Tammy’s Reviews > The Princess and the Goblin > Status Update

He bursts into the house. Irene is bundled up, not at all upset about the storm. His mother struggles to light a fire because water has come down the chimney. The weather is too fierce for them to take Irene home, so she will have to stay for another night (Jane at Netherfield LOL). She sleeps in the garret room of the house and seeing her grandmother’s lamp glowing reassures Irene.

Ch. 29 Curdie remembers Plan B is to flood the mines if they fail to capture Irene. The miners work together to block the weak spots where the water might endanger the miners. They can hear goblins working with a will. When the miners leave the mine, a terrific thunderstorm threatens. It’s a bit like the storms that have been brewing this summer. Anxious about his mother and Irene, he darts home.

Irene is grieved about all the hardships Curdie has faced. He goes to show his mother his leg and he is shocked that it is perfectly healed. Then Irene tells him about her grandmother’s healing roses and she can smell their perfume. They eat breakfast. Curdie instructs his mother to take Irene home and he wakes up his father to tell him something important. Both children have been washed clean; both faced a trial.

Irene opens her eyes and Curdie apologizes to her immediately. He tells her how he folled the thread to the house. A few days ago, the thread brought Irene to his house and she asks him why. She says his mother is just like her grandmother. Then he tells her about the goblin invasion. She shudders at hearing Harelip’s plan and Curdie reminds her that her grandmother keeps her safe. It’s like they are both believers.

They do not think to grab the king and queen as hostages because they are desperate to find Irene. They search and Lootie will not leave Curdie’s side. She knows a good thing when she sees it. They route out remaining goblins. Irene’s room is a mess. Curdie is determined to find Irene.

Curdie is indeed the sun, sulpher, active, and red in this furious battle. Harelip grabs Lootie (pathetic--he can keep her LOL) and she screams. Curdie slashes the queen in the face, chases Harelip, stomps his feet, grabs Lootie, and drags her back to the cellar. The queen is furious (flashing GREEN LIGHT from her eyes). When the queen, king, and their bodyguards see the captain is men, they flee.

In the cellar, Curlie hears a hubbub and when he checks, the quick-witted butler is serving goblins wine to get them drunk. In the corner, servants are shaking in fear. Curdie does not see Irene and he is furious. He tells them to stomp on the goblins’ feet. The hurting goblins go limping back to their caves slowly. The queen returns with a group and she gets a stomp on Curdie. She can’t grab him due to his knife.

The goblins run in terror at the thought of having their feet stamped. The king and queen are on top of the captain. Curdie faces off with the queen who fears his shoes with their iron nails. He’s too fast for her and he stomps her skin-shod foot. She howls and runs off. The guards rush in and the king runs off. Curdie asks where the princess is and nobody knows. They search every room and she is gone.

The place is covered in goblins. It reminds me of the mines of Moria for some reason. Between his rhymes, weapons, ands stamping of feet, goblins flee in terror. The captain and his men are not doing well for they do not know how to fight the goblins and the queen is there with her big shoes. Curdie whirls into the room. The queen is outraged when she hears the rhymes about her. Then he yells to stomp on their feet.

Then the lock clicks and the door opens. Irene’s grandmother comes in with a silver box and she takes out the roses and begins to heal his leg. She waves her hands over him three times and he has the most refreshing sleep he ever had. The boots pounding on the casement wakes up Curdie. It’s night and the moon shines. He gets up and grabs his clothes and weapons and tools. He runs out his door and starts chanting.