Other editions of book The Princess and Curdie

In this sequel to The Princess and the Goblin, Curdie has returned to his life as a miner and has dismissed the supernatural happenings of the past, believing them to have been a dream. When Curdie callously wounds a pigeon, his conscience leads him to Princess Irene's mystical great-great-grandmother for help. She has him plunge his hands into a pile of rose petals that burns like fire. Extraordinarily, this grants him the power to see what kind of "animal" a person is at heart. She then sends him on a quest, accompanied by a peculiar doglike creature named Lina, who was once a human. However, Curdie must resolve his own skepticism before he can use the powers granted him to defeat the evil that is threatening the future of the kingdom.

The Princess and Curdie is one of the classics from the pen of George MacDonald and a sequel to MacDonald’s other popular fantasy story, The Princess and the Goblin.The story of The Princess and Curdie takes place a few years after the first story. At the beginning of the story, Princess Irene and her father go away to spend some time in Gwyntystorm, while Irene’s friend, Curdie stays at home. He starts pursuing a new hobby, hunting and he shoots down a pigeon. He remembers the stories told by Irene about the pigeons of her great-great grandmother, stories that he did not believe, but he comes to think that the pigeon belonged to the old lady. He soon sees a light – he follows it and he is taken to the old lady herself. The grandmother tells him he was wrong when he doubted her existence and the pigeon heals the minute he becomes a believer. The old Princess then sends Curdie on a special mission, but she cleanses his hands first by burning them with her special fire of roses that enables Curdie to sense what soul or beast people really are on the inside. She also gives the boy a magic emerald that alerts his father when the boy is in danger and a travel companion, a friendly monster called Lina. The mission that Curdie is charged with is to find the King and Irene in Gwyntystorm where the old man is lying ill. He eventually finds out that the King is ill because his doctor is poisoning him and Irene is about to marry an evil man. He also understands that he is there to save the King, the Princess and the kingdom, too and with some magic help from the old Princess who is there too, disguised as a maid, he is successful. The story ends like all magic tales must end: Curdie marries Irene and they live happily ever after.

The Princess and Curdie is a children's classic fantasy novel by George MacDonald from late 1883. The book is the sequel to The Princess and the Goblin. The adventure continues with Princess Irene and Curdie a year or two older. They must overthrow a set of corrupt ministers who are poisoning Irene's father, the king. Irene's grandmother also reappears and gives Curdie a strange gift. A monster called Lina aids his quest.

In this sequel to The Princess and the Goblin, Curdie has returned to his life as a miner and has dismissed the supernatural happenings of the past, believing them to have been a dream. When Curdie callously wounds a pigeon, his conscience leads him to Princess Irene's mystical great-great-grandmother for help. She has him plunge his hands into a pile of rose petals that burns like fire. Extraordinarily, this grants him the power to see what kind of "animal" a person is at heart. She then sends him on a quest, accompanied by a peculiar doglike creature named Lina, who was once a human. However, Curdie must resolve his own skepticism before he can use the powers granted him to defeat the evil that is threatening the future of the kingdom.