Short Fiction · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Short Fiction by George MacDonald.
Chapter 1
A Double Story
A tale of two children, Rosamond and Agnes, who are taken from their homes by a wise woman and subjected to contrasting treatments that reveal the nature of their true character. Rosamond, a spoiled princess, is humbled through hardship, while Agnes, a humble peasant girl, is elevated through kindness and grace.
Chapter 2
I
Augustus Greatorex, a merchant, is disappointed in his second marriage to Letty Merewether, a shallow woman who cannot match his intellectual interests. He neglects his daughter Sophy (Phosy), leaving her to the care of a rough nurse, Alice. The chapter explores the failure of their marriage and the emotional neglect of the child.
Chapter 3
II
Alice, a servant, gives notice to Mrs. Greatorex, citing class oppression and domestic slavery. Mrs. Greatorex is taken ill after a dance, and Alice's determination to leave is complicated by her inheritance from an uncle. Mr. Greatorex tries to persuade her to stay, but Alice insists on leaving, revealing her newfound sense of independence.
Chapter 4
III
Alice, now an heiress, breaks off her relationship with John Jephson, a cabinetmaker, by treating him with disdain and insisting on being called 'Miss Cox.' John is bewildered and hurt, realizing that her newfound wealth has changed her attitude toward him.
Chapter 5
IV
Phosy, a deeply religious child, eagerly anticipates Christmas and the birth of Jesus, believing He is born anew each year. She goes to church alone, hoping to be chastened by the Lord. Meanwhile, her father Mr. Greatorex has grown disillusioned with Christmas and life, neglecting his daughter due to his disappointments in marriage and his own spiritual decline.
Chapter 6
Chapter V
Alice Hopwood's illegitimate birth is exposed, stripping her of her inheritance and social standing. Humiliated, she returns to the Greatorex household in disgrace. Little Phosy, observing her distress, attempts to understand her emotions through mimicry and offers a strange comfort. On Christmas morning, Phosy searches the house for the baby Jesus and discovers a doll on a bed in the spare room.
Chapter 7
VI
On Christmas morning, the household awakens to the discovery that Phosy has taken her deceased baby brother from the spare room. She sits with him in a trance-like state, speaking of Jesus being dead, before her father comforts her. Meanwhile, Alice confesses her past shame to John Jephson, who forgives her and reaffirms his love, while Mr. Greatorex consoles his wife over the loss of their child.
Chapter 8
VII
On Christmas day, Phosy's father, moved by a newfound appreciation for his daughter's character and his own neglected duty, sets her beside him at dinner, initiating a new covenant. Through his interactions with Phosy, he reconsiders his own faith, grows tender toward memories of his first wife, and helps his second wife Letty mature into a woman. The household's mourning ends as they embrace love and understanding.
Chapter 9
VIII
Agnes, left alone in the wise woman's cottage, begins to tidy and dust, but soon her old conceited disposition returns. She becomes captivated by a picture of a grand palace and a king's proclamation offering refuge to stray children, which she mistakes for a real scene. Disdaining her own humble home, she resolves to run away to the palace, ignoring the wise woman's lessons. After a storm, she sets off toward the distant city, convinced she is escaping slavery, unaware that her inner ugliness remains.
Chapter 10
IX
The shepherdess takes Rosamond home, bathes and feeds her, but expects her to work. Rosamond initially refuses, claiming her royalty, but after being disciplined by the sheepdog Prince, she begins to obey. Over time, she learns humility and kindness, her appearance softens, and she forms a bond with the shepherd and his dogs. The wise woman, disguised as a sheep, observes her progress. Eventually, a poor woman calls Prince away, and Rosamond's attempt to recall him fails.
Chapter 11
Agnes in the Palace
Agnes, having run away from the wise woman, arrives in the city and is brought before the king and queen as a lost child. They reject her as ugly and conceited, and she is sent to work in the scullery. Her conceit grows worse under harsh treatment. She learns of the lost princess Rosamond, recognizes her from a picture, and hints that she knows where she is. The queen and lord chancellor question her, then send soldiers to search for the shepherd pair described by Agnes, who now fears for her parents.
