A Fairy Tale (Carmina Festiva) by Henry Van Dyke
The story revolves around a young girl who lives with her wicked stepmother and stepsisters. The fairy godmother appears to help the girl prepare for a royal ball by transforming a pumpkin into a carriage, mice into horses, and a rat into a coachman. At the ball, the girl meets a prince but must leave before midnight when the magic wears off. She loses a glass slipper on her way out, which the prince finds and uses to search for her. The story concludes with the prince's successful search and their marriage.
By Henry Van Dyke · First published 1893 · Genre: Fairy Tale, Poetry, Humor · 542 words
First lines
Some three-score years and ten ago / A prince was born at Florida, Mo.; / And though he came _incognito_, / With just the usual yells of woe, / The watchful fairies seemed to know / Precisely what the row meant; / For when he was but five days old, / (December fifth as I've been told,) / They pattered through the midnight cold, / And came around his crib, to hold / A "Council of Endowment."
"I give him Wit," the eldest said, / And stooped above the little bed, / To touch his forehead round and red.
What this Textopian page supports
A Fairy Tale (Carmina Festiva) is listed on Textopian as a poem by Henry Van Dyke, dated 1893 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Poem
- Author: Henry Van Dyke
- Date: 1893 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fairy Tale, Poetry, Humor, Fantasy, Biography
- Length: 542 words
- Structure: 1 section, 12 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for A Fairy Tale (Carmina Festiva) by Henry Van Dyke
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Genres
- Fairy Tale — The narrative structure and elements such as fairies, magical gifts, and a prince align with traditional fairy tale conventions.
- Poetry — The work is written in verse form, utilizing rhyme and meter typical of poetry.
- Humor — The playful tone and the humorous twist at the end, revealing the prince as Mark Twain, contribute to the genre of humor.
- Fantasy — The presence of magical beings and supernatural endowments places the work within the fantasy genre.
Tags
Fairy tale · Poetry collection · Children's literature · Nursery rhyme · Verse novel · Literary fiction · American literature · 19th century literature · Classic children's book · Whimsical · Imaginative · Fantasy