The Princess and the Goblin · Chapter
XIII: The Cobs’ Creatures explained
The men-at-arms guarding the king's country house begin to see grotesque, misshapen creatures at night.
What happens
The men-at-arms guarding the king's country house begin to see grotesque, misshapen creatures at night. These are goblin-tamed animals that have evolved over centuries into bizarre forms, and they have emerged from a stream channel broken by the goblins' mining. The creatures frolic on the lawn, causing fear and confusion among the guards.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Appearance
The creatures' grotesque and deceptive appearances cause the guards to doubt their own eyes, blurring the line between reality and illusion.
Good vs. Evil
The emergence of the goblins' creatures represents a tangible threat from the subterranean evil, challenging the safety of the king's house.
Characters to notice
- Princess Irene
The princess is present at the country house, though not directly active in this chapter.
- The King
The king has left the country house, having appointed gentlemen to watch over the princess.
- Curdie
Curdie is mentioned as having discovered the goblins' mining operations, which led to the creatures' emergence.
Key passages
“They were of one sort—creatures—but so grotesque and misshapen as to be more like a child’s drawings upon his slate than anything natural.”
The creatures were so oddly formed that they resembled a child's crude sketches more than any real animal.
Describes the unnatural appearance of the goblin creatures.
“The goblins, as Curdie had discovered, were mining on—at work both day and night, in divisions, urging the scheme after which he lay in wait.”
Curdie had found that the goblins were tunneling continuously, advancing their secret plan.
Explains the goblins' mining activity that led to the creatures' escape.