The six heroines of these highly original fairy tales prove that princesses, too, can be Charming . . . and also resourceful. There is Bedelia, a princess practical enough to slay the dragon who is terrorizing her father's kingdom; Petronella, who must accomplish the three traditional impossible tasks to win her prince; and Sylvia, so bored by royal life that she willingly accompanies an incompetent prince on his quest when she realizes he is 'not fit to be out alone'. Victoria, Prudence and Melissa, not all as beautiful but equally plucky and unflappable, are among the other heroines endowed with the superhuman qualities usually reserved to male fairy-tale characters.
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