis. He belonged to a kingdom on the other side of her wall.
The Invisible Kingdom's Secret
Prince Amaryllis was happy to see someone. But he wondered how it was possible. His kingdom was invisible to other countries. This happened because his great-grandfather once forgot to ask a Witch to dance. The Witch was offended and made the whole country invisible.
Prince Amaryllis was working in the garden to try and break the spell. A King’s son had to spend a whole year in this garden. He had to try and make the flowers grow. If he failed, he would face a very serious consequence.
A New Friendship Blossoms
The Prince climbed over the wall into Princess Gentianella’s garden. He hoped she could show him how to grow beautiful flowers. They spent their days walking and talking. Even after he went back over the wall, they would remember more things to discuss.
Days passed, and they always played in the Princess’s garden. It was much nicer than the Prince’s.
A Difficult Choice and a Sad Farewell
One afternoon, Princess Gentianella went to meet Prince Amaryllis. He looked very sad. The year was ending, and he had failed to grow any flowers. He told her he was ready to face his fate, which surprised the Princess.
Prince Amaryllis explained that if he had made the flowers grow, he would have to marry the Witch’s daughter, Anemone. Princess Gentianella was not happy about this news. She realized he had been "somebody else’s prince" all along.
The Prince tried to explain that he had no choice. It was the only way to break the spell on his kingdom. But Princess Gentianella was upset and left him at the wall. Her parents noticed she was sad. Her mother tried to comfort her, saying, "You will soon find another prince in your garden." But the Princess wept, "But not that Prince."
Tears of Hope and a New Discovery
Princess Gentianella soon got over her anger. The Prince still hadn't grown any flowers. The next morning, she ran out to fix her friendship with him. To her surprise, the Prince was not on the other side of the wall. She called his name, but there was no answer.
The Princess then jumped down into the Prince’s garden. She still couldn't see the invisible country. But she could hear the voices of its people. They were saying, "Our Prince cannot make the flowers grow, and the Witch has taken him away to face his fate."
When Princess Gentianella heard this, she started to cry. Wherever her tears landed, flowers began to grow! She was so excited. The wymp reappeared on the wall. She could hear the kingdom shouting with joy at the sudden flowers.
The wymp then pointed out that Prince Amaryllis could now marry Anemone, the Witch’s beautiful daughter. The Princess was sad again. But the wymp reassured her. "Don't you fret about that, my little dear," he said. "Do you suppose the Witch’s daughter wants anybody else’s Prince, either?" Princess Gentianella clapped her hands. "Of course she doesn't!" she cried. "But perhaps she does not know he is somebody else’s Prince."
A Determined Journey and Unexpected Help
The Princess decided to find her prince. She ran towards the invisible kingdom. She ran and ran until the Prince's kingdom had to stop being invisible. No one had ever tried so hard to see it before!
Along the way, the Princess met many characters. She met a lamb, a woodcutter, a fish, a sea-serpent, and an old woman. They all helped her on her journey because they were touched by her kindness. She told everyone she met that the Prince would not be marrying Princess Anemone.
Seasons and Surprises
As she traveled through the invisible kingdom, the Princess saw landscapes from every season. This was because "it is no use being particular about the time of year when there is no one to see what kind of weather you are having."
The Princess met the old woman, who was doing an experiment. She wanted to see if anyone was brave enough that thistles wouldn't hurt them. The Princess helped pick thistles, and they couldn't hurt her gentle hands.
As she continued, she met a beautiful girl in the woods. The girl was crying because her mother wanted her to marry a prince. But she was already "somebody else’s Princess." The Princess realized they were in similar situations. It turned out the beautiful girl was Anemone, the Witch’s daughter! Anemone was in love with Princess Gentianella’s brother, Hyacinth.
Happy Endings for Everyone
Anemone was worried because she had sent Hyacinth to stop Prince Amaryllis. But Princess Gentianella wasn't concerned. She knew "nobody could possibly be strong enough to kill my Prince, and as for Hyacinth, he will be quite safe, for Prince Amaryllis is much too nice to hurt anyone."
The Princess was right! The two princes arrived, arm in arm. When the Witch arrived (who was also the old woman from the field), she was furious. But Princess Gentianella’s kind manner calmed her down.
In the end, everyone got what they wanted. The Witch decided to become a "nice old lady." Prince Amaryllis and Princess Gentianella returned to their gardens. They knocked down the wall and turned their two gardens into one big, beautiful space.
Main Characters in the Story
- Princess Gentianella: She is small, fair, lovely, and very kind. The whole world loves her, and even the sun and fairies help her flowers grow. She is curious and expects great things. She is brave and doesn't wait for a prince to save her. She falls in love with Prince Amaryllis.
- Prince Amaryllis: He is a kind and strong prince, but he struggles to grow flowers. He falls in love with Princess Gentianella.
- Princess Anemone: She is the beautiful daughter of the Witch. She is tired of her mother’s experiments and wants to make her own choices. She falls in love with Prince Hyacinth.
- Prince Hyacinth: He is the youngest of Princess Gentianella’s older brothers. He falls in love with Princess Anemone.
- The Witch/the Old Woman: She loves doing experiments and everyone fears her. She has a quick temper. But she also likes being seen as a nice old woman. Princess Gentianella’s kindness softens her heart, and she stops being a mean witch.
- The King and Queen: They believe they are protecting Princess Gentianella by building the wall. But they don't fully understand her. The Queen understands her a little better than the King.
Story Themes and Elements
Flower Names for Characters
Evelyn Sharp often named her characters after flowers:
Nature and Gardens
Sharp often writes about nature and gardens in her stories. For example, you can see this in The Lady Daffodilia.
Fairy Tale Elements
The story uses many common fairy tale elements:
- Magic: Spells and enchanted kingdoms.
- Talking animals: Animals that act and speak like humans.
- Sarcasm and satire: Clever, witty remarks that make a point. For example, "I am very glad you can see me," he added politely; "one gets a little tired sometimes of being heard and not seen." Princess Gentianella replied, "When I was a little girl, I was always taught to be seen and not heard. That was very dull, too."
- Glorifying kindness: Showing how human kindness can be a powerful force.
- Monsters: Creatures like the sea serpent.
- Quests: A journey to find something important.
- Royalty: Kings, queens, princes, and princesses.
- Good and evil characters: Clear differences between good and bad.
- Repetition: Repeating words or phrases for effect.