Chapter 12
XI
After Prince leaves, the princess relapses into her old bad temper, becoming so unendurable that the shepherdess insists she leave. Rosamond sets out to find her way home, but her injured foot and cross disposition lead her to ignore a poor woman's warning, causing her to fall and sprain her ankle. The poor woman, revealed to be the wise woman, carries her through the night and then leaves her at dawn, offering a chance to come to her house for help. Rosamond, paralyzed by shame and indecision, fails to respond and is left alone to confront her conscience.
Chapter 13
XII
The wise woman subjects Princess Rosamond to a series of moral trials designed to test her self-control and virtue. In the first trial, Rosamond fails by losing her temper and striking her nurse with a rabbit; in the second, she fails again by drowning a little boy out of jealousy over a flower. After fleeing through a haunted wood and returning to the cottage, the wise woman explains that true princess-hood means mastering one's own moods and doing what is right even when disinclined.
Chapter 14
XIII
The wise woman takes Rosamond through another trial in a magical forest where a child grows flowers from her lap. Rosamond struggles with her temper and learns that true possession does not involve destruction. The child transforms into the wise woman, who reveals her true nature and sends Rosamond back to her father's palace, having begun her moral growth.
Chapter 15
XIV
The king's soldiers capture Agnes's parents and bring them to the palace. The princess Rosamond arrives in rags and is initially mocked by a sentry, but she persists and enters the throne room. The king and queen fail to recognize her due to their pride and anger. The wise woman appears, rebukes the king and queen for their blindness of soul, and strikes them physically blind. Rosamond pleads for their sight to be restored, but the wise woman says she will do so one day, instructing Rosamond to serve them and bring them to her. The wise woman then turns to Agnes's parents, condemning their poor parenting, and takes the shepherd away with her.
Chapter 16
Cross Purposes
A tale of mistaken intentions and conflicting desires, where characters pursue their own ends only to find themselves entangled in a web of misunderstanding and irony.
Chapter 17
I
Augustus Greatorex, a merchant, is disappointed in his second marriage to Letty Merewether, a shallow woman who cannot match his intellectual interests. He neglects his daughter Sophy (Phosy), leaving her to the care of a rough nurse, Alice. The chapter explores the failure of their marriage and the emotional neglect of the child.
Chapter 18
II
Alice, a servant, gives notice to Mrs. Greatorex, citing class oppression and domestic slavery. Mrs. Greatorex is taken ill after a dance, and Alice's determination to leave is complicated by her inheritance from an uncle. Mr. Greatorex tries to persuade her to stay, but Alice insists on leaving, revealing her newfound sense of independence.
Chapter 19
III
Alice, now an heiress, breaks off her relationship with John Jephson, a cabinetmaker, by treating him with disdain and insisting on being called 'Miss Cox.' John is bewildered and hurt, realizing that her newfound wealth has changed her attitude toward him.
Chapter 20
IV
Phosy, a deeply religious child, eagerly anticipates Christmas and the birth of Jesus, believing He is born anew each year. She goes to church alone, hoping to be chastened by the Lord. Meanwhile, her father Mr. Greatorex has grown disillusioned with Christmas and life, neglecting his daughter due to his disappointments in marriage and his own spiritual decline.
Chapter 21
Far Above Rubies
Hector Macintosh, a young man of Celtic descent and idealistic temperament, lives with his parents and works as a clerk in his father's bank, but his true passion is writing poetry in private. He is distant from his mother and her social circle, and his father shows some imagination but is constrained by business. The chapter also follows Annie, Hector's wife, as she faces extreme poverty with courage and resourcefulness, planning to pawn her wedding chemise and seek work as a charwoman. She comforts Hector, who is tormented by despair and a sense of divine abandonment. Meanwhile, Annie's friend, also named Annie, finds a pound note blown by the wind and, after a moment of prayerful hesitation, takes it to her needy friend.
Chapter 22
Port in a Storm
The narrator recounts a Christmas story from his youth at Culverwood, where his uncle the admiral anxiously awaits a shipment of port for his guests. A snowstorm threatens to block the roads, and the uncle's distress leads to a humorous bargain over the wine. The narrator also reflects on his own romantic anxieties regarding Kate (his future wife), and the chapter ends with a dream.
