Poetry · Chapter
An Extempore explained
The Princess and her servants—a Dwarf, a Fool, and an Ape—arrive at the Faery's Court only to find no one home.
What happens
The Princess and her servants—a Dwarf, a Fool, and an Ape—arrive at the Faery's Court only to find no one home. The Princess threatens them with a switch, but the Dwarf explains the three great crimes in Faeryland that led to their transformations. Despite the warning, the Princess decides to break in using a picklock from the Ape. Left alone, the Mule (formerly a Prince) frees himself from his tack with the help of thievish Monkey-men and escapes.
Themes in this chapter
Social Critique and Mortality
The poem satirizes vanity and the folly of human (and fairy) behavior, as the Princess's insistence on entering despite warnings leads to potential consequences.
Dreams and Escape
The Mule's escape from servitude and the magical transformations of the servants highlight themes of liberation and the desire to break free from constraints.
Characters to notice
- Princess
The fretful and vain Princess who insists on entering the Faery's Court despite warnings.
- Fortune's Fool
The Mule, formerly a Prince, who rejoices in his freedom after the Princess leaves.
- Eban
The Dwarf servant who explains the three great crimes in Faeryland.
- Hildebrand
The Fool servant, a grown-up Prince who snored at a faery Ball.
- Child
The Ape servant, formerly a Prince who picklocked a faery's boudoir.
Key passages
“Women gain little from experience Either in Lovers, husbands, or expense. The more their beauty the more fortune too— Beauty before the wide world never knew— So each fair reasons—though it oft miscarries.”
Women do not learn from their experiences with love, marriage, or spending money. The more beautiful a woman is, the more luck she expects, but this reasoning often fails.
A cynical observation on the naivety of women who rely on their beauty to navigate the world.
“O King of Otaheite—though a Mule, ‘Aye, every inch a King’—though ‘Fortune’s Fool,’ Well done—for by what Mr. Dwarfy said I would not give a sixpence for her head.”
Even though I am a mule, I am still a king at heart, despite being a fool of fortune. Based on what the Dwarf said, I wouldn't risk anything for the Princess's safety.
The Mule asserts his royal identity and dismisses the Princess's fate.