The Blue Bird (fairy tale) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids The Blue Bird
The princess is given a necklace by the Prince, under the guise of a blue bird.
Folk tale
Name	The Blue Bird
Also known as	L'oiseau bleu
Data
Aarne–Thompson grouping	ATU 432 (The Prince as Bird; The Bird Lover)
Region	France
Published in	Les Contes des Fées (1697), by Madame d'Aulnoy
Related	The Feather of Finist the Falcon; The Green Knight

The Blue Bird is a classic fairy tale from France. It was written by a French author named Madame d'Aulnoy. She published it in 1697. This story is about a prince who turns into a bird. It also features a kind princess.

An English version of the tale was put into The Green Fairy Book. This book was published in 1892. It was collected by Andrew Lang. This type of story is known as Aarne-Thompson type 432. It is called "The Prince as Bird." Other similar tales include "The Feather of Finist the Falcon" and "The Green Knight".

The Story of The Blue Bird
The Blue Bird's Legacy
Similar Stories
Mentions in Other Works
Images for kids
See also

The Story of The Blue Bird

A New Family and Jealousy

A rich king lost his wife. He then met a woman who had also lost her husband. They fell in love and got married. The king had a kind and beautiful daughter named Florine. The new queen had a daughter named Truitonne. Truitonne was spoiled and not very nice. She was also not as pretty as Florine. Soon, the queen and Truitonne became very jealous of Florine's beauty.

Prince Charming Arrives

One day, the king decided it was time for his daughters to marry. A handsome visitor, Prince Charming, came to the kingdom. The queen wanted him to marry Truitonne. She dressed Truitonne in her best clothes. She also paid Florine's helpers to hide all of Florine's dresses and jewels.

But the queen's plan did not work. When Prince Charming saw Florine, he liked her right away. He only paid attention to Florine. The queen and Truitonne were very angry. They bothered the king until he agreed to lock Florine up. She stayed locked away for the whole visit. They also tried to make Prince Charming think badly of Florine.

A Tricky Meeting

The queen sent many gifts to Prince Charming. But when he heard they were from Truitonne, he refused them. The queen angrily told him that Florine would stay in the tower. She would be there until he left. Prince Charming was upset. He begged to speak with Florine for a moment.

The queen was tricky. She agreed, but she went to meet the Prince herself. It was dark where they met. Prince Charming thought Truitonne was Florine. He accidentally asked for the princess's hand in marriage.

The Prince Becomes a Bird

Truitonne worked with her fairy godmother, Mazilla. Mazilla told her it would be hard to trick the Prince. At the wedding, Truitonne showed the Prince's ring. She said he had promised to marry her. When Prince Charming realized he was tricked, he refused to marry her. Nothing Truitonne or Mazilla did could change his mind.

Finally, Mazilla threatened to curse him. She said he would be cursed for breaking his promise. Prince Charming still would not agree. So, Mazilla turned him into a blue bird.

Florine and the Blue Bird

When the queen heard the news, she blamed Florine. She dressed Truitonne as a bride. She showed her to Florine. The queen claimed Prince Charming had agreed to marry Truitonne. Then, she told the king that Florine was too obsessed with Prince Charming. She said Florine should stay in the tower until she was sensible.

However, the bluebird flew to the tower one evening. He told Florine the truth. For many years, the bluebird visited her often. He brought her beautiful gifts of jewels.

The Queen's Discovery

Over the years, the queen kept looking for someone to marry Truitonne. One day, she was very frustrated. Many men had refused to marry Truitonne. The queen went to Florine in her tower. She found Florine singing with the bluebird. Florine opened the window to let the bird fly away. But the queen saw Florine's jewelry. She realized Florine was getting help from somewhere.

The queen accused Florine of being a traitor. But the bluebird managed to stop the queen's plan.

A Dangerous Trap

For many days, Florine did not call the bluebird. She was afraid of the queen's spy. But one night, the spy was sleeping soundly. Florine called the bluebird. They continued to meet for a few more nights. Then the spy heard one of their meetings. The spy told the queen.

The queen ordered the fir tree, where the bird sat, to be covered with sharp glass and metal. She wanted him to be badly hurt and unable to fly. When Florine called for the bluebird, he landed on the tree. He cut his wings and feet. He could not fly to Florine. When the bluebird did not answer Florine's call, she thought he had betrayed her. Luckily, a kind enchanter heard the Prince crying. He rescued the bluebird from the tree.

The Search for King Charming

The enchanter convinced Mazilla to change Prince Charming back into a man. He would be a man for a few months. If he still refused Truitonne after that, he would turn back into a bird.

One day, Florine's father died. The people of the kingdom demanded Florine be set free. When the queen tried to stop them, they killed her. Truitonne ran away to Mazilla. Florine became queen. She started to look for King Charming.

Florine dressed as a peasant woman. She began a journey to find the King. She met an old woman who was another fairy. The fairy told her that King Charming was human again. He had agreed to marry Truitonne. The fairy gave Florine four magical eggs.

The Magic Eggs

Florine used the first egg to climb a big hill made of ivory. The second egg held a carriage pulled by doves. It took her to King Charming's castle. But she could not reach the king in her disguise. She offered to sell Truitonne the beautiful jewelry King Charming had given her. Truitonne showed it to the King to find out the right price. He recognized it as the jewelry he gave to Florine. He felt sad.

Truitonne went back to Florine. Florine would only sell the jewelry for a night in the Chamber of Echoes. King Charming had told her about this room one night. Whatever she said in there would be heard in the king's room. Florine spoke sadly all night. She told him how he had left her. But he had taken a sleeping potion and did not hear her.

She broke the third egg. It held a tiny coach pulled by mice. Again, she traded it for the Chamber of Echoes. She cried all night long again. But only the pages, who were servants, heard her.

Reunion and Happiness

The next day, she opened the last egg. It held a pie with six singing birds. She gave it to a page. The page told her that the King took sleeping potions at night. She gave the page the singing birds as a bribe. She told him not to give the King a sleeping potion that night.

The King was awake. He heard Florine. He ran to the Chamber of Echoes. He recognized his true love. He knelt at her feet. They were very happy to be together again.

The enchanter and the fairy promised to protect them from Mazilla. When Truitonne tried to cause trouble, they quickly turned her into a pig. King Charming and Queen Florine got married. They lived happily ever after.

The Blue Bird's Legacy

This fairy tale was used in plays. James Planché adapted many of Madame d'Aulnoy's stories for the stage. His play based on this story was called King Charming, or the Blue Bird of Paradise.

Mentions in Other Works

The famous writer Jean-Paul Sartre mentioned The Blue Bird in his book The Words. He said it was one of the first books he loved as a child.

In the famous ballet, The Sleeping Beauty, the Bluebird and Princess Florine appear. They are at Princess Aurora's wedding celebration.

Images for kids

Cover of an edition of The Blue Bird
Florine bribes her stepsister.