Prince Prigio
1889
The queen of Pantouflia doesn't believe in fairies. When her son is born, she refuses to invite them to the christening - and so no nobles attend either, leaving only the king and queen when the fairies arrive anyway, incensed at the slight. They gift the baby prince Prigio with every blessing imaginable, except the ability to believe in magic. He grows up dangerously clever - too clever for anyone's comfort. His father's solution to the problem of an overly cerebral heir: send all the princes on a deadly quest to slay a legendary Firedrake. Prigio must confront not just a monster, but his own stubborn skepticism about everything he refuses to believe. This is a fairy tale that knows exactly what it is - witty, self-aware, and gently satirical, from the golden age of children's literature. Intelligence itself becomes the hero's greatest obstacle and finally, unexpectedly, his salvation. For readers who enjoy clever deconstructions of fantasy tropes and Victorian wit.
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