The Imp Prince facts for kids

The Imp Prince (known as Le Prince Lutin in French) is a French fairy tale. It was written by Marie Catherine d'Aulnoy and published in her book Fairy Tales (Les Contes des Fees) in 1697.

The word Lutin in French has several meanings. A lutin was like an imp or hobgoblin in the old stories of Normandy. They were similar to house-spirits found in German and Scandinavian myths. This story helps us understand what a Lutin is like.

Different Names for the Story

When this tale was published in English, it had many different names. Some titles were The Hobgoblin Prince, Prince Sprite, Prince Ariel, Prince Elfin, or The Invisible Prince. A German version of the story was called Prinz Kobold.

The Story of Léandre

This fairy tale is about a handsome prince named Léandre. He was human but later turned into a lutin, or imp. This happened after the king forced him to leave the royal court and live in the countryside.

Léandre's Early Life and Trouble

Once upon a time, there lived a king and queen. They had a son named Furibon who was very strange-looking. He was both very big and very small at the same time. Furibon had an ugly face, a deformed body, and a mean spirit. But his mother, the queen, thought he was the most beautiful child ever.

Furibon's teacher was a rival prince. This prince had a claim to the throne, meaning he thought he should be king. He brought his own son, Prince Léandre, to the court.

Léandre was very popular at court. The ladies liked him a lot and thought he was very handsome. They called him the "beautiful indifferent one." Furibon, on the other hand, was disliked by everyone. He would insult people and tell the King and Queen their secrets.

One day, visitors from far away came to the court. They saw Léandre and Furibon together. They bowed to Léandre, thinking he was the prince. They thought Furibon was just a dwarf. They even made fun of Furibon and laughed at him. When no one was looking, Furibon got very angry. He grabbed Léandre by the hair and pulled out three handfuls!

Because of this, Léandre's father sent Léandre to live in a castle in the countryside. He wanted Léandre to be safe and far away from Furibon. In the countryside, Léandre could hunt, fish, walk, paint, read, and play music. He was happy but also felt lonely. One evening, he found an injured grass snake. He took it home to feed and care for it, hoping it would make him feel better.

One day, Furibon came into the woods with people who wanted to harm Léandre and kill him. Léandre decided he had to travel the world and leave the kingdom for good.

How Léandre Became an Imp

Before leaving, Léandre visited the room where the grass snake was. He found that it had turned into a beautiful fairy named Gentille. She was covered in jewels. Gentille explained that she took the form of a snake for 8 days every 100 years. She said she could have been killed during that time.

Gentille felt she owed Léandre for saving her life when she was a grass snake. She offered him many rewards. These included riches, a long life, a kingdom filled with gold, or becoming an excellent speaker, poet, musician, or painter. Finally, she suggested he become an "air, water, and terrestrial lutin."

Gentille described the amazing things a lutin (imp) could do:

• You can be invisible whenever you want.
• You can cross huge distances in a moment.
• You can fly without wings.
• You can go through the ground without dying.
• You can go deep into the sea without drowning.
• You can enter anywhere, even if windows and doors are closed.
• When you decide to, you can show yourself in your normal form.

Léandre agreed to become a lutin. So, Gentille said, "Be Imp!" She passed her hands three times over his eyes and face. Then, she gave him a small red hat with two parrot feathers. This hat would make him invisible when he wore it.

Léandre's Adventures as an Imp

As an imp, Léandre began to travel. First, he decided to get revenge on Furibon and the queen. He snuck into their palace unseen. He nailed Furibon's ear to a door. He beat them a thousand times with a stick used for the king's dogs. He also tore up all the fruit and flowers in the queen's garden.

Léandre then traveled far away. In one kingdom, he fell in love with a maid of honor named Blondine. But he learned she was in love with a musician he disliked. He found this out by putting a magic pink rose on her throat. Heartbroken, he left her kingdom.

