CHAPTER PAGE I. WHY THE PRINCESS HAS A STORY ABOUT HER 9 II. THE PRINCESS LOSES HERSELF 13 III. THE PRINCESS AND--WE SHALL SEE WHO 16 IV. WHAT THE NURSE THOUGHT OF IT 24 V. THE PRINCESS LETS WELL ALONE 29 VI. THE LITTLE MINER 32 VII. THE MINES 45 VIII. THE GOBLINS 50 IX. THE HALL OF THE GOBLIN PALACE 59 X. THE PRINCESS'S KING-PAPA 68 XI. THE OLD LADY'S BEDROOM 73 XII. A SHORT CHAPTER ABOUT CURDIE 82 XIII. THE COBS' CREATURES 85 XIV. THAT NIGHT WEEK 90 XV. WOVEN AND THEN SPUN 95 XVI. THE RING 106 XVII. SPRING-TIME 109 XVIII. CURDIE'S CLUE 112 XIX. GOBLIN COUNSELS 122 XX. IRENE'S CLUE 128 XXI. THE ESCAPE 134 XXII. THE OLD LADY AND CURDIE 147 XXIII. CURDIE AND HIS MOTHER 155 XXIV. IRENE BEHAVES LIKE A PRINCESS 165 XXV. CURDIE COMES TO GRIEF 168 XXVI. THE GOBLIN-MINERS 174 XXVII. THE GOBLINS IN THE KING'S HOUSE 177 XXVIII. CURDIE'S GUIDE 184 XXIX. MASON-WORK 189 XXX. THE KING AND THE KISS 192 XXXI. THE SUBTERRANEAN WATERS 196 XXXII. THE LAST CHAPTER 202 THE PRINCESS AND THE GOBLIN CHAPTER I WHY THE PRINCESS HAS A STORY ABOUT HER THERE was once a little princess who-- "_But, Mr. Author, why do you always write about princesses?_" "_Because every little girl is a princess._" "_You will make them vain if you tell them that._" "_Not if they understand what I mean._" "_Then what do you mean?_" "_What_ do you _mean by a princess?_" "_The daughter of a king._"