The Wonderful Toymaker facts for kids
"The Wonderful Toymaker" is a magical fairy tale written by Evelyn Sharp. It's one of many stories found in her book, All the Way to Fairyland: Fairy Stories. This collection of tales was first published a long time ago in 1897. You can also read it online as an EBook, thanks to Project Gutenberg, which made it available in 2009.
Contents
The Story of the Wonderful Toymaker
The story starts with an eight-year-old princess named Petulant. She is very spoiled and hard to please. Her father, the King, tries everything to make her happy. He even calls his advisors to help find the perfect toy for her.
Martin's Big Promise
The King's main advisor, the Prime Minister, offers his son, Martin, for the task. Martin is brave and kind. He talks to Princess Petulant and promises to find her an amazing toy. He tells her he will be back in four weeks with something truly special.
Meeting the Purple Enchanter
Martin begins his journey to find the best toy ever. Early on, he meets Bobolink, the Purple Enchanter. Bobolink knows everything, but he's tired of everyone asking him for information. He doesn't want to help Martin at first.
However, Martin doesn't flatter Bobolink like others do. This makes Bobolink curious and eager to help. Bobolink tells Martin to find the pine dwarfs next. He gives a warning: Martin must not talk to anyone in the "country of conversation," or he will be stuck there forever.
Trapped by Talk
Martin tries his best to follow Bobolink's advice. He almost makes it through the country of conversation without saying a word. But then, he gets distracted and talks to a fish. Oh no! Because of this mistake, Martin becomes "conversation" himself. He is now trapped with no way out.
Meanwhile, Princess Petulant waits patiently for Martin. But as the weeks pass, she gets very upset that he hasn't returned. The King and his advisors worry about where Martin could be.
Princess Petulant's Rescue Mission
One day, the lonely Princess Petulant is crying. A pine dwarf appears and offers to help her. The dwarf promises to show her the way to Martin. To avoid getting trapped like Martin, the Princess stuffs her ears with cotton. This way, she won't be able to talk or hear anyone in the country of conversation. She bravely begins her journey.
Finding the Toymaker's Shop
Princess Petulant finally reaches Martin without speaking a single word. Together, they manage to escape the country of conversation. They run as fast as they can to the Wonderful Toymaker's shop.
The Toymaker is thrilled to see them. He invites them to stay and play with his amazing toys forever. Martin and Princess Petulant play with the most incredible toys they have ever seen. The Princess is finally happy with a toy!
The Journey Home
Even though they love the toys, Martin and Princess Petulant know they can't stay forever. The Toymaker is sad to see them go, but he helps them find their way back home. When they return, they tell their whole adventure to a Royal Historian. The historian writes down their story in the very same book where this tale is found.
About the Author: Evelyn Sharp
Evelyn Sharp was a British writer born in Denmark Hill, London, on August 4, 1869. She wrote many stories for children. For a while, her family didn't let her go to school. But she later attended the Collège de France to continue her education.
Sharp's stories often showed how children see the world. They also shared her ideas about life and important social issues, including women's rights. In 1906, she was inspired by a speech from Elizabeth Robins, a leader in the women's suffrage movement. This movement worked to get women the right to vote. Evelyn Sharp became very involved in this cause.
She married Henry Nevinson in 1933. He passed away in 1941. Evelyn Sharp later faced health challenges and passed away in London in 1955.
Other Writings by Evelyn Sharp
Evelyn Sharp also worked as a journalist starting in 1903. She wrote for newspapers like The Daily Herald, The Manchester Guardian, Pall Mall Gazette, and The Morning Leader. Her first short stories appeared in a magazine called The Yellow Book. Her first novel, At The Relton Arms, was published in 1895.
The Illustrator
The beautiful pictures for Evelyn Sharp's book, All the Way to Fairyland: Fairy Stories, were created by Mrs. Percy Dearmer.