The Imp Prince (known as Le Prince Lutin in French) is a French fairy tale written by Marie Catherine d'Aulnoy and published in her book Fairy Tales (Les Contes des Fees) in 1697. The word Lutin, in French, can have several translations and meanings. A lutin was like an imp or hobgoblin in the mythology of Normandy, similar to house-spirits of Germany and Scandinavia. Notably, this story gives a description of the Lutin. Translations English publications of this tale translated its name as The Hobgoblin Prince, Prince Sprite, Prince Ariel, Prince Elfin or The Invisible Prince. A German language translation titled the tale Prinz Kobold. Synopsis The story is about the life of Léandre, a handsome prince who was a human but turned into a lutin (imp) after the ruling prince forced his retreat from court into the countryside. There was once a king and queen who had a malformed son named Furibon. He was as large as the largest man and small as smallest dwarf, he had an ugly face and a deformed body and mean spirit, but the queen was insane and thought Furibon was the most beautiful child in the world. Furibon's governor was a rival prince, who had claims to the throne. This governor brought with him his own son named prince Léandre. Léandre was very well liked in court, the ladies loved him, thought him very handsome and called him the "beautiful indifferent one" (translated). Furibon, however, was hated. He insulted people and reported their secret faults to the King and Queen. One day, ambassadors came from afar and seeing Léandre with Furibon together, they bowed to Léandre thinking he was the prince and thinking Furibon was just a dwarf. They teased Furibon and laughed at him. When no one was looking, Furibon angrily took Léandre by the hair and tore out three handfuls. Thus, Léandre's father sent Léandre to live in a castle in the countryside, to be safely far away from Furibon. In the countryside, Léandre was free to hunt, fish, walk, paint, read and play musical instruments. He was happy but lonely. He found an injured grass snake one evening and brought it home to feed and care for it, hoping it would bring him some joy. One day Furibon came into the woods with assassins to hunt Léandre down and kill him. Léandre decided that he must travel the world and