Chapter 23
Stephen Archer
Stephen Archer, a Christian deacon, attempts to reform the wayward Charley, the brother of the impoverished Sara Coulter, by giving him a job. Despite Charley's repeated misdeeds, Stephen's growing admiration for Sara's selfless love leads him to question his own rigid theology and ultimately to protect Charley from prison after a theft and accident.
Chapter 24
The Broken Swords
A young ensign, sensitive and introspective, leaves his home and sisters to join his regiment in war. He struggles with the moral weight of killing and the chaos of battle, while later, after a disgrace, he enlists as a private soldier in the same regiment, seeking redemption through service in a cause of liberty.
Chapter 25
Husband and Wife
This chapter explores the strained marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Dempster, focusing on the conflict over household accounts. Mrs. Dempster's lack of precision and procrastination in bookkeeping frustrates her husband, who values exactitude. Their inability to communicate or empathize deepens the rift, leading to neglect and secret debt. The narrative reflects on their moral and emotional shortcomings, suggesting both are undeveloped in different ways.
Chapter 26
An Astonishment
Mr. Duncan Dempster is astonished to learn that after eight years of childless marriage, his wife has suddenly given birth to a son. He grapples with bewilderment and a sense of being made a spectacle by nature, yet feels pride in having an heir. The doctor warns that Mrs. Dempster is in danger, but she recovers slowly and shows little interest in the baby, while Mr. Dempster begins to dote on the child and vows to work harder for his son's future.
Chapter 27
III: Another Astonishment
Mr. Dempster, after his wife's disappearance, is consumed by suspicion and misery. He interprets her flight and the butcher's bills as proof of infidelity, and resolves to abandon her and raise their child in a trade. Yet beneath his anger, a dormant capacity for love begins to stir, revealing a moral awakening.
Chapter 28
IV: What It Meant
Mrs. Dempster, driven by guilt over unpaid bills and fear of her husband, leaves her home and baby to seek a situation as a nurse. After failing to find work, a kind coffee-shop woman helps her, but she must provide a reference. Driven to extremity, she gives her mother's address. Her mother takes her in, and Mrs. Dempster falls ill with brain fever. During her recovery, she has recurring dreams of a lost baby, and eventually her memory returns fully. She learns her aunt has left her a legacy, and she resolves to return home to her baby.
Chapter 29
V: What Came of It
Duncan Dempster struggles with the aftermath of his wife's disappearance, feeling a dullness in his life and a growing dissatisfaction. He begins to doubt his earlier certainty of her infidelity and considers the possibility of suicide. His wife returns, having been ill at her mother's, and seeks forgiveness, offering a hundred-pound note to pay debts. Dempster's emotional barriers break as he embraces her and their child, leading to a newfound tenderness and a change in his behavior.
Chapter 30
The Carasoyn
A tale of enchantment and transformation, where the mysterious Carasoyn—a magical being or force—intervenes in the lives of characters, leading to moments of moral reckoning and change.
Chapter 31
I: The Mountain Stream
Colin, a twelve-year-old shepherd's son living in a Scottish valley, diverts a mountain stream through his family's clay cottage to save it from being defiled by the cowhouse and pigsty. His father initially surprised, agrees to let the boy keep his fancy, recognizing the loneliness of his life.
Chapter 32
II: The Fairy Fleet
Colin wakes to find a fairy fleet has arrived on the brook beside his bed. The Fairy Queen offers him a reward for clearing the stream, and he asks for a stolen little girl. The Queen sets him a new task—to fetch a bottle of Carasoyn—and then departs with the fleet, leaving Colin grieving his foolish bargain.
Chapter 33
III: The Old Woman and Her Hen
Colin, seeking the Carasoyn, recalls a blind old woman who once helped him when he was lost. He finds her hut on the moor, and she instructs him that he must dream three days without sleeping, work three days without dreaming, and then work and dream three days together. She feeds him a magical golden egg and tells him stories while her hen Jenny gathers wool from the grass. Colin realizes three days have passed, and the old woman sends him on his next task with a message for those at Cumberbone Crag and Stonestarvit Moss.
