About the Author
W. Somerset Maugham was a famous British writer born in 1874. He wrote stories, plays, and books that people all over the world love even today. He travelled to many countries, including India, and saw how people live and think. "Princess September" is a sweet fairy tale from his book The Casuarina Tree. Maugham passed away in 1965, but his fun and wise stories still teach children important lessons with a smile.
What’s the Story About?
This is a lovely fairy tale about a little princess who learns the true meaning of freedom and love. Let me tell you the whole story in simple words, like your elder sister sharing a bedtime tale.
Once upon a time, in a beautiful kingdom called Siam (now Thailand), there lived a king with nine daughters. All the princesses were named after the months of the year: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, and the youngest was September. The king was a kind man, but he had one big problem – he could never remember their names! So, every year on their birthdays, he gave each princess a pretty green parrot in a golden cage. The parrots were trained to say, “God save the King!” and “Pretty Polly” in seven languages. The princesses were happy at first.
But little Princess September was different. She was the youngest and the sweetest. One day, she opened her parrot’s cage to clean it. The parrot flew out of the window and never came back! September cried a lot. That night, a small bird flew into her room. It was not a parrot – it was a real night bird with soft feathers. It sat on her pillow and sang the most beautiful song. September forgot her tears and smiled. The bird promised to come every night and sing for her.
The next morning, the other princesses laughed at September. “You lost your parrot! Now you have nothing!” they said. But September was happy because the little bird came back every evening. It sang about green trees, blue rivers, and faraway lands. September loved the bird more than anything.
Her jealous sisters got angry. They told her, “If you really love the bird, keep it in a cage. Then it can never leave you!” September listened to them. She caught the bird and put it in a golden cage. The bird looked sad. It stopped singing. Its feathers became dull. It just sat quietly and said, “I cannot sing in a cage. I need the sky and the wind.”
September felt bad. She opened the cage door. The bird flew out, circled the room, and came back to her hand. It said, “I will come every day because I love you. But I must be free.” From that day, the bird sang even more sweetly. September grew up to be the most beautiful princess – not just in looks, but in her kind heart. Her sisters, who kept their parrots in cages, stayed plain and unhappy. The little bird stayed with September forever, singing songs of love and freedom.
The story ends with a happy picture: Princess September, grown up, still smiling with her free bird on her shoulder.
Who’s Who in the Story
- Princess September: The youngest and kindest princess. She learns to value freedom and true love.
- The King of Siam: The father of the nine princesses. He gives parrots as gifts because he forgets names.
- The Eight Elder Sisters (January to August): They are jealous and keep their parrots in cages. They tease September.
- The Little Bird: A real night bird that sings beautifully. It teaches September about freedom.
- The Parrots: The green birds in golden cages. They can speak many languages but have no real feelings.
Themes and Moral
Themes (Main Ideas):
- Freedom is Precious: A bird (or any living thing) is happy only when it is free to fly and sing.
- Love Needs Trust: True love does not lock someone up. It lets them go and trusts they will return.
- Jealousy Makes Us Unhappy: The elder sisters were mean because they wanted what September had.
- Kindness Brings Beauty: September’s gentle heart made her the most beautiful princess inside and out.
Moral (The Big Lesson):
Never cage what you love. Whether it is a bird, a friend, or a dream – give it space to grow. Real love and happiness come from trust and freedom, not from control.
Important Vocabulary and Phrases
- Parrot – A colorful bird that can copy words, like “Hello!”
- Golden cage – A shiny, beautiful cage made of gold – looks nice but keeps the bird trapped.
- Jealous – Feeling angry when someone else has something good.
- Freedom – Being able to go anywhere and do what you like, like flying in the open sky.
- Dull – Not bright or shiny – the bird’s feathers lost color in the cage.
- Tease – To laugh at someone in a mean way to hurt their feelings.
- Trust – Believing someone will come back even if you let them go.
- Night bird – A small bird that sings at night, like a nightingale.
- Kind heart – A gentle and loving nature that cares for others.
- Faraway lands – Places very far from home, like magical forests or mountains.