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The Little Lame Prince
ABOUT THE STORY
The Author
The Illustrators
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The Little Lame Prince
By Miss Mulock
(also known as Dinah Maria Mulock Craik)
Dinah Maria Mulock was born in 1826 in Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England,
the daughter of a nonconformist minister.
A talented author and poet, in 1846, at the age of 20, Dinah,
her mother and siblings moved to London, where Dinah began her literary career
in earnest. Her first novel "The Ogilvies" was published in 1849,
her second, "Olive" followed in 1850. "The Head of the Family"
was published in 1851, followed by "Agatha's Husband" in 1853.
In 1856 she published a moralistic novel entitled "John
Halifax, Gentleman" which met with resounding success. The book was translated
for readers in France, Germany, Italy, Greece, and Russia, where it met with
equal approval. Miss Mulock's success enabled her to build Corner House, in
Shortlands, Kent, the home which became her permanent residence.
In 1865 Miss Dinah Mulock married George Lillie Craik, of
the Macmillan publishing firm, and together they adopted a daughter.
In the last chapter of The Little Lame Prince, Mrs. Mulock-Craik
makes fond reference to her little girl, while as the story teller (and as a
mother), she responds to the age-old children's question ".....and then
what happened?"
"Why, if I were to answer all these questions I should have to write another
book. And I'm tired, children, tired -- as grown-up people sometimes are, though
not always with play. (Besides, I have a small person belonging to me, who,
though she likes extremely to listen to the word-of-mouth story of this book,
grumbles much at the writing of it, and has run about the house clapping her
hands with joy when mamma told her that it was nearly finished. But that is
neither here nor there.)"
In 1858, Dinah Mulock Craik wrote "A Woman's Thoughts
about Women." Her book "Thirty Years: Poems, New and Old" was
published in 1881, and "Concerning Men and Other Papers" was published
in 1888.
Among several of her children's classics are "The Adventures of a Brownie"
published in 1872, followed by the world famous tale,"The Little Lame Prince"
in 1874.
After reading the latter, it is not unusual to wish you had
known the delightful Miss Mulock as a friend. A witty, practical, thoroughly
entertaining author, the talented Dinah Mulock Craik died in 1887, leaving as
her enduring legacy the parenting wisdom contained in The
Little Lame Prince.
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"The Little Lame Prince", illustrated
by Dorothy Todd, was published in the U.S. 1874 by The Goldsmith
Publishing Company of Chicago.
Illustrator biographical information is pending. |
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In 1875 the tale was published
in England under the title "The Little Lame Prince and His Travelling
Cloak: a Parable for Young and Old" by Daldy, Isbister & Co. of London,
and that book was illustrated by J. McL. Ralston.
Illustrator biographical information is pending. |
A number of today's popular sayings were penned by Dinah Mulock
Craik, including the oft' quoted phrase;
"Believe only half of what you see and nothing that
you hear".
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