# Barbara explained — The Princess and Curdie

> Chapter companion for The Princess and Curdie by George MacDonald.

## What happens

The king continues to recover, but is plagued by nightmares caused by the doctor's poison. Curdie, hearing Barbara cry, brings her to the king's chamber, where her presence instantly calms him and dispels his dreams. Barbara becomes a constant companion to the king, even playing with his crown. The colonel of the guard also improves, but his attempts to contact his regiment fail due to false rumors spread by the king's enemies. The lord chancellor, having escaped, plots to destroy the king by inviting invasion from a neighboring kingdom.

## Themes in this chapter

### Innocence and Healing

Barbara's innocent presence provides a cure for the king's nightmares, showing the power of purity against corruption.

### Corruption of Power

The lord chancellor's plot to invite invasion demonstrates how those in power can betray their own kingdom for personal gain.

### Faith and Trust

The colonel's trust in Curdie contrasts with the major's suspicion, highlighting the difficulty of discerning truth amidst lies.

## Character check-ins

### Curdie

Continues to protect the king, brings Barbara to him, and attempts to deliver the colonel's message.

### Princess Irene

Nurses the king and takes turns watching over him.

### Barbara

Her presence calms the king's nightmares and she becomes his playmate.

### Derba

Ministers to the king and cares for Barbara, though she sleeps through the child's distress.

### The Colonel

Recovering from his wounds, he becomes friends with Curdie and worries about his regiment.

### The Doctor

His wicked medicines are the lingering cause of the king's nightmares.

## Key lines

> The moment his eyes fell upon little Barbara, whom he had never seen before, his soul came into them with a rush, and a smile like the dawn of an eternal day overspread his countenance: the dream was nowhere, and the child was in his heart.

Seeing Barbara instantly calmed the king, driving away his nightmare and filling him with joy.

_Highlights the healing power of Barbara's innocence._

> The king’s enemies said that he had first poisoned the good colonel of the guard, and then murdered the master of the horse, and other faithful councillors; and that his oldest and most attached domestics had but escaped from the palace with their lives—nor all of them, for the butler was missing.

The king's enemies spread false accusations that he had poisoned the colonel and murdered his own councillors and servants.

_Shows the spread of misinformation to undermine the king's rule._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_princess_and_curdie_se/chapters/xxix-barbara
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_princess_and_curdie_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_princess_and_curdie_se/chapters