The princess who didn't want to play

The princess who didn't want to play ( Swedish Prinsessan som inte ville leka ) is a story by Astrid Lindgren .

action

Lise-Lotta is a little princess. She has a playroom with everything she could want. Still, she doesn't want to play. This worries the mother very much. She tries everything to get Lise-Lotta to play and even calls the personal doctor for help. But all attempts are unsuccessful. One day when Lise-Lotta is in the park of the castle, she sees a girl named Maja who is just as tall as she is. At first, Lise-Lotta is surprised that the girl is so small, because she only met tall, grown-up people in the castle. But then Maja and Lise-Lotta play together. Maja has a turned wooden doll that looks like a piece of wood with a rag around it, which she calls Pia. Lise-Lotta is fascinated by the doll and would like to have one too. When Lise-Lotta's mother arrives a little later, Lise-Lotta has red cheeks and looks livelier than ever before. The mother is delighted. She invites Maja to play in the palace the next day. Lise-Lotta Maja also promises that she can choose any of her dolls if she just leaves Pia to her. When Maja comes to Lise-Lotta's playroom the next morning, she is surprised by the large selection of dolls that Lise-Lotta has. She takes a sleeping doll with her and leaves Pia to Lise-Lotta. Both girls are overjoyed and promise to meet again the next day to play.

background

The story first appeared in 1947 under the title Prinsessan som inte ville leka in the Swedish magazine Landsbygdens jul . In Sweden, the story was also published in 1949 in the short story collection Nils Karlsson Pyssling (1952, German There are no robbers in the forest ). The story was later published as a single book by Novellix. This issue was illustrated by Lisa Benk . The story was also published as an audio book in Sweden. It was read by Astrid Lindgren herself. Maja's doll has different names in the German editions of the story. In older editions it is called Puttchen and in more recent editions Pia. In the Swedish original it is called Puttan.

reception

Hanna Lager from feministbiblioteket.se says that she really liked the story of. It would show that many toys would not bring joy without playmates. Only when she found a friend did the princess become happy. Valerie Kyeyune Backström from Expressen also praises the story. She shows how a rich princess gets new life force and vitality through friendship with a poor girl.

expenditure

• Prinsessan som inte ville leka , In: Falkenberg Bygd (ed.): Landsbygdens jul , AB Skånska Dagbladets Tryckeri, Malmö, 1947, 4, pp. 27-29, the story in Swedish in the magazine Landsbygdens jul .
• Nils Karlsson-Pyssling, (1949), Rabén & Sjögren, Swedish publication
• Prinsessan som inte ville leka (2015), Novelix, Swedish edition, illustrated by Lisa Benk

Published in Germany in

• There are no robbers in the forest, 1952, Verlag Friedrich Oetinger, Hamburg
• Astrid Lindgren tells, 1971, Verlag Friedrich Oetinger, Hamburg
• We come to you - stories from children from Sweden, 1972, Deutsches Lesewerk, Hamburg
• Fairy tale, 1978, Friedrich Oetinger publishing house, Hamburg
• The Mirabell Doll and Other Stories, 2006, Verlag Friedrich Oetinger, Hamburg

Individual evidence

1. ^ Fyra Astrid Lindgren-noveller från Novellix: I skymningslandet, Märit, Prinsessan som inte ville leka, Tu tu tu! .
2. ^ Astrid Lindgren: Fem noveller. .
3. ↑ Extra sommarläsning! .
4. ↑ Prinsessan som inte ville leka .
5. ↑ Review: Novellix (red); Fyra Astrid Lindgren-noveller; 2015 .
6. ↑ Så levde de olyckliga i alla sina dagar. .