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

A light shone on their path and only Lootie did not know its source. The next day Curdie and the miners went to work makng draining tunnels and clearing out the dead goblins. Some golblins escaped. The fierce ones left. The mild ones stayed and became milder. The creatures were killed because they were too vicious.

The king is disappointed but asks Curdie for a wish to be granted and it is a red petticoat for his mother. RED. The miners provide a place for the servants to stay. The king, Irene, and his guards ride home to his castle. Irene promises to return the following summer.

Oh, wow! Then a white pigeon flies toward them and makes three circles. One around the king, then around Curdie, and then the princess. The light and pigeon vanish. Curdie runs to the house to get a fur to keep Irene warm. There are dead goblins everywhere, the victims of their own plot. The king requests of his parents to take Curdie with him to train to be a guard. Curdie does not want to leave his parents.

Curdie warns there is no time to explain but everyone must leave now and follow him up the mountain. The king orders all to follow him. As they reach the gate, the ground rumbles and the roar is deafening. A huge swath of water follows them from the house and they barely make it past the gate. Curdie and his father helped Carrie his mother up the mountain. When safe, the king turns around to see the torrent of water.

Ch. 31 Irene goes to bed because she is a little girl. A harper chants a ballad that he wrote about the goblins, Curdie, and Irene. This has such a feeling of Rivendell. Irene shows up, having woken from a deep sleep. She sits on father’s lap and asks if they hear the noise. Everyone is still and listens. All hear a thunderous sound, getting closer and closer. Walter wonders if it is another storm.

Curdie looks humble but his mother’s face shines with pride. Irene praises his mother and the king calls her forward and he holds her hand. Irene tells her father about the kiss and he gives her permission to kiss Curdie which she does. The cooks prepare a feast and the king welcomes all the miners to come. We have a potential marriage (but no spoilers), double reunion of parent and child, and a feast!

Between the lack of tools and lack of knowledge, they are incapable of breaking through the blockage set up by the goblins. The captain is so ashamed he longs for his head to be cut off. When Curdie reaches the gate, Irene runs to her father. He holds her and cries while the people shout for joy. Irene narrated her story and then Walter, the guards, and Lootie add on. It’s clear that Curidie is a hero.

Curdie and his mother carry Irene home. It is still dangerous because of the waters and the water could carry her away. When they catch sight of the king’s troops, Curdie grabs Irene and runs to carry her home quickly. He wants to limit the amount of time that the king thinks his daughter is missing. The king looks heart-broken and the guards are at a loss. They think that the goblins have carried away Irene.

Ch. 30 The dark night of the soul is over for Curdie and Irene. Curdie has prove himself more worthy than any of the guards and is far above the status of a miner based on his heroism. Irene has shown herself to be a true princess by staying humble and not letting her position fill her head with nonsense as Lootie tried to advise. The sun shines brightly and the torrents are less. His father went to the mines.

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.