The Hundredth Princess facts for kids
"The Hundredth Princess" is a short fairy tale for children. It was written by Evelyn Sharp. This story is part of a collection of tales found in her book called The Other Side of the Sun, published in 1900 by John Lane.
What is "The Hundredth Princess" About?
This fairy tale tells the story of a beautiful woman known as the Green Enchantress. She lives in the forest and is upset because the King hunts small animals there for fun. She tries to stop him by using her magic, but it doesn't work.
When her magic fails, the Enchantress starts to doubt her powers. She decides to give up being an Enchantress and instead live a simple life as a scullery maid in the King's palace. She visits a magician named Smilax, who turns her into an ordinary girl. In return, she gives up her magical abilities.
The King quickly notices his new scullery maid. He is charmed by her natural beauty. He starts secretly helping her with her chores and completely forgets about hunting. They spend many afternoons together in the palace garden.
Later, the King invites the Enchantress to his royal ball. He declares her a princess, even though his staff suspect she is just a scullery maid. Ninety-nine other princesses arrive at the ball, each hoping to dance with the King and win his heart. But the story says none of them are as beautiful as the Green Enchantress.
At the end of the ball, after the staff argue about who she really is, the King makes a big announcement. He declares the Green Enchantress his new Queen! To please his new wife, he promises to never hunt animals again.
Who Was Evelyn Sharp?
Evelyn Sharp was an important journalist and writer from England. She was born in 1869. Her friend, Henry Nevinson, inspired her to become a journalist and writer.
Through her work as a journalist, Evelyn learned about how women's rights were limited. This made her very interested in the women's movement. She wanted to help spread awareness about these challenges. She wrote stories to encourage people to work towards gender equality in jobs and society.
Her short stories were published in two books: The Other Side of the Sun (1900) and All the way to Fairy Land (1898). She also wrote for a publication called The Yellow Book.
