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The Princess Tales #5
For Biddle's Sake
There she was, chartreuse and warty and smiling at him. Such a nice smile. Something in his heart fluttered. The young maiden, Parsley, will eat nothing but parsley, which in Snettering-on-Snoakes grows only in the fairy Bombina's garden. All is well -- until Bombina is released from the fairy queen's dungeon. Her crime? Failing to get along with humans. And turning them into toads! Meanwhile, twin princes Randolph and Rudolph are causing trouble at Biddle Castle and pinning everything on their younger brother, Tansy. Prince Tansy cares about Biddle. Randolph and Rudolph don't. But one of the twins will be king, unless Prince Tansy accepts help from a green Biddlebum Toad! A delightful retelling of the little-known German fairy tale "Puddocky," this fifth Princess Tale from Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine shows that nothing is quite as it seems and that anything is possible, with a dash of magic and a barrel of love.
112 pages, Hardcover
First published October 8, 2002
5 people are currently reading
2158 people want to read
About the author
Gail Carson Levine
65 books9,678 followersJust letting you all know: I'm only going to review books I love. There's enough negative criticism without me piling on. A book is too hard to write.
Gail Carson Levine grew up in New York City and began writing seriously in 1987. Her first book for children, Ella Enchanted, was a 1998 Newbery Honor Book. Levine's other books include Fairest; Dave at Night, an ALA Notable Book and Best Book for Young Adults; The Wish; The Two Princesses of Bamarre; and the six Princess Tales books. She is also the author of the nonfiction book Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly and the picture book Betsy Who Cried Wolf, illustrated by Scott Nash. Gail, her husband, David, and their Airedale, Baxter, live in a 1790 farmhouse in the Hudson River Valley of New York State.
Gail Carson Levine grew up in New York City and began writing seriously in 1987. Her first book for children, Ella Enchanted, was a 1998 Newbery Honor Book. Levine's other books include Fairest; Dave at Night, an ALA Notable Book and Best Book for Young Adults; The Wish; The Two Princesses of Bamarre; and the six Princess Tales books. She is also the author of the nonfiction book Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly and the picture book Betsy Who Cried Wolf, illustrated by Scott Nash. Gail, her husband, David, and their Airedale, Baxter, live in a 1790 farmhouse in the Hudson River Valley of New York State.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
March 23, 2023
Moral of the story: Eat more parsley...
...among other great lessons for children.
...among other great lessons for children.
September 17, 2020
Do you like retelling of fairy-tales? Gail Carson Levine is the author for you. She is witty, and pokes fun at fairy-tales all the while making you love the story even more.
“Meanwhile, Parsley grew into a plump, happy child with a lovely smile, in spite of teeth that were stained pale green [from only eating Parsley].”
– For Biddle’s Sake by Gail Carson Levine
Just by the first chapter, you can grasp the humor Levine puts in her words. Her use of run-on sentences leaves you out of breath and laughing from the repetitiveness. Her objective to point out the obvious will keep you entertained.
For Biddle’s Sake, a fairy-tale based on the German fairy-tale Puddocky by Brothers Grimm, is about a little girl who goes to live with a fairy that has pale-green teeth. The fairy she lives with has a very short temper, and ends up turning Parsley into a toad [the fairy’s favorite thing to turn people into].
Tansy is the king’s son. He has two older brothers [twins] that always blame him for destroying precious kingdom items. They never agree and never listen to poor Tansy.
The king decided to hold a contest for the two older sons to decide who gets the crown. Tansy is sympathetically thrown into the mix. He meets a nice toad that helps him with the contest.
Will Parsley always be a toad? Will she master her magic? Will the fairy ever see Parsley smile again? Will Tansy ever get his brother’s to listen? Will he get the crown?
Levine has a splash of humor you will not find anyone else. Using plays on words and awkward humor, this is perfect for a story for a young girl or for a grown woman who can’t get enough of fairy-tales (cough me). I will always be a fan of Levine’s writing and I am so happy I picked them up first on my own quest to reread all my favorite books.
“Meanwhile, Parsley grew into a plump, happy child with a lovely smile, in spite of teeth that were stained pale green [from only eating Parsley].”
– For Biddle’s Sake by Gail Carson Levine
Just by the first chapter, you can grasp the humor Levine puts in her words. Her use of run-on sentences leaves you out of breath and laughing from the repetitiveness. Her objective to point out the obvious will keep you entertained.
For Biddle’s Sake, a fairy-tale based on the German fairy-tale Puddocky by Brothers Grimm, is about a little girl who goes to live with a fairy that has pale-green teeth. The fairy she lives with has a very short temper, and ends up turning Parsley into a toad [the fairy’s favorite thing to turn people into].
Tansy is the king’s son. He has two older brothers [twins] that always blame him for destroying precious kingdom items. They never agree and never listen to poor Tansy.
The king decided to hold a contest for the two older sons to decide who gets the crown. Tansy is sympathetically thrown into the mix. He meets a nice toad that helps him with the contest.
