Scheming goblins, underground caverns, a daring plan to save the kingdom… George MacDonald delves to a new level of richness in his 1872 children’s novel, The Princess and the Goblin. A beautiful example of blind faith and trust, the story follows the eight-year old princess Irene as she roams the grounds of her castle, awaiting her father’s return.
While exploring the winding corridors, she discovers a beautiful woman who introduces herself as Irene’s great-great-grandmother and gifts her with an invisible ball of thread that, when unraveled, can only be felt by someone with faith to follow where it leads. Through a series of adventures in which she makes friends with a young miner and narrowly escapes capture by goblins, Princess Irene implicitly trusts the thread to lead her to safety despite the skeptics around her.
In the same way, we trust God’s plan for our lives and live by faith in his good and gracious will. We may not always see where his path for us leads, but as Irene’s great-great-grandmother says, “Seeing is not believing- it is only seeing.”
An influential figure in C.S. Lewis’ life, George MacDonald’s delightful writing enchants both children and adults, making for a great read-aloud in addition to the classic apple in hand or flashlight under the covers experience.
- Beth
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