Chapter 34
IV: The Goblin Blacksmith
Colin follows a dim light to a goblin smithy, where a humpbacked smith works furiously with two forehammers. The smith calls out his goblin children, who torment Colin until he delivers a message from the old woman with the spindle: they must lift Cumberbone Crag a yard higher and send a flue under Stonestarvit Moss. Colin is forced to work alongside the smith, hammering in time to avoid injury. After three days and nights of labor, the smith reveals the old woman's plan to improve the Moss and instructs Colin to go there, dig a trench, and tend a vine that will produce grapes for a bottle of Carasoyn.
Chapter 35
V: The Moss Vineyard
Colin follows the smith's instructions, climbs Stonestarvit Moss, finds Jenny's egg, and spends three happy days digging a trench and understanding nature. He harvests grapes, returns home, and tells his father the story. He stores the bottle but no fairy fleet appears. As autumn turns to winter, he restores the brook to its old course and worries about the little girl he lost.
Chapter 36
VI: The Consequences
Colin bargains with the Fairy Queen for the return of the little girl, but the queen tries to trick him by transforming the child into various animals. Colin holds fast, and when the queen opens the bottle of Carasoyn, its release causes her and her court to age and wither, forcing them to flee. Colin then finds a real little girl who had been left behind, and over the years she grows into a beautiful woman whom he eventually marries.
Chapter 37
VII: The Banished Fairies
This chapter describes the moral decline of a tribe of fairies who engaged in wicked deeds, including stealing children and breaking promises. Their queen sought the Carasoyn, a magical remedy, but when Colin obtained it, the vapors transformed the fairies into old men and women, banishing them from their native Scottish hills to the rich valleys of Devon. The chapter explores the punishment of exile—the fairies' restless longing for their homeland, the deadness that falls on a landscape when fairies leave, and the difficulty of adapting to a new environment.
Chapter 38
VIII: Their Revenge
The fairies, discovering that Colin and his wife have settled nearby, plot revenge but the queen hesitates, suggesting they observe first. They frequently visit the house but initially fail to harm the children. Eventually, during a game where the sisters blindfold their little brother and carry him through imaginative landscapes, they set him down and he opens his eyes to find them gone. The boy disappears, and his parents, suspecting fairy involvement, hope for his return despite failed searches.
Chapter 39
The Fairy Fiddler
Colin wakes at midnight to see grotesque fairy figures dancing in his room. One fiddler, Peterkin, and another, Silversnout, sing a taunting song about having mutilated and salted his missing child. Colin recognizes them as Scotch fairies from his father's cottage, but before he can act, they vanish with a shriek of laughter.
Chapter 40
The Old Woman and Her Hen
Colin seeks the old woman on the moor to rescue his child from the fairies. He loses himself, finds her hut, and learns that the fairies lied about mutilating his child. The old woman spins a story over seven days, then sends him to a cobbler for wax, but Colin's curiosity causes the hut to vanish.
Chapter 41
The Goblin Cobbler
Colin awakens on the moor after losing his way and realizes he has only one day left to rescue his boy. He wanders until he finds a hut full of goblin cobblers who threaten to use his body for leather. He invokes the old woman with the spindle, and the cobblers give him a lump of wax. One cobbler walks with him, gives him an awl, and explains the wax's purpose. At sunrise, the cottage vanishes, and Colin finds himself near his orchard.
Chapter 42
The Wax and the Awl
Colin uses a cobbler's wax and awl to trap the fairies in the Kelpie's Pool and force the fairy queen to return his son, whom they had stolen. After draining the pool and sealing the fairies with wax, the queen swears by the awl and wax to release the boy, and Colin rescues his son, bringing him home to his mother.
Chapter 43
The Castle
The inhabitants of a grand castle rebel against their eldest brother, who seeks to guide them toward truth and higher pursuits. They bind and imprison him in a vault, then prepare a lavish, indiscriminate feast in sacred rooms reserved for their absent father. The eldest sister, initially distant, experiences a profound awakening when she perceives the true grandeur and holiness of the halls. After the feast, her brother is freed and leads her to a window where she beholds a vision of unity between heaven and earth, feeling the presence of the father. The household gradually transforms, becoming more loving and beautiful, and the children sometimes claim to have met the father among the trees.