Will Parsley always be a toad? Will she master her magic? Will the fairy ever see Parsley smile again? Will Tansy ever get his brother’s to listen? Will he get the crown?
Levine has a splash of humor you will not find anyone else. Using plays on words and awkward humor, this is perfect for a story for a young girl or for a grown woman who can’t get enough of fairy-tales (cough me). I will always be a fan of Levine’s writing and I am so happy I picked them up first on my own quest to reread all my favorite books.
May 26, 2020
I enjoyed how Bombina learned to value her loved ones most and control her emotional urges. I was proud of Parsley for learning to do magic after she was put in a major predicament. Tansy reminded me of Cinderellis and didn’t feel distinct enough.
August 1, 2024
Only Levine would think to create a character that only ate Parsley.
March 17, 2025
beautiful book about love for something, yet such a dramatic turn.
July 11, 2017
Life lesson: eat more them parsley.
January 5, 2019
Such a funny and clever fairy tale retelling!
May 12, 2023
I don't know what it was about this ridiculous story, but it had the kids in stitches, and I was stifling giggles as I read it too. Probably our favorite of the Princess Tales so far. 😂
March 11, 2022
I’m sorry, I cannot get behind the parsley addiction.
June 27, 2011
In reading and blogging, I love making connections, especially to literary inspirations. Stories and books can and should stand alone for those who don't know the literary origins, but recognizing a retelling or an homage makes the experience all the more rich.
In the case of For Biddle's Sake by Gail Carson Levine, I only recognized half of the inspiration: Rapunzel. It wasn't until reading the post on Lyndi's Favorite Books that I learned of the other story behind the book, "Puddocky", and old German tale retold in Andrew Lang's Green Fairy Book.
In For Biddle's Sake, Parsley as an infant will only eat the herb she's named for. Her father is caught stealing from the evil fairy's garden. So, like Rapunzel, Parsley is taken as payment. Unlike Rapunzel, she's put into the service of Bombina, instead of being locked away in a tower.
Parsley enjoys her time with Bombina, and she with Parsley. But she can't control her temper. She lets off steam by turning things into toads. And one day Parsley gets in the way. That's where the Puddocky story takes over.
What makes Levine's books so great is that her female protagonists can think. Parsley doesn't just pine away in the pond waiting to be rescued. She works with the youngest prince to help him solve the problem of his twin brothers while working on her own solution at the same time.
For Biddle's Sake was the first chapter book that Harriet sat through. We read a chapter or two every couple of days. It kept her attention all the way through.
In the case of For Biddle's Sake by Gail Carson Levine, I only recognized half of the inspiration: Rapunzel. It wasn't until reading the post on Lyndi's Favorite Books that I learned of the other story behind the book, "Puddocky", and old German tale retold in Andrew Lang's Green Fairy Book.
In For Biddle's Sake, Parsley as an infant will only eat the herb she's named for. Her father is caught stealing from the evil fairy's garden. So, like Rapunzel, Parsley is taken as payment. Unlike Rapunzel, she's put into the service of Bombina, instead of being locked away in a tower.
Parsley enjoys her time with Bombina, and she with Parsley. But she can't control her temper. She lets off steam by turning things into toads. And one day Parsley gets in the way. That's where the Puddocky story takes over.
What makes Levine's books so great is that her female protagonists can think. Parsley doesn't just pine away in the pond waiting to be rescued. She works with the youngest prince to help him solve the problem of his twin brothers while working on her own solution at the same time.
For Biddle's Sake was the first chapter book that Harriet sat through. We read a chapter or two every couple of days. It kept her attention all the way through.
September 19, 2019
Patsy lives with the cantankerous fairy, Bombina, who provides everything her parsley-loving heart desires. But when Bombina's bad habit of putting spells on people backfires, it's off to the pond for this maiden-turned-toad.
For Biddle's Sake is the fifth installment in The Princess Tales collection, and is a comedic retelling of The Frog Prince. Green teeth, an ambitious goatherd, evil twins, tiny dogs, and acronyms give a well-known tale whole new twist that's guaranteed to get you giggling.
Gail Carson Levine can spark magic with her retellings. The Princess Tales have been favorites since I was a kid, and revisiting them is always a joy. If you're looking for a quick read that will satisfy like a full novel, I can't recommend these highly enough.
For Biddle's Sake is the fifth installment in The Princess Tales collection, and is a comedic retelling of The Frog Prince. Green teeth, an ambitious goatherd, evil twins, tiny dogs, and acronyms give a well-known tale whole new twist that's guaranteed to get you giggling.
Gail Carson Levine can spark magic with her retellings. The Princess Tales have been favorites since I was a kid, and revisiting them is always a joy. If you're looking for a quick read that will satisfy like a full novel, I can't recommend these highly enough.
November 10, 2019
Gail Carson Levine's collection of "The Princess Tales" is always a nice simple short story. I always love seeing what whacky curse or predicament her characters find themselves in
This one followed Parsley a girl who ate nothing but Parsley of parsley flavored things. There is also a prince trying to become king over his older twin brothers.
