Back to: West Bengal Board Class 6th English Guide and Notes
Table of Contents
Characters
- Princess Alicia: A young, smart, and amazing daughter of the king.
- The king: He worked under the government.
- An errand boy: He stops and asks the king about the old lady.
- Fairy Grandmarina: She was the good fairy who gifts the fishbone to princess Alicia.
Introduction
This is the extraordinary story of a very nearly ordinary princess named Alicia. Given a magic fishbone by a good fairy, Alicia can have whatever she wishes-provided she wishes for it at the right time. But it’s never clear when the right time is, and sometimes the best magic is no magic at all. Perfectly matched by Robert Florczak’s spectacular illustrations, this funny and unexpectedly touching tale reveals a Victorian world that existed nowhere but in the mind of a child.
Summary
A king and queen had several children, Alicia was the eldest and looked after her siblings. The King worked under the government and one day while going to his office he stopped to fish. The queen had requested him to buy a pound and half and send it home. After he bought the fish, an errand boy came running to him and asked if he noticed the old lady in his shop. The King hadn’t seen the old lady but she was visible to the boy
Just then the old lady came trotting dressed in shot-silk of the richest quality. She knew everything about the King to which he guessed that she must be a fairy. The fairy cleared his doubt before even having him ask aloud. She was the Good Fairy Grandmarina, she asked the king to offer some salmon fish to princess Alicia that he bought and the fishbone that will be left must be dried and polished till it shines like mother-of-pearl. It was a present from the fairy to princess Alicia.
The magic fishbone could be used only once at the right time. Grandmarina vanished after giving him the details. The king after returning home did as he was asked and told princess Alicia to polish it and take care of it.
After some days one morning, the king came to Alicia looking devastated. Alicia enquired and the king said that he had become extremely poor and had no money at all. He had tried very hard and all ways to get money but he couldn’t. Princess Alicia seeing that the king had put in all the effort, took out her fishbone and wished that it was a salary day. Instantly King’s salary came rattling down the chimney and bounced into the middle of the floor. Immediately afterward the good fairy Grandmarina came riding in a carriage by four peacocks dressed in silver and gold. The fairy had come to take the fishbone back and as soon as she took it from the princess it was grabbed by the little snapping pug-dog next door.
Conclusion
Dickens inculcated in his lessons that greed, impatience, and insubordination were not to be tolerated and that individual resourcefulness, forbearance, devotion to duty, compassion, and love were necessary to every person as well as for the good of society.
