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Context Literature / TheLightPrincess

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1[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/light_princess.png]]
2''The Light Princess'' is an 1864 tongue-in-cheek fairy tale written by Creator/GeorgeMacDonald.
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4Once upon a time there was a King and Queen who desperately wanted a child, and were eventually blessed with a baby girl. But while arranging their daughter's christening, the King forgets to invite his sister, Princess Makemnoit, a horrible witch. Out of spite, Makemnoit curses the Princess to live without gravity.
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6Because of this, the Princess spends her life floating in the air, unable to touch the ground and always dangerously close to being carried off into the sky. Moreover, there's no gravity to weigh down her ''soul'', either. She never thinks seriously on any topic, cannot be made to empathize with people, and never cries.
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8The only thing that seems to remedy this, is a nearby lake the Princess loves to swim in, which miraculously returns her gravity. After sneaking out to it one evening, a Prince happens across her and, believing she's drowning, swims out to rescue her. By the time he realizes his mistake, he's already fallen in love with her. Though the Princess is incapable of being serious about anything, least of all love, she consents to spend time with him while she swims at night.
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10Unfortunately, Makemnoit discovers the Princess' love of the lake and curses it to drain. It's said that the only way to refill it is if a man is brave enough to give his life by plugging the hole with his body until it's full again. Fearing the Princess will die of sadness if the lake is not restored, the Prince volunteers to sacrifice himself, on the condition the Princess sits beside him in a boat till the deed is done.
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12Though initially pleased that the lake is returning, when the Princess sees the Prince drowning she becomes distraught and pulls him out. When he finally wakes the next morning she falls to the floor and weeps with joy. Love has broken the curse. The two marry and have many children—none of which ever lose their gravity.
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14Noted children's author Creator/MauriceSendak illustrated a version, which was released in 1977.
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16In 2013 it was adapted into a [[Theatre/TheLightPrincess musical]] by London's National Theatre, with the book by Samuel Adamson and music by Music/ToriAmos.
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18----
19!!''The Light Princess'' provides examples of:
20* AccidentalKiss: Among other incidents, an accident when the princess gets caught up in the wind as she rushes to greet her father causes her to blow into a page and accidentally kiss him instead.
21* CheerfulChild: Growing up, the Light Princess is never anything but joyful.
22* ChocolateBaby: Both the Princess's parents are brunette while the princess is blonde. This leads to some light speculation from the king that the light-bodied baby might not actually be theirs.
23%%* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: The Princess, due to her curse.
24* CorporealPunishment: When the possibility comes about that making the princess cry may break her curse, the king in desperation whips his daughter. She laughs all the way through.
25* CursedWithAwesome: The Princess seems to think so at first; she doesn't understand why everyone makes such a fuss about her lack of gravity.
26* DissonantLaughter: The princess reacts with laughter to the news of the kingdom being under attack, the sight of he rmothers tears and to being whipped by her father. It's not a happy sound and can be mistaken for screaming.
27* EvilAunt: The witch that curses the Princess is her father's sister, estranged due to having fallen out with their father.
28* FairyTaleMotifs: Princess? Check. King and Queen? Check. Evil fairy? Check. Handsome knight-errant prince? Check....
29%* HeroicBSOD: The Princess has one when she almost loses the lake.
30* HeroicSacrifice: The Prince [[TearJerker doesn't mind dying if it means the Princess will be happy]].
31%%* TheHyena: The Princess, as part of the curse.
32%%* InverseFertilityLaw
33%%* {{Jerkass}}: The King's sister.
34%%* LemonyNarrator: Not quite to the extent as some of the examples on the main page, but still noticeable.
35%%* LoveAtFirstSight
36* NoNameGiven: The Princess, the Prince, and most of the other characters as well.
37* ThePhilosopher: Two of them, a Materialist and a Spiritualist. PlayedForLaughs.
38%%* ThePowerOfLove
39%%* {{Pun}}: Lampshaded.
40%%* RuleOfFunny: Quite a few fairy tale tropes are PlayedForLaughs.
41%%* StealthPun: The Princess lacks gravity in both senses of the word.
42* {{Troperiffic}}: The story is chock-full of fairy tale tropes: one childless couple who desperately want a child, a main character who is a princess, a wicked witch who curses the baby during her christening out of spite...

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