The Princess and the Goblin · Chapter
XVI: The Ring explained
Irene returns to the nursery after her adventure on the mountain, greeted by her weeping nurse Lootie.
What happens
Irene returns to the nursery after her adventure on the mountain, greeted by her weeping nurse Lootie. She recounts her encounter with the long-legged cat but omits any mention of her grandmother or the magical lamp. Lootie scolds her for running out, but Irene reminds her of Lootie's own fear during the goblin attack. The household rejoices at Irene's safe return, and the captain orders increased security. The next morning, Irene notices her ring glowing and asks Lootie about its origin, but Lootie cannot recall who gave it to her.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Appearance
Irene deliberately conceals her encounter with her grandmother and the magical lamp, telling only a partial truth about her adventure.
Trust and Belief
Lootie doubts Irene's story about the cat, but the memory of her own fear and the gentlemen-at-arms' recognition of similar creatures lend credibility to Irene's account.
Characters to notice
- Princess Irene
Returns to the nursery after her adventure, tells Lootie about the cat but keeps her grandmother and lamp secret, and later asks about the origin of her glowing ring.
- Lootie
Sobs with relief upon finding Irene, scolds her for running out, but is silenced when Irene reminds her of Lootie's own fear on the mountain.
- The Captain
Orders that all doors and ground-floor windows be locked at sunset and not opened after, in response to the threat of goblin creatures.
Key passages
“Not quite from the top, thought Irene to herself; and she might have added, not quite to the bottom, perhaps, if she had known all. But the one she would not, and the other she could not say.”
Irene silently notes that the search did not include the topmost part of the house (her grandmother's room) and likely not the deepest cellars either, but she chooses not to mention the former and cannot speak of the latter.
Irene's internal reflection highlights her secret knowledge and her deliberate omission of the truth about her grandmother.
“How your ring does glow this morning, princess!—just like a fiery rose!”
Lootie exclaims that Irene's ring is shining brightly, resembling a glowing red rose.
The ring's glow is a mysterious phenomenon that Irene herself does not understand, prompting her to ask about its origin.