The Feather

In Short

This whimsical fairy tale follows Princess Ernalie, who leaves her sheltered mountain home to explore the dangerous world beyond. Through a series of surreal encounters—involving a usurping king, a magical invisibility-granting feather, and even a journey to the moon—Ernalie navigates the complexities of power, courtship, and independence. Blending the traditional structure of a fable with a playful, self-aware narrative voice, the story charts a young woman’s path toward self-governance. It has endured as a charming example of turn-of-the-century juvenile fantasy that refuses to talk down to its readers.

The Story

Princess Ernalie is a self-willed child living in a beautiful, isolated country ringed by mountains. Tired of domestic life, she defies warnings of fiery serpents and precipices to cross the mountains, where she is promptly swept into a political drama. She is rescued by Wopole, a grotesque falconer, and taken to the humble farm of Abbonamento, the rightful king who was usurped by the tyrant Mumkie. Ernalie finds herself living with the deposed royals, helping with farm chores while secretly testing a magical feather that renders her invisible.

Ernalie discovers that Abbonamento’s son, Prince Treblo, is plotting to reclaim the throne. She follows the conspirators and uses her invisibility to overhear their schemes, eventually interfering in their plans to ensure the safety of those she cares about. During her time at the farm and later at the palace, she faces various suitors and courtly pressures, handling them all with a sharp wit that often confuses the older, more tradition-bound characters.

The plot takes a cosmic turn when Ernalie, still wielding the feather, joins Wopole on a voyage that leads them to the moon. On the lunar surface, she encounters the Man in the Moon—a persistent, tone-deaf singer—and eventually the goddess Diana, who helps her return to Earth. Her journey is defined by this strange blend of high-stakes political restoration and absurd, dreamlike obstacles.

Back at the palace, the political situation reaches a breaking point. The tyrant Mumkie, realizing his position is lost and the Prince has returned, flees into the sea and vanishes. Wopole, having made a navigational error while attempting to leave the moon, also disappears into history. With the usurpers gone, the restoration of the rightful monarchy is achieved, though the narrative remains focused on Ernalie’s personal agency rather than the mechanics of statecraft.

The story concludes with Ernalie and Treblo falling in love, their bond forged through shared secrets and the quiet intimacy of garden conversations. Despite the narrator’s wry warnings about the dangers of lingering in the night air, the two eventually marry. With the old order restored and the villains cast into oblivion, the couple secures a "happily ever after," though the text suggests this is a conclusion perhaps more suited to the fairy-tale past than the practical realities of the nineteenth century.

How It Unfolds

The call to adventure Ernalie grows restless within her father’s peaceful kingdom and defies her nurse to seek what lies beyond the mountains. She ignores warnings of monsters and falls, finding herself in a strange land ruled by an exiled king.

The farm of exiles Ernalie integrates into the life of the deposed King Abbonamento, learning to milk cows and keep house while hiding her true identity. She comes into possession of a magical feather, which she uses to move through the world unseen and gather secrets.

The conspiracy of princes The Prince plans a coup to overthrow the usurper Mumkie, and Ernalie, invisible and observant, follows their every move. She begins to actively manipulate the political outcome, thwarting Wopole’s schemes and protecting her own interests.

The lunar voyage Ernalie travels to the moon, where the landscape is made of cheese and the inhabitants include a persistent, singing hermit. She eventually gains the favor of the goddess Diana, who assists in her return to Earth.

The restoration and union The usurper is driven away, and the rightful order is established at the palace. Ernalie and the Prince navigate the court’s expectations, ultimately choosing each other and securing their future in a quiet, traditional wedding.

The People

Princess Ernalie is the story’s driving force. She possesses an unshakeable sense of self-assurance and a sharp, often ironic wit. While others are concerned with titles and propriety, she is interested in agency, using her invisibility to ensure she is never a passive pawn in someone else’s political game.

Prince Treblo seeks to reclaim his birthright and restore his parents to the throne. He is brave but often outmaneuvered by Ernalie’s intelligence. His development is marked by his transition from a traditional prince-in-waiting to a partner who respects Ernalie’s independence.

Wopole serves as a grotesque, unpredictable antagonist. As the falconer to the usurper Mumkie, he represents the chaotic and often ugly side of political power. His eventual disappearance marks the removal of the story’s primary source of instability.

King Abbonamento and Queen Araminta are the humble, deposed monarchs. They are kindly figures who transition from the simplicity of farm life back to the responsibilities of the throne, acting as a grounding presence for the more fantastical elements of the plot.

The Man in the Moon provides an absurd, comic interlude. He is a weary, aging figure whose primary concerns are singing, eating, and interacting with travelers, offering a surreal distraction from the urgency of the Princess's quest.

In Its Own Voice

Describing the nature of the stories he tells, the narrator offers a disclaimer about the thin, airy substance of imagination.

‘True, I talk of dreams, Which are the children of an idle brain, Begot of nothing but vain fantasy, Which is as thin of substance as the air.’

During her time in exile, the Princess attempts to bond with the Queen by quoting literature, highlighting her sophisticated, if slightly out-of-place, education.

‘“Kennst du das Land Wo die Citronen blühen?”’

What It's Really About

At its core, this book examines the transition from childhood curiosity to adult responsibility. Ernalie’s journey is not just a geographic one; it is an exploration of how a young person asserts their voice in a world dominated by rigid, often absurd traditions. The contrast between her magical, invisible world and the practical, often messy business of the court suggests that growing up requires balancing one’s inner life with the demands of society. It raises the question of whether a "happily ever after" is a genuine resolution or merely a conventional ending to a process of self-discovery that remains, in many ways, inherently mysterious.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the surreal, gentle humor of classic children’s literature—where the logic of a dream prevails—will find much to admire here. The writing is warm and inviting, yet it possesses a sharp, modern edge that prevents it from feeling merely sentimental. Those who appreciate a protagonist who refuses to be a damsel in distress will find Ernalie’s independence refreshing; she is clever, proactive, and consistently the most capable person in any room.

However, the book does carry the distinct flavor of its era. The narrative structure is somewhat loose, and the humor relies on a Victorian sensibility that may feel oblique to contemporary readers. The occasional inclusion of untranslated foreign phrases and references to specific nineteenth-century social norms reflects the intellectual climate of the author's time. Despite these minor hurdles, the prose remains light and the pacing is brisk. What stays with the reader is the sense of whimsy—the image of a princess milking cows while clutching an invisible feather, or the absurdity of a moon made of cheese. It is a brief, enchanting excursion into a world where the boundaries between the mundane and the magical are comfortably, and happily, blurred.