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The Water-lily

From The Blue Fairy Book, collected by Andrew Lang

Andrew Lang's The Blue Fairy Book, first published in 1889, collected folk and fairy tales from many traditions for young readers. 'The Water-lily' (sometimes called 'The Water-lily. The Gold-spinners') is a tale of enchantment, transformation, and the lengths to which love will go to overcome a curse. This text reflects its era; a few period terms have been modernised. The story is worth a reader's time because it places trust and humility at the centre of rescue—the Prince must surrender his own form and follow instructions that defy logic in order to save the one he loves, a lesson in the courage required to relinquish control.

Band

Blue · Independent readers, confidentTypical starting range: ages 12–14

Length

long · about 1053 words in 5 sections · 2 pictures

Source

The Blue Fairy Book, Andrew Lang

First published

see the About page in the reader

Regions

Canada · United States

Included formats

• · Web reader and PDF
• · EPUB for e-readers
• · Home-print sheet
• · Folded booklet
• · Binder edition (8.5 × 11)
• · Worksheet
• · Quick Check (10 questions) with answer key
• · Read-aloud script
• · Teacher’s Edition (members)

Readers are engineered from the original public-domain text with AI under HummingRead’s published canon and Content Philosophy, checked by automated audit and sampled by a person. Pictures are made with AI to HummingRead’s brief for each story. How a reader is made.

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