# What! No Children? explained — Short Fiction

> Chapter companion for Short Fiction by George MacDonald.

## What happens

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.

## Themes in this chapter

### Family and Sacrificial Love

The king and queen's longing for a child and the queen's patient endurance of the king's crossness highlight the theme of family and the sacrifices made for it.

## Character check-ins

### The Princess

Born at the end of the chapter as the long-desired child of the king and queen.

## Key lines

> Once upon a time, so long ago that I have quite forgotten the date, there lived a king and queen who had no children.

In a distant, forgotten time, a king and queen were childless.

_Sets the fairy-tale tone and introduces the central problem of the chapter._

> And the king said to himself, “All the queens of my acquaintance have children, some three, some seven, and some as many as twelve; and my queen has not one. I feel ill-used.”

The king compared his queen unfavorably to other queens who had many children, feeling personally wronged by her childlessness.

_Reveals the king's sense of entitlement and his initial lack of empathy._

> She was, indeed, a very nice queen, and heartily sorry that she could not oblige the king immediately.

The queen was kind and genuinely regretted not being able to give the king a child right away.

_Emphasizes the queen's gentle nature and her desire to please her husband._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters/i-what-no-children
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_21_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/short_fiction_21_se/chapters