Chapter 44
The Cruel Painter
Karl von Wolkenlicht, a gifted student at the University of Prague, becomes obsessed with Lilith, the beautiful but heartless daughter of the cruel painter Teufelsbürst. The painter creates works that distort beauty into suffering, and Lilith appears as a cold, unfeeling figure in his paintings. Wolkenlicht learns of her mother's death and seeks her out, only to discover her emotional barrenness and her father's nihilistic philosophy. Despite this, his love deepens, and he resolves to endure and hope.
Chapter 45
The Giant's Heart
Tricksey-Wee and Buffy-Bob, two children from the common country, accidentally wander into Giantland and enter the home of the giant Thunderthump and his wife Doodlem. While hiding in a broom, they overhear the giant reveal that he has hidden his heart with a she-eagle for safekeeping. The children escape through a tree and encounter an owl, whom Tricksey-Wee asks about the eagle's location.
Chapter 46
The Gifts of the Child Christ
A story about a poor family and their Christmas experiences, focusing on the gifts brought by the Christ child and the moral lessons surrounding generosity, faith, and divine provision.
Chapter 47
I
Augustus Greatorex, a merchant, is disappointed in his second marriage to Letty Merewether, a shallow woman who cannot match his intellectual interests. He neglects his daughter Sophy (Phosy), leaving her to the care of a rough nurse, Alice. The chapter explores the failure of their marriage and the emotional neglect of the child.
Chapter 48
II
Alice, a servant, gives notice to Mrs. Greatorex, citing class oppression and domestic slavery. Mrs. Greatorex is taken ill after a dance, and Alice's determination to leave is complicated by her inheritance from an uncle. Mr. Greatorex tries to persuade her to stay, but Alice insists on leaving, revealing her newfound sense of independence.
Chapter 49
III
Alice, now an heiress, breaks off her relationship with John Jephson, a cabinetmaker, by treating him with disdain and insisting on being called 'Miss Cox.' John is bewildered and hurt, realizing that her newfound wealth has changed her attitude toward him.
Chapter 50
IV
Phosy, a deeply religious child, eagerly anticipates Christmas and the birth of Jesus, believing He is born anew each year. She goes to church alone, hoping to be chastened by the Lord. Meanwhile, her father Mr. Greatorex has grown disillusioned with Christmas and life, neglecting his daughter due to his disappointments in marriage and his own spiritual decline.
Chapter 51
Chapter V
Alice Hopwood's illegitimate birth is exposed, stripping her of her inheritance and social standing. Humiliated, she returns to the Greatorex household in disgrace. Little Phosy, observing her distress, attempts to understand her emotions through mimicry and offers a strange comfort. On Christmas morning, Phosy searches the house for the baby Jesus and discovers a doll on a bed in the spare room.
Chapter 52
VI
On Christmas morning, the household awakens to the discovery that Phosy has taken her deceased baby brother from the spare room. She sits with him in a trance-like state, speaking of Jesus being dead, before her father comforts her. Meanwhile, Alice confesses her past shame to John Jephson, who forgives her and reaffirms his love, while Mr. Greatorex consoles his wife over the loss of their child.
Chapter 53
VII
On Christmas day, Phosy's father, moved by a newfound appreciation for his daughter's character and his own neglected duty, sets her beside him at dinner, initiating a new covenant. Through his interactions with Phosy, he reconsiders his own faith, grows tender toward memories of his first wife, and helps his second wife Letty mature into a woman. The household's mourning ends as they embrace love and understanding.
Chapter 54
The Golden Key
A boy learns from his great-aunt about a golden key at the end of the rainbow in Fairyland. He sees the rainbow's end in the forest and sets out to find it. Later, Tangle meets the Old Man of the Fire, a childlike figure who helps her follow a serpent. Mossy, who has the golden key, meets the Old Man of the Sea and later a lady who tells him he must find the keyhole. She gives him Tangle as a companion, and they journey together through the forest.
Chapter 55
The Gray Wolf
A young English student, caught in a storm on a remote Orkney island, takes shelter in a cave. He is led by a strange, barefoot woman to her mother's hut. The woman's appearance and behavior are unsettling, with glimpses of greed and animalistic traits. During the night, the student witnesses her transformation into a gray wolf, but when he confronts her, she briefly returns to human form and weeps in his arms before fleeing. He escapes across the moor, hearing her mournful wail behind him.
