The Adventures of Prince Lazybones, and Other Stories

Prince Leo Lazybones has never once lifted a finger in his life, and he doesn't intend to start now. Lying in the sun-dappled gardens of his father's palace, watching clouds drift past, seems to him the only reasonable way to spend a royal existence. His family is famously indolent, his kingdom notably neglected, and his subjects are growing restless under the weight of mounting debts. Yet there's something disarming about the young prince, a simple kindness beneath his indolence that makes you root for him anyway. Everything changes when a mysterious voice calls to him from beyond the palace walls, and he encounters Master Professor Knops, an elfin scholar who dwells in a hidden world few mortals know exists. Through this peculiar guide, Leo begins to discover that laziness and curiosity need not be enemies, and that a prince who has never cared to learn anything might yet find the world worth caring about. First published in the late 19th century, this collection of tales blends Victorian whimsy with gentle lessons about responsibility and wonder. It is for readers who love their fairy tales with a touch of humor and their moral lessons wrapped in magic.