The Seven Plaits of Nettles, and other stories

In Short

This anthology gathers a series of moralistic fairy tales designed for young readers, emphasizing themes of self-sacrifice, gratitude, and the transformative power of kindness. Through magical encounters—such as a girl plucking stinging nettles to save her starving country or a mermaid bestowing pearls upon a pair of poor sisters—the stories illustrate that prosperity and happiness are the natural fruits of an unselfish spirit. These narratives persist as enduring examples of early twentieth-century children’s literature, reflecting a time when storytelling served primarily as a vehicle for shaping virtuous character.

The Story

The collection opens with the title story, "The Seven Plaits of Nettles," which introduces a kingdom brought to the brink of ruin by a greedy, gambling King. A tenderhearted girl named Ellaleen receives a spectral command to harvest stinging nettles from a distant mountain to restore the nation’s health. Despite the physical agony of the task, she perseveres, plucking the weeds with bare hands and singing through her pain. When she casts the nettles into the royal lake, the water turns sweet, the people fall into a restorative, year-long sleep, and the land blossoms with unprecedented abundance. The King, transformed by his own dream, humbles himself by repeating the task with even greater intensity, eventually becoming a just ruler.

In "When Our Ship Comes Home," a fairy mermaid, trapped in a tiny pool by a receding tide, is saved by two sisters who return her to the ocean. A year later, when the family is suffering from poverty and illness, the mermaid returns the kindness by washing a casket of pearls onto the shore. These pearls provide the resources to heal the community, teaching that gratitude is a tangible force.

"The Golden Wish" follows Lady Elizabeth, an earl’s daughter so obsessed with wealth that she accidentally eats a magic fish and wishes for everything she touches to turn to gold. The result is a tragic irony; she cannot eat or drink, as her sustenance turns to metal, and she accidentally petrifies her pet poodle. Only after she vows to forsake her greed does a thunderclap reverse the curse.

"The Princess and the Frog" tells of a virtuous Princess who sustains her kingdom's charity-based economy, even caring for a lame frog in her aquarium. When war destroys her father’s realm, she flees with the creature. Upon showing him kindness, the frog is revealed to be an enchanted Prince, who rescues her and the King, leading them to a land where they continue their work of mercy.

Finally, "The Three Snowflakes" describes three sisters—Faith, Hope, and Charity—who discover a destitute girl named Ruth. By providing her with a home, they embody the virtues they represent. Each tale concludes with the restoration of order, showing that the world ultimately rewards those who act with love rather than selfishness.

How It Unfolds

The call to sacrifice Ellaleen, Lady Elizabeth, and the Princess all face moments where their internal values are tested by extreme circumstances. Whether summoned by a dream or forced by war, they must decide whether to act for the greater good or remain trapped by their own comfort or greed.

The threshold of transformation The characters leave their familiar homes and enter liminal, magical spaces—willow copses, desolate mountaintops, or the edge of the sea. It is in these lonely, difficult places that the magical shift occurs, as the characters face the physical consequences of their choices.

The trial of suffering Each protagonist must endure a period of "weeding" or "waiting." Ellaleen’s bloodied hands, Lady Elizabeth’s starvation, and the Princess’s flight through the woods serve as necessary penance for the vanity or misfortune of their respective worlds.

The resolution of grace The stories culminate in the restoration of the social or natural order. The King learns justice, the sisters find pearls, and the Princess finds a kingdom, confirming that the universe is inherently balanced toward the virtuous.

The People

Ellaleen acts as the quintessential selfless heroine; she is defined by her empathy for her starving family and neighbors. Her willingness to suffer for the collective good shifts her from a simple girl to a national savior.

Lady Elizabeth serves as the collection’s cautionary tale. Initially consumed by vanity and discontent, she is a girl who wants the world to serve her desires. Her transformation is painful, stripping her of the ability to enjoy basic life until she learns to humble her desires.

The Princess is the ideal of the "ministering angel," a figure whose inherent goodness creates a protective circle around the maimed and the weak. Her love for the lowliest creature—a limping frog—is the catalyst for her own salvation.

The King, in the opening story, represents the bridge between vice and virtue. He is initially a caricature of greed, but his capacity for change demonstrates the author's belief that even the most "wicked" can be redeemed through manual labor and self-reflection.

In Its Own Voice

Describing the immense physical suffering the heroine must endure to save her country, the narrative notes:

“How loudly she sang! If she had not done so she must have cried out in agony, for the cruel nettles tore her poor arms and legs and feet.”

Regarding the unexpected and dangerous consequences of Lady Elizabeth’s greed, the story observes:

“Lady Elizabeth let the cup fall with a crash, breaking it to atoms, as she sprang to her feet with a scream, while the Earl fell off his chair in amazement.”

Reflecting the simple, optimistic morality inherent in the Princess's rescue of the frog, the text concludes:

“The Frog you took from the pool was no ordinary frog—in reality, he was an enchanted Prince; your love for, and the tears that fell on him, have restored him to his own form again.”

What It's Really About

At its heart, this book is an argument for the utility of kindness. It operates on the premise that the world is a moral mechanism: if one behaves with generosity and patience, the environment will eventually respond in kind. The stories explore the tension between personal desire and civic duty, suggesting that individual happiness is impossible unless the community is also thriving. The recurring presence of hunger and poverty throughout the tales creates a backdrop of scarcity, emphasizing that wealth and status are fragile, but character and compassion are the only true, lasting currencies in a world prone to upheaval and trial.

Why Read It Today

Readers who enjoy the classic, didactic structure of Victorian-era fairy tales will find these stories both comforting and historically revealing. There is a distinct, rhythmic quality to the prose that feels like a bedtime story told in an age of simpler certainties. Vredenburg treats his child audience with a high level of earnestness, never shying away from the idea that doing the right thing often involves genuine pain or personal sacrifice.

However, modern readers should be prepared for the period-specific attitudes embedded in the text. The stories rely heavily on archetypes—the "bad" king, the "beautiful" princess, and the "destitute" orphan—that feel quite removed from contemporary sensibilities. The moralizing can be heavy-handed, and the characters are often defined by their static virtues or flaws rather than internal complexity. Additionally, the inclusion of advertisements for other children’s books and merchandise at the end provides a fascinating look at the commercial landscape of early 20th-century publishing. If you are looking for an immersive, nostalgic, and moralistic journey into the past, this collection offers a window into the values and literary tastes of a bygone era, proving that while the world changes, the desire for stories of redemption remains constant.