# Curdie — The Princess and the Goblin character guide > Curdie in The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Curdie Peterson, dear Curdie, Mr. Curdie, Poor Curdie **First appearance:** 0005-vi-the-little-miner ## Snapshot A miner's son who reads the mountain's tunnels like a map and refuses to lie, even when a crossbow bolt is in his leg. ## Who they are Curdie haunts the king's garden at night, tracking goblin excavators by ear and creeping on hands and knees to learn where they tunnel. When the men-at-arms catch him, he laughs at their threats and gives nothing away, because he does not yet know whether he can trust them. His stubborn honesty and his habit of confessing his own faults mark him as something more than a miner's boy, and make him the one person underground who can match the goblins at their own game. ## Relationships ### [Princess Irene](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/characters/princess_irene) _friendship_ Curdie is a brave miner boy who becomes a loyal friend and protector of Princess Irene, helping her against the goblins. ### [The King](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/characters/the_king) _professional_ Curdie serves the King as a loyal subject and miner, eventually earning his trust and respect through brave deeds. ### [Lootie](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/characters/lootie) _social_ Curdie and Lootie have limited direct interaction, mostly through their shared concern for Princess Irene. ### [The Old Lady](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/characters/the_old_lady) _friendship_ The Old Lady guides and tests Curdie, helping him grow in courage and wisdom to better serve Irene. ### [The Captain](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/characters/the_captain) _professional_ The Captain is Curdie's superior in the king's guard, directing him in military and protective duties. ### [Helfer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/characters/helfer) _rivalry_ Helfer is a goblin whom Curdie confronts and outwits during his underground adventures. ### [Harelip](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/characters/harelip) _rivalry_ Harelip is a goblin enemy of Curdie, often involved in the goblins' plots against the humans. ### [Princess Irene](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/characters/princess_irene) _friendship_ Curdie is a brave miner boy who becomes a loyal friend and protector of Princess Irene, helping her against the goblins. ### [Princess Irene](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/characters/princess_irene) _friendship_ Curdie is a brave miner boy who becomes a loyal friend and protector of Princess Irene, helping her against the goblins. ### [The King](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/characters/the_king) _professional_ Curdie serves the King as a loyal subject and miner, eventually earning his trust and respect through brave deeds. ### [The King](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/characters/the_king) _professional_ Curdie serves the King as a loyal subject and miner, eventually earning his trust and respect through brave deeds. ### [Lootie](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/characters/lootie) _social_ Curdie and Lootie have limited direct interaction, mostly through their shared concern for Princess Irene. ## In the story ### [The Little Miner](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/vi-the-little-miner) Curdie rescues Irene and Lootie from a goblin creature on the path, sings a rude song to scare it, and respectfully accepts Irene's promise of a kiss for another time. ### [The Mines](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/vii-the-mines) Curdie returns home, teases the nurse but protects her, scares goblins from his window, works in the mine with his father, and decides to stay overnight alone to earn extra wages and investigate the goblins. ### [The Goblins](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/viii-the-goblins) Works in the mine, overhears goblins, and begins to spy on them. ### [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) Follows the goblins to their palace hall, overhears their plans, and decides to keep the passage open for further investigation. ### [X: The Princess’s King-Papa](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/x-the-princess-s-king-papa) Irene remembers him fondly and recalls her debt to him, though he does not appear in the chapter. ### [A Short Chapter About Curdie](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xii-a-short-chapter-about-curdie) Spends nights in the mine, works to earn a petticoat for his mother, and explores the goblins' territory using a ball of string. ### [XIII: The Cobs’ Creatures](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xiii-the-cobs-creatures) Curdie is mentioned as having discovered the goblins' mining operations, which led to the creatures' emergence. ### [Springtime](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xvii-springtime) His mother owns some of the goats mentioned. ### [Curdie's Clue](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xviii-curdie-s-clue) Curdie is the protagonist of this chapter, exploring the goblin tunnels, fighting goblins, and getting captured. ### [Goblin Counsels](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xix-goblin-counsels) Imprisoned in a goblin cave, he listens to the goblins' plans and taunts them with rhymes, then resolves to pretend to be dying and forge more rhymes. ### [XX: Irene’s Clue](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xx-irene-s-clue) Mentioned as the person Irene and Lootie had met on the path. ### [The Escape](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxi-the-escape) Escapes with Irene, steals the goblin queen's shoe, remains skeptical of the magic thread. ### [The Old Lady and Curdie](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxii-the-old-lady-and-curdie) Cannot see the old lady or her room; feels mocked and leaves angrily, but is safely sent home. ### [XXIII: Curdie and His Mother](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxiii-curdie-and-his-mother) Returns home gloomy and conflicted, recounts his adventure, and plans to investigate the goblins' mining direction. ### [Curdie Comes to Grief](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxv-curdie-comes-to-grief) Wounded by a crossbow bolt while watching the king's garden; captured and imprisoned; his warnings about the goblins are disbelieved. ### [The Goblin-Miners](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxvi-the-goblin-miners) Curdie is not present in the chapter, but his warnings are disregarded by the captain. ### [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) Wakes from a dream, leads the fight against the goblins, frees the captain and men-at-arms, rescues Lootie, and resolves to find the princess. ### [XXVIII: Curdie’s Guide](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxviii-curdie-s-guide) Follows the princess's thread to his mother's cottage, apologizes for not believing Irene, and discovers his leg is miraculously healed. ### [Masonwork](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxix-masonwork) Leads the effort to secure the mine and returns to the cottage through the storm. ### [The King and the Kiss](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxx-the-king-and-the-kiss) Carries Irene to the king, receives praise and a kiss from the princess. ### [The Subterranean Waters](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxxi-the-subterranean-waters) Recognizes the danger of the approaching water, organizes the evacuation and horse rescue, and declines the king's offer to stay with his parents. ### [The Last Chapter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/chapters/xxxii-the-last-chapter) Takes charge of draining the king's house and organizing the miners to build new outlets and secure the passage. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/characters/curdie - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_princess_and_the_goblin_se/characters