Before You Begin

Before you begin.

First published in 1889, Prince Prigio opens in Pantouflia, where a king and queen welcome a long-awaited son. The queen dismisses the fairies who traditionally attend a royal christening, while the king worries that their absence may offend old allies. The child grows up surrounded by books and learning, convinced that fairies and their gifts belong only to stories.

Andrew Lang's tale plays with the distance between cleverness and understanding. Its fairy-tale kingdom, capricious wishes, and comic court manners create a world in which overlooked things can matter, and where knowledge does not always make a person wise.

Original dedication

The 1889 edition dedicates Prince Prigio to Alma, Thyra, Edith, Rosalind, Norna, Cecily, and Violet.

Preface

In compiling the following History from the Archives of Pantouflia, the Editor has incurred several obligations to the Learned. The Return of Benson (chapter xii.) is the fruit of the research of the late Mr. Allen Quatermain, while the final wish of Prince Prigio was suggested by the invention or erudition of a Lady.

A study of the Firedrake in South Africa—where he is called the Nanaboulélé, a difficult word—has been published in French (translated from the Basuto language) by M. Paul Sébillot, in the Revue des Traditione Populaires. For the Remora, the Editor is indebted to the Voyage à la Lune of M. Cyrano de Bergerac.

This edition presents the complete eighteen-chapter story with an illustrated companion to its characters, places, scenes, and chapter symbols. The chapter recaps open as each reading unit is completed. Begin with the royal household and follow the tale at its own pace.