The Princess and Curdie · Chapter
Judgment explained
The king returns victorious with only the lord chancellor as prisoner.
What happens
The king returns victorious with only the lord chancellor as prisoner. He addresses the people in the marketplace, condemning their cowardice and the treachery of their leaders. The seven traitors are bound to the beasts and sent away. The king rewards the colonel, the page, and Peter, and promises Curdie that he may marry Irene when they are grown. At supper, the housemaid reveals herself to be Princess Irene in disguise, and the chapter ends with her serving them all in royal attire.
Themes in this chapter
Good vs. Evil
The king's judgment separates the evil traitors from the loyal, and the beasts carry away the wicked.
Sacrifice and Service
Princess Irene serves the company in disguise, and the king personally tends to his horse, showing humility and service.
Community vs. Individualism
The people's cowardice and lack of unity contrast with the king's individual strength and leadership.
Characters to notice
- Curdie
Helps capture the lord chancellor, assists in the judgment, and is promised Irene's hand in marriage.
- Princess Irene
Disguised as the housemaid, she reveals her true identity at supper and serves the company in royal purple.
- Peter
Tells his tale to Curdie, is appointed general of all the king's mines.
- The Colonel
Made a duke by the king as a reward.
- Derba
Returns before the king and prepares food; later serves at supper.
- Barbara
Sits on the king's left hand at supper.
- The Servants
The page is made a knight, and the housemaid is revealed as Princess Irene.
Key passages
“Go and find your own. Bury your dead, and bring home your wounded.”
The king commands the citizens to tend to their own casualties and recover their injured.
The king's first act after victory is to show mercy and order the people to care for their own.
“I would have freed you, but ye would not be free.”
The king tells the people that he tried to liberate them, but they refused to accept freedom.
The king's disappointment with the people's passivity and submission to their corrupt leaders.
“Did I not tell you, Curdie, that it might be you would not know me when next you saw me?”
The housemaid reminds Curdie that she had warned him he might not recognize her upon their next meeting.
This reveals the housemaid's true identity as Princess Irene, fulfilling her earlier prophecy.