The Lost Princess facts for kids

The Lost Princess: A Double Story, first published in 1875, is a magical fairy tale novel by George MacDonald. It was originally called The Wise Woman: A Parable.

This story tells about a mysterious woman with special powers. She visits two very different young girls. One is a princess, and the other is a shepherd's daughter. The book was thought to be very advanced for its time in how it talked about parenting.

The Story of the Lost Princess

Two Girls, Two Problems

Two girls, Rosamond and Agnes, are born on the same day. Rosamond is a royal princess. Agnes is the daughter of simple shepherds. Both girls are very spoiled by their parents. Rosamond gets everything she wants. Agnes is praised too much for everything she does.

Because of this, both girls grow up to be selfish and bossy. They make their parents very unhappy.

The Wise Woman's Plan

A mysterious Wise Woman visits the palace. She takes Rosamond away. She brings the princess to a magical cottage deep in the forest. For the first time, Rosamond has to obey someone else. It is hard for her, and she does not like it.

The Wise Woman uses a magic mirror. She shows Rosamond a picture of her "Inner Self." This is what she is like on the inside. Rosamond's Inner Self looks so awful that she is very scared.

The Wise Woman uses magic, rules, and kindness. Rosamond starts to feel bad about being naughty. But she cannot stop herself. She has never learned to control her feelings or actions.

Rosamond's Escape and Agnes's Arrival

One day, the Wise Woman leaves Rosamond alone. Rosamond finds a secret gallery of magical paintings. She steps through one of the pictures. Suddenly, she is on a hillside near Agnes's home.

Just as Rosamond escapes, the Wise Woman takes Agnes from her shepherd's home. She brings Agnes to the cottage. The Wise Woman tries to help Agnes, but it does not work. Agnes seems to obey, but she is very proud and thinks she is perfect.

When Agnes sees her own ugly Inner Self, she does not want to change. Instead, she decides to hide how she truly feels. Agnes also finds the magical painting gallery. She is interested in a picture of the palace. She steps through it and goes to the palace.

Agnes at the Palace

At the palace, the King and Queen are still looking for their lost daughter. Agnes starts working in the kitchens. She tries to get attention by saying she knows where the lost princess is. Eventually, the King and Queen hear about this. They send soldiers to bring Agnes's parents to the palace.

Rosamond's Journey Home

Agnes's parents search for their missing daughter. Instead, they find Rosamond lost in the wild. They help her get well. They decide to keep her instead of Agnes. At first, Rosamond truly tries to be good. But slowly, she goes back to her old bad habits. Finally, she is asked to leave.

Now, Rosamond truly wants to be a better person. She tries to go back to the Wise Woman's cottage. But she gets lost in the woods. The Wise Woman rescues her. Rosamond begs for help. She has finally learned to be humble.

The Wise Woman gives Rosamond many magical tests. Rosamond fails all of them. But the Wise Woman is happy because Rosamond tries harder each time. Rosamond looks into the magic mirror again. She sees that her Inner Self has started to become beautiful. Then she realizes the mirror is actually the Wise Woman's eyes. The Wise Woman had always seen how beautiful Rosamond could be. Finally, the Wise Woman shows her the way home through the painting gallery.

Truth Revealed

At the palace, Agnes's parents are accused of taking the lost princess. Rosamond bursts into the courtroom. She speaks up to defend them. Rosamond has changed so much that her own parents do not recognize her.

The Wise Woman appears. She tells the King and Queen they are too focused on outward appearances. They cannot see true goodness when it is right in front of them. She makes them unable to see clearly until they change their ways. Rosamond offers to take care of them until they get better.

The Wise Woman takes Agnes back to her parents. Agnes's parents had spoiled her, and now they had to deal with the consequences of her behavior. The shepherd asks the Wise Woman to teach him how to be a better parent and person. The Wise Woman agrees to take him to her cottage. Before leaving, the Wise Woman promises Rosamond she will always be near if Rosamond needs her.

Film Adaptations

In 2011, The Lost Princess was made into a full-length movie by an independent filmmaker.