This one was funny, fairly unique but by the end I just felt "soso" about it.
It was a nice quick read but if I want a real dose of whimsical fantasy I'll read one of her larger novels
This one followed Parsley a girl who ate nothing but Parsley of parsley flavored things. There is also a prince trying to become king over his older twin brothers.
This one was funny, fairly unique but by the end I just felt "soso" about it.
It was a nice quick read but if I want a real dose of whimsical fantasy I'll read one of her larger novels
July 11, 2020
Currently free at: Audible Stories
Listening Time : 1 hour 40 minutes
An interesting retelling of The Princess And The Frog.
The children's version left me indifferent to both the princess and the frog, but this one had me empathizing with both protagonists.
Good morals for children, without being preachy.
Listening Time : 1 hour 40 minutes
An interesting retelling of The Princess And The Frog.
The children's version left me indifferent to both the princess and the frog, but this one had me empathizing with both protagonists.
Good morals for children, without being preachy.
May 3, 2020
I enjoyed reading this one <3
Well, aside from the green teeth tho
I wished Nelly and Zeke tried harder for their daughter. Maybe not from the start but they could have tried to visit her or something... send letters? or gifts?
Anyway good riddance for those twins. Plus, I hate to imagine Patsy/Parsley's brother Pepper eating only peppers >< if anything this might teach you to eat variably xD
Clever retelling :D
Well, aside from the green teeth tho
I wished Nelly and Zeke tried harder for their daughter. Maybe not from the start but they could have tried to visit her or something... send letters? or gifts?
Anyway good riddance for those twins. Plus, I hate to imagine Patsy/Parsley's brother Pepper eating only peppers >< if anything this might teach you to eat variably xD
Clever retelling :D
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May 14, 2020I remember reading this book from third to forth grade, and it was the book that really got me into reading. Now i'm going into the 9th grade and i adore reading and always read at any given point, in school and at home. I've been trying to find this book since 6th grade and i'm so glad to have finally found it again. i will be reading this book again to remember what 8 year old me felt while reading this book.
January 2, 2023
These were cute stories. Gail Carson Levine does a wonderful job of fantastical world building and rewriting fairy tales in her own way and style. However, there were too many similarities in these stories — two out of the three had two siblings that got along and one who felt left out. I think I am more likely to find Levine’s full novels better reads, these short stories aren’t really developed enough for me.
July 13, 2020
Levine creates another new version of a fairy tale—in fact, this is a bit of a mash-up of “Rapunzel” and a gender reversed version of “The Princess and the Frog.” She uses the world she has created to good effect, and here it is more overt that these tales are not just set in the same world but are also in chronological order as there is a reference to two of the heroine’s of previous tales.
I appreciated that here the princess succeeds through her own wits, and that a relationship is developed on an intellectual and emotional level over time, as the heroine observes the prince from afar and falls for his character, not his looks. The prince enjoys time with the heroine talking for a fair period before falling in love. That the moral is about value based on attributes other than appearance is a good message.
I appreciated that here the princess succeeds through her own wits, and that a relationship is developed on an intellectual and emotional level over time, as the heroine observes the prince from afar and falls for his character, not his looks. The prince enjoys time with the heroine talking for a fair period before falling in love. That the moral is about value based on attributes other than appearance is a good message.
April 5, 2020
As a strong hater of parsley and a big oral hygiene advocate, this character settled on me a bit odd. But it was a cute story nonetheless. Seems like a bit of a mix of Rapunzel and the Princess and the Frog.
June 10, 2020
Ha! This book is funny! I do like this book. Author Gail Carson Levine has quite an imagination. I already promoted this book on other websites, and now I would like to share it with the rest of you that this book is very creative and fun.
March 10, 2023
It was a simple read. Finished it in a day. It is a great fairytale story with a wench turned into a toad, a pair of spoiled twin princes, a humble young prince taking blame, and a fairy who learns a lesson.
July 25, 2017
Love this author, love her books!
December 27, 2017
#alyssatissaprincissa
January 19, 2018
These are just fun little books. I wish they were numbered. While they can be read independently can it might be nice to read them all in order.
April 2, 2018
Fun, quick read. My nine year old daughter is really enjoying this collection!
June 6, 2018
Not quite as enchanting as the other Princess Tales I've read, but still a big punch of pleasure in a little package.
December 31, 2019
I liked it very much. I enjoyed the bits that reflected other stories in the series.
October 4, 2020
The sake of meeting caused water to spill over birth happened
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October 20, 2020adding to goodreads for posterity, but not able to review.
January 27, 2021
4 stars
I adored this series...20 years ago. Gosh I’m old.
I adored this series...20 years ago. Gosh I’m old.
April 6, 2022
This is the last of four rewrites of Italian fairy tales collected and compiled by Italo Calvino in his collection, Italian Folktales. They're closer to chapter books than middle grade.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews