Prince Prigio

"Prince Prigio" by Andrew Lang is a fictional work written in the late 19th century. The story unfolds in the enchanting kingdom of Pantouflia, where a witty and overly clever young prince named Prigio navigates royal expectations and magical challenges, especially after a series of unfortunate events involving his brothers. The early chapters set up the premise of fairies, royal mischief, and a quest that will require both bravery and wit, as the prince ultimately seeks to save his family while questioning the consequences of intelligence in a realm that often favors the conventional. The opening of the tale introduces readers to King Grognio and Queen Kalliope, who long for a child. When a son, Prigio, arrives, he quickly proves to be exceptionally clever, leading to tensions with his family and court. As the narrative progresses, it is revealed that his cleverness causes friction with everyone around him, culminating in his father's scheme to send the princes on a dangerous quest to confront a legendary creature called the Firedrake. The initial chapters elegantly play with themes of belief and disbelief in magic, the value of wisdom contrasted with ignorance, and set the stage for Prigio's journey filled with whimsical adventures and the importance of true friendship and love. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Andrew Lang was a Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University of St Andrews are named after him.