The Little Lame Prince and his Travelling Cloak facts for kids

The Little Lame Prince and his Travelling Cloak is a classic children's story. It was written by Dinah Maria Mulock Craik and first came out in 1875. The book is often called just The Little Lame Prince.

The story is about a young boy named Prince Dolor. He cannot use his legs because of an accident when he was a baby. He is sent away to live alone in a tall tower far from everyone. As he gets older, a kind fairy godmother gives him a special gift. It's a magical cloak that can fly! With this cloak, Dolor can see the world, even though he can't touch it. He goes on many adventures and learns important lessons. He becomes very wise and caring. In the end, he becomes a great and fair ruler of his kingdom.

The Story of Prince Dolor

A Difficult Start

On the day Prince Dolor was to be officially named, there was a big celebration. His nurse was holding him, but she was careless. She accidentally dropped the baby prince. This accident hurt his spine, making it impossible for him to walk. The nurse kept this a secret from everyone.

Soon after, a fairy godmother appeared to the nurse. She knew exactly what had happened. Sadly, the Prince's mother, the Queen, passed away. Then, his father, the King, also died. Prince Dolor's legs never grew strong. He could only move by crawling with his arms.

The King's brother, Prince Dolor's uncle, took over the kingdom. He moved into the castle with his own many children. Life in the kingdom was good, but Prince Dolor was forgotten. His uncle sent Dolor away to a lonely tower. He told everyone that Prince Dolor had died.

Life in the Lonely Tower

Prince Dolor was sent to live in a tall, lonely tower. It stood in the middle of a vast, empty land. The tower was 100 feet tall and had no doors. Dolor had many books, toys, and maps to keep him busy. His only friend was his nurse, who was also a prisoner there.

A quiet Black Knight brought them food and supplies once a month. They used a ladder to get up into the tower. Prince Dolor loved to sit quietly and look out the window. He saw only the flat, empty plains. He did his schoolwork and read many books. He learned about a place called the kingdom of Nomansland. But he felt sad that he could only read about things and never see them. He wished he could fly. Most of all, he wished he had someone kind to play with. He was very lonely.

A Magical Gift

One day, an old grey woman appeared in the tower. She told Prince Dolor, "I am your fairy godmother." Dolor asked her if she could bring him a boy to play with. She said no. Instead, she gave him a special gift: a travelling cloak. When the nurse came into the room, the fairy godmother disappeared. The cloak looked like a simple poncho. Dolor did not know its amazing magic powers yet.

Later, Prince Dolor became sick. His fairy godmother visited him again. He asked her why he couldn't walk. She told him he would never be able to walk. This made him very sad. She then asked about his cloak. He had put it away in a closet. She taught him the magic words to use the cloak. She also reminded him to open the skylight before flying.

Learning to Fly

When Prince Dolor said the magic words, the cloak grew bigger. At first, he forgot the words to make it fly. He also forgot to open the skylight. But finally, he was out flying around the tower. He felt wonderful! He saw only the dull plains, the stars, and the moon. It got very cold.

He then forgot the magic words to go home. The cloak flew faster and faster away from the tower. He became scared. He called out to his fairy godmother for help. He begged her to remind him of the magic words to return home. He heard a voice tell him the word. When he got back, the cloak shrank and folded itself up. His nurse didn't know he had been gone. She was only annoyed that he left the skylight open, making the room freezing!

New Sights and Sounds

Prince Dolor couldn't wait to fly again the next day. He quickly finished his lessons and schoolwork. Then he went out on the cloak. He saw all kinds of flowers, trees, and grass. He saw birds and small animals scurrying away from him. He wished he could see better. His godmother sent him some special spectacles to help him see far away.

Another day, he played with his toy horse. He wished he had a real horse. That night, he took some food, water, and a coat with him. He flew for a long time. He fell asleep while flying. When he woke up, he was no longer in the wasteland. He was in the beautiful countryside. He saw rivers, hills, animals, trees, and even a waterfall. He wished he could hear everything better. His godmother sent him some silver ears that fit over his own.

He wondered if he would see any people. He wished so much to have a little boy to play with. His flying cloak dipped lower. It brought him closer to see a boy running in a field with his horse. As he watched, the little prince cried. He knew he would never be able to run like that. Then, a small lark flew into his lap. He felt happy again because it was such a strange and wonderful thing.

A King's Destiny

Prince Dolor often thought about his mother and father. He wondered what had happened to them. The lark stayed with him and lived right outside his skylight. After seeing the running boy, he decided he didn't want to fly around anymore. It made him too sad.

A few months later, he wondered if he would ever be king, as princes are meant to be. His nurse wrote on a paper, "You ARE a king." She finally wrote down his whole life story for him. She was afraid to speak aloud. She worried a spy might hear her break the rule about not telling him.

That night, he used the cloak again. He asked it to show him not what he wanted to see, but "what I SHOULD see." The flying cloak took him to the big city of Nomansland. A magpie flew next to him. It spoke to him with a voice that sounded strangely familiar. The magpie showed him the palace. It was the biggest building he had ever seen. It showed him the regent King, his uncle, who had just died. He looked like a wax figure.

The bird showed him that the town was starting to fight. A revolution was happening. He saw terrible fighting in the streets. He didn't want to see any more. He went home to his tower to sleep. When he woke up, he realized his nurse was gone. He saw hoof prints outside his tower. He understood that the Black Knight had come and taken the nurse away. He was alone in the tower for many days.

The New King

Prince Dolor almost ran out of food. He was very sad and lonely. Then, one morning, he heard a trumpet. A huge parade of people from the city had come to his tower. They were singing and celebrating. They had heard that he was alive! The nurse and the Black Knight had ridden to the city to tell them about Prince Dolor.

He was crowned the new king. He ruled the city for many years. When he grew old, he told the people of the kingdom that he would leave and never come back. He got on his cloak, which no one had ever seen before, and flew away.

About the Book's Title

The full title of the first book was The Little Lame Prince and His Travelling Cloak – A Parable for Young and Old. A "parable" is a simple story used to teach a moral or spiritual lesson.