"The House of Joy" by Laurence Housman is a collection of fairy tales written in the late 19th century. The stories within explore themes of love, sacrifice, and transformation, set against a backdrop of magical elements and whimsical characters. The opening tale, "The Prince with the Nine Sorrows," features a prince destined to encounter profound sadness due to the mysterious disappearance of his foster-sisters, intricately entwined with his fate. The beginning of
"The House of Joy" introduces readers to the life of a young prince raised far from his royal family, who bears nine sorrows linked to the loss of his foster-sisters. After a foreboding dream, his mother enlists the help of a family fairy, which ultimately leads to the mysterious vanishing of the sisters. As the prince grows, he feels the void of his lost siblings and the weight of his melancholy. Driven by an innate desire to find them, he embarks on a quest, revealing a heartfelt exploration of familial bonds and the intersection of joy and sorrow. The narrative combines elements of fantasy with deep emotional resonance, inviting readers into a rich tapestry of enchanting storytelling. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
The prince with the nine sorrows -- The luck of the roses -- The White King -- The story of the herons -- Syringa -- The traveller's shoes -- The moon-flower -- Happy returns.
Credits
Charlene Taylor and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Reading Level
Reading ease score: 83.3 (6th grade). Easy to read.
