The Princess Who Wanted the Moon - James Thurber | BOSEM Class IX English Literature Reader

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 Board of Secondary Education Manipur (BOSEM)
English Literature Reader

Class - 9

The Princess Who Wanted the Moon

James Thurber

the princess who wanted the moon


Summary

The Princess Who Wanted the Moon, penned by James Thurber, is a captivating tale filled with cleverness and humour, concluding on a gentle and tender note.

The story revolves around Princess Lenore, who falls ill from overindulging in raspberry tarts and believes that she can only recover by obtaining the moon. Concerned for his daughter, the King seeks the advice of his wise men to acquire the moon. However, each wise man presents insurmountable obstacles, leading to the King's distress. It is the Court Jester who proposes a solution: to understand the Princess's perception of the moon. Discovering that the Princess envisions the moon as a small, golden object, the Court Jester orchestrates the creation of a tiny, round golden moon on a chain for her to wear. Overjoyed, the Princess regains her health.

Yet, a new problem arises for the King, who fears that the Princess will fall ill again upon seeing the real moon at night. After dismissing the impractical suggestions of his wise men, the King turns to the Court Jester once more.

In a clever ruse, the Court Jester confronts the Princess as she gazes at the moon outside her window, questioning why the moon is shining when it should be hanging around her neck. The Princess, finding the question absurd, explains that a new moon came up and took its place as it was with other things like her tooth or the flowers in the Royal Garden, and drifts off to sleep. With this, the Court Jester ensures her comfort and departs from her chamber.

overindulge: overeat

insurmountable: impossible to overcome

perception: (here) views, opinion, ideas

orchestrates: plans, organises

ruse: trick

absurd: silly, idiotic

Solved Textual Exercises

I. Answer the following in a sentence each.

1. What will make the Princess well again?

Ans.: - The Princess will be well again if she gets the moon.

2. According to the Lord High Chamberlain, what was the moon made of?

Ans.: - According to the Lord High Chamberlain, the moon was made of copper.

3. What was the moon made of, according to the Royal Mathematician?

Ans.: - According to the Royal Mathematician, the moon was made of asbestos.

4. What was the moon made of, according to the Princess?

Ans.: - According to the Princess, the moon was made of gold.

5. What was the Lord High Chamberlain's suggestion to keep the Princess from seeing the moon?

Ans.: - The Lord High Chamberlain proposed that the Princess should wear dark glasses in order to prevent her from seeing the moon.

II. Answer the following questions briefly.

1. Why did the Lord High Chamberlain say that getting the moon was out of question?

Ans.: - The Lord High Chamberlain stated that obtaining the moon was impossible due to its distance of 35,000 miles, its size being larger than the Princess' room, and its composition of copper.

2. What was the moon like, according to the Royal Wizard?

Ans.: - According to the Royal Wizard, the moon was situated 1,500,000 miles away and was composed of green cheese. Additionally, he mentioned that it was twice the size of the throne room.

3. "Nobody can get the moon."
Why did the Royal Mathematician say so?

Ans.: - The Royal Mathematician claimed that the moon was more than 300,000 miles away. He described it as round and flat, resembling a coin, and made of asbestos. Additionally, he stated that it was half the size of the kingdom and appeared to be affixed to the sky. Therefore, he concluded that according to his assessment, it was impossible for anyone to reach the moon.

4. Why did the King send for the Court Jester?

Ans.: - To cure the ailing Princess, the King needs to get the moon. However, the Lord High Chamberlain, the Royal Wizard, and the Royal Mathematician informed him that obtaining the moon was impossible. They explained that the moon was both extremely distant and exceedingly large. Distressed by this news, the King summoned the Court Jester to play melancholic music on his lute in an attempt to console himself.

5. What was the King's problem even after the Princess got the moon?

Ans.: - The Princess received the desired moon and recovered. However, the King feared that if she saw the moon in the night sky, she would realise that the moon she wore on a chain was not authentic, leading to her becoming melancholic and unwell once more. Consequently, the King faced the problem of concealing the moon that night, but he was uncertain about how or where to hide it.

6. What was the Princess's explanation about the presence of the moon?

Ans.: - On being enquired by the Court Jester why the moon was still shining in the sky while the Princess has got the moon around her neck, the Princess explained that just like her tooth or the flowers in the Royal Garden, when something was lost or cut, a new one would grow to take the place of the old one. She believed this to be true for everything, including the moon.

III. Answer the following questions in about 80 words each.

1. Are wise men always capable of solving difficult problems? Justify your answer with examples from the story.

Ans.: - The ability to solve difficult problems is not always exclusive to wise individuals. Oftentimes, it is common people with quick thinking and cleverness who are able to resolve challenges, as demonstrated in the story "The Princess Who Wanted the Moon". 

When the Princess's recovery depended on obtaining the moon, the King sought assistance from his three wise men – the Lord High Chamberlain, the Royal Wizard, and the Royal Mathematician. Despite their wisdom, they all declared that getting the moon was impossible due to its immense distance and size. Unexpectedly, it was the Court Jester, disregarded by the King, who, with his sharp wit, comprehended the Princess's concept of the moon and successfully acquired it, thereby solving the problem.

Similarly, when the King sought a way to prevent the moon from appearing in the night sky, the three wise men were once again unable to provide a solution. In contrast, it was the Court Jester who once more came to the King's aid, showcasing that wisdom alone may not always be sufficient in overcoming challenges. appearing in the night sky. Here, again, it was the Court Jester who came to the rescue of the King.

2. Write how the Court Jester solves both the King's problems.

Ans.: - First, when the King was faced with the challenge of obtaining the moon to help the sick Princess recover, none of his wise men - the Lord High Chamberlain, the Royal Wizard, and the Royal Mathematician, could offer a solution. Therefore, he sought solace from the Court Jester. The Court Jester, known for his common sense and wit, consulted the Princess to gather her thoughts on the moon. Drawing from the Princess' opinions about the moon, he instructed the Royal Goldsmith to craft a small golden moon suspended on a golden chain, which he then presented to the Princess. Through this gesture, the Princess obtained her desired moon and subsequently recuperated, thus resolving the King's first problem.

Subsequently, when the King sought a means to conceal the moon, the wise men of the King's court were unable to provide a satisfactory solution. Once again, the Court Jester came to the King's aid. By engaging the Princess in conversation, the Court Jester gained an understanding of why the moon still appeared in the sky despite being worn as a pendant on her neck. Consequently, he successfully addressed the King's second problem.

(recuperated: recovered, healed)

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