Short Fiction · Chapter
X: Look at the Moon explained
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.
What happens
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.
Themes in this chapter
Reality vs. Illusion
The prince fancies he is swimming in the sky, and the princess's behavior changes between water and land, blurring the line between reality and fantasy.
Vanity and Self-Conceit
The princess's laughter at the prince's love and her altered demeanor suggest a self-absorption or detachment from genuine emotion.
Characters to notice
- Prince
The prince sets out for food, sings to the princess, and swims with her nightly; he falls in love but is troubled by her laughter at his declarations.
- The Princess
The princess swims in the lake, responds to the prince's song, and joins him on the rock; she laughs at his talk of love and seems puzzled.
Key passages
“Whenever Care intruded, this prince always bowed him out in the most princely manner.”
The prince dismissed any worries with dignity and composure.
Highlights the prince's princely character and his refusal to be troubled by future concerns.
“But when the prince, who had really fallen in love when he fell in the lake, began to talk to her about love, she always turned her head towards him and laughed.”
Whenever the prince, who had genuinely fallen in love upon falling into the lake, spoke of love, the princess would turn and laugh at him.
Shows the princess's dismissive reaction to the prince's romantic advances.