Chapter 56
The History of Photogen and Nycteris
A fairy tale contrasting the day-boy Photogen and the night-girl Nycteris, exploring their separate upbringings and eventual meeting.
Chapter 57
I: Watho
Introduces the witch Watho, who desires to know everything and is driven by a wolf-like cruelty. She is tall, graceful, with white skin, red hair, and black eyes that hold a red fire, but occasionally she shudders and bends as if the wolf has moved from her mind to her back.
Chapter 58
Aurora
Watho hosts two ladies in her castle without their knowledge of each other: one from the court whose husband is away on an embassy, and a young blind widow. The Lady Aurora is lodged in a grand apartment with views, sunlight, music, and fine fare, enjoying Watho's charming company.
Chapter 59
III: Vesper
Watho lodges the blind lady Vesper in a series of tomb-like chambers behind the castle, accessible only through the northeastern tower. Vesper, with black eyes and a sad demeanor, is kept in an atmosphere of sweet sorrow, fed on rich foods and entertained with mournful music and sad tales, unaware that she is living in a tomb.
Chapter 60
IV: Photogen
Watho, having desired a splendid boy, takes the newborn son of Aurora and convinces the mother the child died at birth. She raises the boy, named Photogen, in complete isolation from darkness, training him to thrive only in sunlight and to abhor shadows. He grows into a merry, strong, and sun-loving youth.
Chapter 61
V: Nycteris
Nycteris is born to the dark lady Vesper in a windowless tomb, under lamplight, and is raised by Watho and Falca in total darkness. She has the dark features of her mother but the blue eyes of Aurora. Watho deliberately keeps her from all natural light, training her to be nocturnal and teaching her only music.
Chapter 62
How Photogen Grew
Photogen grows up under the care of the witch Watho and the huntsman Fargu, becoming a skilled hunter and archer. Watho forbids him from being outside at sundown, but Photogen, fearless and saturated with sunlight, does not understand the danger.
Chapter 63
How Nycteris Grew
Nycteris, kept in darkness by Watho, secretly learns to read with Falca's help and finds joy in her musical instrument. She yearns for more space and is deeply moved by the lamp in her chamber, which stirs vague longings and tears.
Chapter 64
VIII: The Lamp
Nycteris, left alone by Falca, experiences an earthquake that shatters her lamp, plunging her into darkness for the first time. Mistaking the darkness for a living thing that has killed the lamp, she becomes determined to escape her prison and find the light. Groping behind a curtain, she accidentally discovers a hidden passage and falls out of the cavern.
Chapter 65
IX: Out
Nycteris, having escaped her underground prison, experiences the moonlit night for the first time. She mistakes the moon for a lamp and the firefly for the spirit of her lamp. Overwhelmed by the beauty of the night, she kneels in ecstasy, feeling the wind and light as a spiritual rebirth. She resolves to keep her discovery secret from her captors.
Chapter 66
X: The Great Lamp
Nycteris, having discovered the outside world, experiences the loss of the great lamp (the sun) and the appearance of the moon. She observes the changing phases of the moon, the wind, the trees, the river, and the clouds, interpreting them as living creatures. She feels sorrow and awe as she tries to understand the natural world, eventually witnessing the moon being obscured by clouds and then reappearing.
Chapter 67
XI: The Sunset
Photogen, a youth who has known only sunlight, experiences his first encounter with darkness and fear. After hunting all day, he ventures into the forest at sunset to confront a beast, but the onset of night overwhelms him with terror. He flees in panic, pursued by imagined horrors, and collapses senseless after crossing the river.
Chapter 68
The Garden
Nycteris, taking precautions to avoid detection, explores the garden for the first time after discovering a hidden passage. She revels in the sensory delights of the natural world—the soft grass, the trees, a fountain, and the flowers—before sitting by the river, where she experiences a moment of complete bliss.
Chapter 69
Something Quite New
Nycteris discovers Photogen lying by the river, terrified by the darkness. She comforts him, mistaking him for a girl, and he explains his fear of the night and his longing for the sun. Nycteris, who has only known the moon, tries to soothe him with her love of the night's beauty. Photogen falls asleep in her lap, and she watches over him.
