The Story of the Queen of the Flowery Isles facts for kids

The Story of the Queen of the Flowery Isles is a classic French fairy tale. It was first published in a collection called Cabinet des Fées. Later, Andrew Lang included it in his famous book, The Grey Fairy Book. This story is about a brave princess and a magical adventure.

The Story's Plot

A Princess in Danger

Once upon a time, there was a queen who ruled the Flowery Isles. She was a widow and had two daughters. Her older daughter was incredibly beautiful. The queen worried that the powerful Queen of all the Isles would be jealous. This powerful queen made all princesses appear before her at age fifteen. They had to praise her beauty as the greatest.

When the older princess turned fifteen, she went to meet the Queen of all the Isles. Everyone at court was talking about the princess's beauty. The Queen of all the Isles pretended to be sick. She did this to avoid meeting the princess. Then, she sent the princess back home.

A Magical Disappearance

The princess's mother told her to stay inside for six months. This was to protect her from the powerful queen's magic. The princess promised to obey. As the six months were almost over, they planned a big celebration. The princess asked if she could just peek at the preparations. Her mother agreed.

Suddenly, the ground opened up beneath her feet. The princess fell into the earth and disappeared!

Life in the Desert

The princess found herself in a desert. A cute little dog was there and led her to a beautiful garden. The garden had water and fruit trees. This allowed her to survive. At night, the dog guided her to a cave with a bed. She lived there for some time.

One day, her dog seemed unwell. The next morning, she went to look for him. She only saw an old man hurrying away. Then, a cloud lifted her up. It carried her back to her mother's castle. She learned that her mother had died a few days after she disappeared. Her younger sister tried to claim the crown. But the older princess agreed only to share the crown with her.

Searching for the Dog

The princess, now queen, searched everywhere for the little dog. She offered to marry anyone who could bring it back to her. A very sick-looking man brought the dog to her. However, the princess said she needed the country's approval to marry. The royal council refused the marriage.

The queen respected their decision. But she declared that she would give up her crown. She would travel the land until she found the dog.

The Prince Appears

The very next day, a large fleet of ships arrived. The Prince of the Emerald Isles appeared. He told the queen a secret: he had been the dog! He had also been the old man she saw. A kind fairy had finally freed him from the spell. The queen then married the prince.

Who Wrote the Story?

The original story is called La Reine de l'isle des fleurs. This means "The Queen of the Island of Flowers." It was published without a writer's name. It appeared in a collection called Le Cabinet des Fées. This was a French book of fairy tales from the 18th century.

Many people thought Madame d'Aulnoy wrote the tale. However, experts who study old stories now believe someone else wrote it. They think it was written by Le Chevalier de Mailly. He published a book called Les Illustres Fées without putting his name on it.