The Hall of Granted Wishes explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Magic and Reality

  The chapter blurs the line between magic and reality as the ring's magic is undone, yet the children insist on the truth of their experiences, and a newspaper report hints at a real consequence.

• Deception and Truth

  The children struggle to convince Lord Yalding of the magic's reality, and the truth of the ring's history is finally revealed by Mademoiselle.

• Love and Romance

  The central romance between Lord Yalding and Mademoiselle is resolved as they marry, and the ring becomes a charm binding them together.

Characters to notice

• Gerald

  Gerald is the ring-bearer and struggles to remove the ring from his finger; he later reflects on Lord Yalding's behavior.

• Mabel Prowse

  Mabel is frustrated when the secret spring to the jewels fails to work initially, but later finds it when the ring is present.

• Jimmy

  Jimmy is eager for Lord Yalding to believe him about the magic, but is disappointed when the spring doesn't work at first.

• Kathleen

  Kathleen is absent during the key scene with the jewels, helping Mabel's aunt cover furniture, but later joins the discussion on the leads.

• Lord Yalding

  Lord Yalding is skeptical of the magic, demands the ring back, and is initially angry when the spring fails; he later sees the jewels and is bewildered.

• Rapunzel

  Mademoiselle is revealed as Lord Yalding's lover; she explains the ring's history, makes the final wish, and marries Lord Yalding.

Key passages

• “The ring," said Lord Yalding. "The ring," said his lover, "is the magic ring given long ago to a mortal, and it is what you say it is. It was given to your ancestor by a lady of my house that he might build her a garden and a house like her own palace and garden in her own land. So that this place is built partly by his love and partly by that magic. She never lived to see it; that was the price of the magic."”

  Lord Yalding and Mademoiselle explain that the magic ring was given to his ancestor by a fairy lady to build a house and garden, but the builder died before seeing it completed.

  This reveals the origin of the ring and the castle's magical construction.

• “I wish, then," said Lord Yalding's lover, "that all the magic this ring has wrought may be undone, and that the ring itself may be no more and no less than a charm to bind thee and me together forevermore."”

  Mademoiselle wishes for all ring-magic to be undone and for the ring to become a charm uniting her and Lord Yalding forever.

  This is the final wish that ends the magical enchantments and seals their love.

• “Next day no one could remember anything at all exactly. But a good many things were changed. There was no ring but the plain gold ring that Mademoiselle found clasped in her hand when she woke in her own bed in the morning.”

  The next day, everyone's memories are hazy, and the only ring left is a plain gold band in Mademoiselle's hand.

  The magic fades, and the ring transforms into a simple token of love.

• “Mysterious Disappearance of a Well-Known City Man it said, and then went on to say how a gentleman, well known and much respected in financial circles, had vanished, leaving no trace. " Mr. U. W. Ugli," the papers continued, "had remained late, working at his office... Of his body, however, there was no trace."”

  A newspaper reports the mysterious disappearance of Mr. U. W. Ugli, a respected city man, who vanished from his locked office leaving only his clothes and belongings.

  This hints that the Ugly-Wugly became real and then disappeared, adding a layer of reality to the children's story.