# The Princess and the Goblin — Chapters explained

> Chapter companions for The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald.

- [Why the Princess Has a Story About Her](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/i-why-the-princess-has-a-story-about-her.md): The chapter introduces Princess Irene, an eight-year-old princess living in a mountain palace. It explains the history of goblins who once lived above ground but were driven underground by the king's harsh taxes and laws
- [The Princess Loses Herself](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/ii-the-princess-loses-herself.md): On a rainy day, Princess Irene, bored and restless, ventures beyond her nursery up an old stairway and through a maze of passages and doors. She becomes lost, panics, but then composes herself and attempts to find her wa
- [III: The Princess and—We Shall See Who](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/iii-the-princess-and-we-shall-see-who.md): Princess Irene, lost in the passages, discovers a hidden room where she meets her great-great-grandmother, a very old but beautiful lady who spins. The old lady explains she gave Irene her name and has been there since I
- [What the Nurse Thought of It](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/iv-what-the-nurse-thought-of-it.md): Princess Irene returns from visiting her great-grandmother and tells her nurse about the experience. The nurse refuses to believe her, accusing her of making up stories. Irene is deeply hurt by the lack of trust, but eve
- [The Princess Lets Well Alone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/v-the-princess-lets-well-alone.md): Princess Irene wakes to another rainy day and decides not to ask her nurse to take her to the tower lady, fearing the lady might not want visitors. She sneaks away to find the tower herself but gets lost again. After cry

> 27 more chapter companions — [open a free preview](https://www.betterreads.dev/reader?bookId=the_princess_and_the_goblin_se_656kb&preview=1) to unlock the rest.

- [The Little Miner](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/vi-the-little-miner.md)
- [The Mines](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/vii-the-mines.md)
- [The Goblins](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/viii-the-goblins.md)
- [The Hall of the Goblin Palace](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/ix-the-hall-of-the-goblin-palace.md)
- [X: The Princess’s King-Papa](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/x-the-princess-s-king-papa.md)
- [XI: The Old Lady’s Bedroom](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xi-the-old-lady-s-bedroom.md)
- [A Short Chapter About Curdie](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xii-a-short-chapter-about-curdie.md)
- [XIII: The Cobs’ Creatures](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xiii-the-cobs-creatures.md)
- [XIV: That Night Week](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xiv-that-night-week.md)
- [XV: Woven and Then Spun](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xv-woven-and-then-spun.md)
- [XVI: The Ring](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xvi-the-ring.md)
- [Springtime](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xvii-springtime.md)
- [Curdie's Clue](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xviii-curdie-s-clue.md)
- [Goblin Counsels](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xix-goblin-counsels.md)
- [XX: Irene’s Clue](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xx-irene-s-clue.md)
- [The Escape](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxi-the-escape.md)
- [The Old Lady and Curdie](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxii-the-old-lady-and-curdie.md)
- [XXIII: Curdie and His Mother](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxiii-curdie-and-his-mother.md)
- [Irene Behaves Like a Princess](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxiv-irene-behaves-like-a-princess.md)
- [Curdie Comes to Grief](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxv-curdie-comes-to-grief.md)
- [The Goblin-Miners](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxvi-the-goblin-miners.md)
- [The Goblins in the King’s House](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxvii-the-goblins-in-the-king-s-house.md)
- [XXVIII: Curdie’s Guide](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxviii-curdie-s-guide.md)
- [Masonwork](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxix-masonwork.md)
- [The King and the Kiss](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxx-the-king-and-the-kiss.md)
- [The Subterranean Waters](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxxi-the-subterranean-waters.md)
- [The Last Chapter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxxii-the-last-chapter.md)

HTML index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters