The Princess and the Goblinaf George MacDonald

The eight-year-old Princess Irene is lonely in her castle that sits on a mountain. She has only her nursemaid, Lootie, for company. She discovers a a secret, and soon she overhears a fiendish plot by some goblins. Can she foil their plans? George MacDonald’s fairy tale "The Princess and the Goblin" is one of the first books in the modern fantasy genre.
George MacDonald (1824-1905) was a Scottish author, poet and Christian minister. A pioneer of fantasy literature, he was the mentor of Lewis Carroll. Among his notable works are "Phantastes" (1858), "David Elginbrod" (1863), "At the Back of the North Wind" (1871), "The Princess and the Goblin" (1872), and "Lilith" (1895).