The Wise Woman: A Parable, also known as The Lost Princess: A Double Story, is another inspiring fairy tale from Christian author George MacDonald. MacDonald is revered for including faith-based lessons in his works, with the talent of blending fairy tale style writing with didactic themes beautifully. His work still influences and inspires today.
The Wise Woman follows the story of two different daughters born on the same day, Princess Rosamond, born into luxury, and Agnes the shepherd's daughter, born into poverty. Both spoiled, yet in different ways, they end up growing into selfish children who cannot be tamed by their parents. That is, until a mysterious "Wise Woman" steals them away, where they must find their morality or lose everything. Through the woman's tough love and magical kindness, Rosamond and Agnes learn responsibility, humility, and discipline. However, teaching someone to be good doesn't mean they'll choose to act good in the end. This unforgettable tale deals with real problems when it comes to parenting children, teaching us through its story that all actions have consequences, and we must strike a balance in what we doing if we want it to end well. The Wise Woman: A Parable truly is a life-changing read.