Light Princess

At the christening of his daughter, a king is shocked by the arrival of his spiteful sister, Princess Makemnoit. The evil princess puts a curse on the king’s daughter so she would have no gravity. Like a helium balloon, the little girl floats up into the air at the slightest jump; she suffers from impaired judgment, and cannot cry out for someone to keep the wind from carrying her off. As she grows older, the king’s daughter learns of a secret weakness in Princess Makemnoit’s curse. The Light Princess is one of the most beloved fairy tales of George MacDonald, whose work influenced that of Lewis, Tolkien, and even Mark Twain. The children’s story is still widely read today, and has inspired film, stage, and musical adaptations.

Kathleen O’Bannon
CCEL Staff