The wise woman has emerged as one of the best-loved figures of Christian fiction. In the final story of the trilogy, the young miner Curdie, meets the wise woman at least and sees that she is real. The Princess Irene and her father, the King, are in danger. The wise woman sends Curdie, armed only with his mattock and accompanied by a strange beast to guard him, into the heart of danger and evil to save the kingdom. With commentary notes by Christian author Jeri Massi. Scottish clergyman George MacDonald created beautiful and terrifying fantasy stories that influenced writers as different from each other as James Thurber, CS Lewis, and Ursula Le Guin. Jeri Massi, author of The Bridge and The Bracken Trilogy, supplies notes and commentary on the Christian content of the book.