Short Fiction · Chapter
XIV: This Is Very Kind of You explained
The prince offers to die in place of the princess to stop the hole in the lake.
What happens
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.
Themes in this chapter
Suffering and Divine Chastening
The prince endures physical suffering as water rises over him, and the princess undergoes emotional turmoil that leads to her transformation.
Moral Growth and Redemption
The princess evolves from selfish indifference to selfless love and action, redeeming herself through her rescue of the prince.
Characters to notice
- Prince
Sacrifices himself by sitting in the hole to stop the water, sings a love song, and is rescued by the princess after drowning.
- The Princess
Initially indifferent and self-centered, she eventually feeds the prince, kisses him, and frantically rescues him after he drowns, showing a change of heart.
Key passages
“This is very kind of you, prince, said the princess at last, quite coolly, as she lay in the boat with her eyes shut.”
The princess acknowledged the prince's sacrifice with detached politeness, showing her initial lack of emotional investment.
Highlights the princess's initial coldness and the prince's unrequited devotion.
“Love and water brought back all her strength. She got under the water, and pulled and pulled with her whole might, till at last she got one leg out.”
Fueled by love and desperation, the princess dove underwater and struggled to free the prince's legs from the hole.
Marks the turning point where the princess's love motivates her to act selflessly.