Audiobook · read by volunteers
Little Lame Prince
Dinah Maria Mulock Craik (1826–1887)
Read by Alys AtteWater · 15 chapters · 4 h 30
About the book
Prince Dolor is born into a palace full of joy, but a terrible accident when he is a baby leaves him unable to walk. Soon afterwards the throne passes to the boy's ambitious uncle, who shuts him away in a lonely tower. There the child grows up with only a few attendants, until a mysterious godmother appears with extraordinary gifts. The greatest of them is a travelling cloak that can carry him through the air, anywhere he wishes. With it, Dolor begins to see the world beyond his walls, learn what his kingdom needs and prepare for the day when he may claim his place. Alys AtteWater reads this classic Victorian fairy tale in about four and a half hours, and the final chapters add several short stories about princes by the same author.
Introduction
Dinah Maria Mulock Craik (1826-1887) was an English novelist and poet, best known in her time for the novel John Halifax, Gentleman. The Little Lame Prince, published in 1875, was written for children and is probably her best-loved shorter work. She is often found under the name Mrs Craik.
The story belongs to the tradition of the Victorian fairy tale, in which magic is used to teach lessons about courage and patience. What stands out is its gentle seriousness. Prince Dolor is not made well by a spell; instead his disability is treated as part of who he is, and the story is more about resilience, learning and character. The magic cloak, which allows him to travel and observe, is an inventive device that lets the author describe the world through a child's wonder.
This recording has 15 chapters and runs about 4.5 hours. Chapters 12 to 15 contain additional short stories featuring princes. It is read by a single LibriVox volunteer, Alys AtteWater.
Today the book is a quiet but memorable choice for family listening, and it offers a view of how nineteenth-century writers imagined childhood, illness and kingship. It is unhurried, kind and sometimes moving. The book is a pleasant discovery for adults reading to children, because the tone is serious without being grim, and because the story invites questions about courage, fairness and what makes a good ruler. Its pace is gentle, and the extra stories at the end give the recording a satisfying shape.
Public domain
Dinah Maria Mulock Craik died in 1887: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text