Chapter 70
XIV: The Sun
Nycteris watches over the sleeping Photogen through the night, but as dawn approaches and the sun rises, she is overwhelmed by the light, which she perceives as a terrifying death. Photogen awakens, dismisses her fear, and leaves her to pursue his hunt in the sun, while Nycteris, blinded and terrified, crawls back to her dark cell.
Chapter 71
The Coward Hero
Photogen, ashamed of his cowardice in the face of night, attempts repeatedly to conquer his fear of darkness but fails each time. His repeated failures lead to a loss of confidence, sleeplessness, and ultimately a physical and mental collapse, ending in delirium.
Chapter 72
XVI: An Evil Nurse
Watho, ill and increasingly wicked, turns against both Photogen and Nycteris. She torments Photogen, who resolves to escape the castle. He reflects on the mysterious girl who nursed him in the dark, realizing she may be a creature of the night, and regrets his cruel behavior toward her.
Chapter 73
Watho's Wolf
Nycteris, still traumatized by her exposure to sudden light, is cruelly abandoned by Watho in the open plain under the midday sun. Watho watches from her tower, expecting Nycteris to die of sunstroke or be trampled by wild animals. Instead, Nycteris finds solace in observing a daisy opened by the sun, which leads her to reconsider the nature of light and her own suffering. She resolves to bear her ordeal patiently, while Watho grows increasingly frustrated.
Chapter 74
Refuge
Photogen, recovering from illness, resolves to flee Watho's castle at night despite his terror of darkness. Nycteris finds him on the plain, comforts him, and persuades him to leave immediately. She leads him through the night, using her superior night vision to avoid wild beasts, while he struggles with fear and weakness. At dawn, Photogen revives and carries the light-sensitive Nycteris, who has protected him all night.
Chapter 75
XIX: The Werewolf
As Photogen carries Nycteris toward the forest, Watho transforms into a wolf and attacks them. Photogen shoots the wolf with two arrows, killing it. Upon retrieving his arrow, he discovers the wolf was actually Watho, who had made herself invulnerable but forgot she had handled one of his arrows.
Chapter 76
All Is Well
After Watho's death, Photogen and Nycteris marry and travel to the king to tell their story. There, Photogen's mother Aurora is reunited with him, and the king grants them Watho's castle and lands. They live happily, each learning to love the other's world—Nycteris the day and Photogen the night.
Chapter 77
The Light Princess
A princess is cursed with lightness, floating away from gravity and emotional weight, leading to a tale of love and sacrifice.
Chapter 78
What! No Children?
A king and queen, long ago, are distressed by their lack of children. The king grows cross with the queen, who bears his reproaches patiently. Eventually, the queen gives birth to a lovely princess.
Chapter 79
II: Won’t I, Just?
The king forgets to invite his sister, Princess Makemnoit, to the infant's christening. She is a witch and attends uninvited, casting a curse on the baby during the ceremony that makes the child light of body and spirit, causing the nurse to feel as if she cannot hold the baby.
Chapter 80
She Can’t Be Ours
The princess's aunt, a witch, has deprived the child of gravity, causing her to float away whenever held. The king and queen discover this when the baby floats to the ceiling, leading the king to doubt she is theirs, while the queen suspects the witch's interference. They retrieve the baby using steps and tongs.
Chapter 81
IV: Where Is She?
A month after her first adventures, the princess is taken by a mischievous fairy wind while sleeping in the queen's chamber. The palace panics when she goes missing, but she is found asleep under a rosebush. The chapter describes the princess's peculiar lightness and how the servants enjoy playing ball with her, tossing her through the air without fear of her falling.
Chapter 82
V: What Is to Be Done?
The king and queen, distressed by their daughter Rosamond's lightness, argue about her condition and seek advice from the princess, who denies knowledge of the spell and advises patience. The king worries about Rosamond's future, including the possibility of her having children who might also be weightless.
Chapter 83
She Laughs Too Much
The princess, now seventeen, continues to laugh at everything, including serious matters like war and her parents' distress. Her peculiar bounding run and lack of gravity lead to an awkward incident where she kisses a page and slaps him with a toad, causing her father great indignation.
