<P> Eight - year - old Princess Irene lives a lonely life in a castle in a wild , desolate , mountainous kingdom , with only her nursemaid , Lootie , for company . Her father , the king , is normally absent , and her mother is dead . Unknown to her , the nearby mines are inhabited by a race of goblins , long banished from the kingdom and now anxious to take revenge on their human neighbours . One rainy day , the princess explores the castle and discovers a beautiful , mysterious lady , who identifies herself as Irene 's namesake and great - great - grandmother . The next day , Princess Irene persuades her nursemaid to take her outside . After dark they are chased by goblins and rescued by the young miner , Curdie , whom Irene befriends . At work with the rest of the miners , Curdie overhears the goblins talking , and their conversation reveals to Curdie the secret weakness of goblin anatomy : they have very soft , vulnerable feet . Curdie sneaks into the Great Hall of the goblin palace to eavesdrop on their general meeting , and hears that the goblins intend to flood the mine if a certain other part of their plan should fail . He later conveys this news to his father . In the palace , Princess Irene injures her hand , which her great - great - grandmother heals . A week later Irene is about to see her great - great - grandmother again , but is frightened by a long - legged cat and escapes up the mountain ; whereupon the light from her great - great - grandmother 's tower leads her home , where her great - great - grandmother gives Irene a ring attached to a thread invisible except to herself , which thereafter connects her constantly to home . </P>
<P> Eight - year - old Princess Irene lives a lonely life in a castle in a wild , desolate , mountainous kingdom , with only her nursemaid , Lootie , for company . Her father , the king , is normally absent , and her mother is dead . Unknown to her , the nearby mines are inhabited by a race of goblins , long banished from the kingdom and now anxious to take revenge on their human neighbours . One rainy day , the princess explores the castle and discovers a beautiful , mysterious lady , who identifies herself as Irene 's namesake and great - great - grandmother . The next day , Princess Irene persuades her nursemaid to take her outside . After dark they are chased by goblins and rescued by the young miner , Curdie , whom Irene befriends . At work with the rest of the miners , Curdie overhears the goblins talking , and their conversation reveals to Curdie the secret weakness of goblin anatomy : they have very soft , vulnerable feet . Curdie sneaks into the Great Hall of the goblin palace to eavesdrop on their general meeting , and hears that the goblins intend to flood the mine if a certain other part of their plan should fail . He later conveys this news to his father . In the palace , Princess Irene injures her hand , which her great - great - grandmother heals . A week later Irene is about to see her great - great - grandmother again , but is frightened by a long - legged cat and escapes up the mountain ; whereupon the light from her great - great - grandmother 's tower leads her home , where her great - great - grandmother gives Irene a ring attached to a thread invisible except to herself , which thereafter connects her constantly to home . </P>
where does the princess and the goblin take place
where does the princess and the goblin take place
a castle in a wild , desolate , mountainous kingdom
a castle in a wild , desolate , mountainous kingdom