The Princess and the Goblin facts for kids
Cover of the 1911 Blackie and Son edition, illustrator uncredited
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| Author | George MacDonald |
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| Illustrator | Arthur Hughes (serial and 1872 book) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Genre | Children's fantasy novel |
| Publisher | Strahan & Co. |
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Publication date
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1872 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 308, 12 plates (1911, Blackie and Son, above) |
| Followed by | The Princess and Curdie |
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The Princess and the Goblin is a classic children's fantasy novel. It was written by George MacDonald and first published in 1872. The book features black-and-white drawings by Arthur Hughes. This exciting story first appeared in a magazine called Good Words for the Young. It was published in parts starting in November 1870. The book is known for its themes of courage and honor. It tells a magical tale that slowly becomes more mysterious.
Contents
About the Story
Princess Irene's Secret Friend
Eight-year-old Princess Irene lives in a grand castle. Her home is in a wild, mountainous land. She often feels lonely, with only her nursemaid Lootie for company. Her father, the king, is usually away. Her mother passed away.
Unknown to Irene, a group of goblins lives in the nearby mines. These goblins were once banished from the kingdom. Now, they want to get even with the humans.
One rainy day, Princess Irene explores her castle. She finds a mysterious, very old lady. This lady tells Irene she is her great-great-grandmother. The next day, Irene goes outside. Goblins chase her, but a brave young miner named Curdie saves her.
Irene tries to meet her great-great-grandmother again. A cat frightens her, and she runs up the mountain. She then sees a light from her great-great-grandmother's tower. This light guides her safely back. Her great-great-grandmother gives Irene a special ring. It has an invisible thread that always connects her to home.
Curdie Discovers the Goblins' Plan
Curdie works in the mines. He overhears the goblins talking. He learns their secret weakness: their feet are very soft and sensitive. He also hears that the goblins plan to flood the mine.
Curdie explores the goblins' underground home. The goblins discover him. He bravely stamps on their feet, which works well. But when he tries to stamp on the Goblin Queen's feet, she is wearing stone shoes. She captures him.
The goblins put Curdie in their prison. While there, he overhears more of their plans. They are digging a tunnel under the king's palace. They want to kidnap Princess Irene. Their plan is to make her marry the Goblin Queen's son.
A Daring Rescue and a Royal Reward
Irene's magic thread leads her to Curdie's rescue. As they escape, Curdie manages to steal one of the Goblin Queen's stone shoes. Irene takes Curdie to meet her great-great-grandmother. But Curdie cannot see her; only Irene can.
Curdie warns the palace guards about the goblins' tunnel. However, the guards do not believe him. They imprison him instead. While in the palace prison, Curdie gets a fever from a leg wound. Irene's great-great-grandmother then heals him.
The goblins arrive to kidnap the princess. Curdie escapes from prison. He stamps on the invading goblins' feet. He follows the magic thread to Irene, who is safe at his house. He then returns her to the king.
When the goblins flood their tunnels, water enters the palace. But Curdie warns everyone inside. They are able to leave safely. The floodwater then defeats the goblins.
The king is very grateful for Curdie's bravery. He asks Curdie to become his bodyguard. Curdie refuses, saying he must stay with his parents. Instead, he accepts a gift of a new red petticoat for his mother.
How the Book Was Published
The Princess and the Goblin first appeared in a children's magazine. It was published in parts from November 1870 to June 1871. Arthur Hughes created 30 drawings for these magazine issues.
George MacDonald felt proud of this story. He wrote to his wife that it was his best work. The book was later published on its own in December 1871. The official publication date was listed as 1872. The first American version also came out in 1871.
Important Ideas in the Story
The story explores several important ideas. It shows the difference between good and evil. The goblins are portrayed as creatures who chose to live underground. They wanted to escape the rules of the human world.
The book also teaches about courage and kindness. Curdie shows bravery by facing the goblins. Princess Irene learns to trust her great-great-grandmother's guidance. The story highlights the importance of family and home. It also suggests that even in dark times, hope and magic can help.
The Story on Screen
Animated Movies
The story of The Princess and the Goblin has been made into films. In the 1960s, Jay Ward adapted it for his Fractured Fairy Tales series. In this version, the goblins were innocent. They were forced to live underground. A prince saved the princess from the goblin king by reciting poetry. Goblins in this story hated poetry.
A full-length animated movie was released in 1992 in the United Kingdom. It came out in June 1994 in the United States. This film was a team effort between Hungary, Wales, and Japan. It featured the voices of famous actors like Joss Ackland and Claire Bloom.
International Titles
The 1992–1994 animated film had different titles around the world:
| Language | National film title | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch | De Prinses van het Zonnevolk | The Princess of the Sun-people |
| Icelandic | Prinsessan og durtarnir | The Princess and the Trolls |
| French | La princesse et la forêt magique | The Princess and the Magic Forest |
The animated film was not very successful in the United States. It received many negative reviews. It was released around the same time as Disney's popular The Lion King.
Other Ways the Story Was Told
The book has been adapted in many other ways:
- In 1926, Gracer Calvert Holland created a stage play.
- Another play was published in 1930 in Boston. Its title was The Princess and the Goblins.
- Shirley Temple played Princess Irene in an episode of her television show. This version made the story more comedic. Irene and Curdie were shown as young adults. The goblins were even forgiven for their bad deeds.
- The book was part of the "100 Classic Books" collection for the Nintendo DS game console.
- Twyla Tharp created a full-length ballet based on the story in 2012. It was her first ballet to include children.
- There is also an unrelated poem titled The Princess and the Goblins by Sylvia Plath.
Lasting Impact
The Princess and the Goblin has a sequel called The Princess and Curdie.
- The famous author Rudyard Kipling mentioned the story. In his 1888 short story Wee Willie Winkie, the hero is inspired by reading about the Princess and the Goblins. He learns about goblins fighting humans and being defeated by Curdie.
- Some experts, like Douglas Anderson, believe this book influenced J. R. R. Tolkien. They suggest that Tolkien's descriptions of goblins in his Middle-earth stories were inspired by MacDonald's goblins.
- C. S. Lewis, another well-known author, also referenced the book. In his novel That Hideous Strength, a character mentions living "like the king in Curdie." Later, another character reads the "Curdie books."
- G. K. Chesterton, a famous writer, said the book changed his life. He wrote that The Princess and the Goblin was the most real and lifelike story he had ever read. He felt it helped him see the world in a special way.