Chapter 84
VII: Try Metaphysics
The king and queen, concerned about their daughter's peculiar lack of gravity, consult two Chinese philosophers, Hum-Drum and Kopy-Keck, who propose conflicting metaphysical and materialist explanations and cures. The princess herself is playful and uninterested in being normal, and the king and queen ultimately reject both harsh treatments.
Chapter 85
Try a Drop of Water
The princess, lacking gravity, finds solace and temporary normalcy in the lake, where she can swim and dive freely. Her love for water leads to attempts by philosophers and the king to make her cry, hoping tears might restore her gravity, but all efforts fail as she responds only with laughter.
Chapter 86
Put Me in Again
A prince, searching for a worthy princess, encounters the bewitched princess who has lost her gravity. He rescues her from the lake, but she floats away in anger. After a quarrel, he agrees to put her back in the water, and they share a joyful swim. The princess returns to her room via a balcony, and the prince finds a hiding place nearby, dreaming of her.
Chapter 87
X: Look at the Moon
The prince, having found food at a forester's hut, returns to his watch-cave and observes the princess swimming in the lake with the king, queen, and a grand company. He sings a song to her, and she joins him on the rock. They swim together nightly, delighting in the moon's reflection and diving through it. The prince notices the princess is more modest in the water than on land, but when he speaks of love, she laughs or looks puzzled, leading him to consider a life as merman and mermaid.
Chapter 88
Hiss!
The princess's beloved lake begins to mysteriously sink, causing her great distress. The old witch-princess, seeking revenge, uses a White Snake of Darkness to drain the lake from beneath, and later curses all the springs in the land, causing them to dry up.
Chapter 89
Where Is the Prince?
The prince, unable to see the princess since she left him, disguises himself as a shoeblack to gain access to the palace and learn about her condition. The lake continues to dry up, and the princess wastes away, haunted by its decline. A golden plate found in a remaining pool reveals a riddle: only a willing human sacrifice can stanch the lake's leak and save the kingdom.
Chapter 90
XIII: Here I Am
The king despairs of finding a volunteer to sacrifice himself to save the princess, who lies dying. The prince, having been away, learns of the oracle and resolves to offer himself, bargaining that the princess may accompany him during his slow drowning. The king reluctantly agrees, and the hole in the lake is discovered.
Chapter 91
XIV: This Is Very Kind of You
The prince offers to die in place of the princess to stop the hole in the lake. He sits in the hole as water rises, singing a song about love. The princess initially shows indifference but eventually feeds him, kisses him, and after he drowns, she frantically rescues him and brings him back to life.
Chapter 92
XV: Look at the Rain!
The princess finally releases her pent-up tears, discovering her gravity as a result. A miraculous rain of jewels falls, and the prince, also recovered, rejoices with her. The princess struggles to learn to walk, but finds joy in the prince's company and in the lake. The aunt is ultimately buried in the ruins of her house, and the prince and princess live happily ever after.
Chapter 93
The Shadows
King Ralph Rinkelmann attends a spectral assembly of Shadows on a frozen lake, where they discuss their nature and petition him. He hears a Shadow's tale of a miser and his nurse, and another about a Christmas gathering. The chapter explores the mysterious and moral influence of Shadows on human affairs, ending with Ralph's return to his domestic life.
Chapter 94
The Wow o' Rivven
Elsie Scott, a sensitive young woman, is distressed by local boys tormenting a harmless old man known as 'Feel Jock,' a foundling raised by the parish. Her own troubled past—orphaned young, raised by an insensitive brother, and abandoned by a childhood friend who left for college—deepens her sympathy for the outcast. The chapter explores her isolation, her fragile hope for love, and the cruel indifference of those around her.
Chapter 95
Uncle Cornelius His Story
On a dreary November evening, Harry Heywood and his sisters Kate and Janet await a visit from their eccentric uncle, Cornelius Heywood, a gaunt scholar fascinated by the supernatural. The conversation turns to ghost stories and belief in the unseen, with Cornelius defending an open-minded skepticism. He then recounts his youthful romance with Laetitia Hetheridge, a meticulous housekeeper whose obsession with order and stinginess belied her name, and describes a curious incident in an arbour where a stone repeatedly startled him into thinking it was an old woman reading.