In three separate adventures, Léandre secretly helped young maidens. He cursed and fought with people who were going to harm them. He saved the first maiden from being forced to marry an old man. He saved another from being forced into a bad situation by her family in a temple. The third was a young girl named Abricotine (which means "Apricot-plum"). He found her enslaved in the forest by four robbers.

The Island of Quiet Pleasures

After rescuing Abricotine, Léandre learned she was a fairy. She lived on a secret island that was only for females. An old fairy mother had created this island. She had left the world because she had been hurt in a love affair. So, she sent away all the male guards and officers. She replaced them with women from the Amazon race. She named this place the Island of Quiet Pleasures. Abricotine served the princess who had inherited the island.

Léandre asked to see the island. But Abricotine could not let a man inside. So, he went invisibly by himself. He saw a palace made of pure gold. It had crystal figures and precious stones. He saw "all the wonders of nature, sciences, and arts." He saw the elements, the sea and fish, the ground and animals. He saw the hunting of Diana with her nymphs, and the noble exercises of the Amazons.

The fairy princess had lived here in secret for 600 years. But to Léandre, she looked like a young girl of amazing beauty. Léandre pretended to be the voice of the parrots in her house. He told her about a man who had saved Abricotine's life. He tried to convince her to give this man (himself) a chance to meet her. The princess seemed interested but also suspicious.

He stayed invisible in her palace for a long time. He listened to her conversations. He ate invisibly beside her at her table every night. Sometimes he spoke as the parrot. Slowly, he convinced her that she might be able to trust a man. He brought her monkeys and beautiful clothes from around the world when she mentioned them.

The fairy princess could not decide if the invisible presence was good or evil. One day, Léandre painted a portrait of himself and left it out. She liked it very much, but she was afraid it was done by a demon. Léandre finally wrote her a love note:

Léandre, wanting to speak, wrote these words and threw them to the princess's feet:

"No, I am not demon nor fairy,

I am an unhappy lover

Who does not dare to appear before your eyes:

Feel sorry for my destiny at least

THE PRINCE LUTIN."

Defeating Furibon and Finding Love

At the same time, Furibon wanted the same princess. He planned to attack the Island of Quiet Pleasures with an army of 1400 men. He wanted to break in and take her. Léandre dressed himself as an Amazon woman to hide. He went out to pay off Furibon. He offered Furibon rooms full of gold if he left without attacking the island.

Furibon planned to take the gold, then kill the Amazon and attack the palace anyway. But Léandre put on his hat and then killed and beheaded Furibon. Furibon's army was so happy that the evil Furibon had been killed. Léandre became their new and rightful king. He shared all the gold among them. Léandre took Furibon's head into the palace to show the fairies they were safe.

Very tired, Léandre went back into the palace and fell asleep. He was not wearing his invisibility hat. The princess saw him sleeping. Most of her fears about him were gone. Her mother, the old fairy who had kept the island secret for 600 years, was angry when she saw him. She was against their marriage. Léandre's friend Gentille came to help him. She convinced the old fairy to trust Léandre. The wedding celebrations were very joyful.

What This Story Teaches Us

This story gives a good description of a Lutin (imp). It mentions three types: air, water, and terrestrial (earth) lutins. A lutin has no real physical limits.

The storyteller would have known about the legends of the Amazons. These were ancient groups of female warriors. In this story, they protect a society made only of women. The mention of Diana on her hunt refers to the old stories of the Ancient Roman Goddess Diana. She was the goddess of the hunt, linked to wild animals and forests. In this story, she lives with the women on the independent island. They enjoy art and science.

The idea of 600 years of living in secret might have a special meaning from history.

The Story's Lasting Impact

This tale was one of many written by d'Aulnoy that was turned into a play. James Planché adapted it for the stage as part of his Fairy Extravaganza. He also translated the tale as Prince Sprite. When he made it into a play, he renamed it The Invisible Prince, or, The Island of Tranquil Delights.