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The Twelve Dancing Princesses: a book club kit
Where it comes from. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, two brothers in Germany, wrote this down in 1815. They called it The Worn-Out Dancing Shoes.
In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). Twelve princesses sleep in a locked room, and every morning their shoes are danced to pieces. The king promises one daughter and the kingdom to anyone who solves the mystery. A clever old soldier follows them to an underground castle, takes proof, and tells the king.
The lesson, in one line. Staying alert and taking good advice can solve a mystery.
Reading plan, by the story's parts. Meeting 1: Part One, “The Worn-Out Shoes” and Part Two, “The Soldier and the Cloak”, pages 1–10 (about 6 minutes aloud); Meeting 2: Part Three, “The Secret Castle”, pages 11–17 (about 4 minutes aloud). Each stop's own questions, which never give away what comes next: The Twelve Dancing Princesses by chapter.
Questions to talk about
- What is the moral of The Twelve Dancing Princesses?
The story's answer: Staying alert and taking good advice can solve a mystery. The soldier pays attention, and he learns the secret. - Who wrote The Twelve Dancing Princesses?
The story's answer: The Brothers Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm, wrote it down in Germany in 1815 as The Worn-Out Dancing Shoes. - Where do the princesses go at night?
The story's answer: Through a secret stair under the eldest princess's bed to an underground castle, where they dance with twelve princes. - How does the soldier solve the mystery?
The story's answer: He follows the princesses unseen and takes a golden cup and three twigs from the underground castle as proof. He then tells the king everything. - Who in the story was kind, and who was not? How do you know?
Listen for: Ask for the moment in the story that shows it. - Which part would you change, and how would the story end then?
Listen for: There is no wrong ending; ask what else would have to change.
Did you know?
- The Brothers Grimm wrote it down in 1815 and called it The Worn-Out Dancing Shoes.
- The princesses dance every night in a secret underground castle with twelve princes.
- The eldest princess knocks on her bed and it sinks into the floor, opening a secret stair.
Activity: Draw the story as a map
On one big sheet, draw every place the story happens and the path between them. Mark the spot where things go wrong and the spot where they come right.
More to talk about
More facts for the leader
- The soldier takes a golden cup and three twigs from the underground castle as proof.
Words to teach before you start
- invisible: cannot be seen
- uneasy: worried
- avenue: tree-lined road
- proof: evidence
- heir: next ruler
- confessed: told the truth
Questions leaders ask
How long does a The Twelve Dancing Princesses book club meeting take?
Reading it aloud takes about 11 minutes in all, so plan 2 meetings of about 30 to 45 minutes each, with time left for the questions. The reading plan on the sheet says where to stop.
What age is The Twelve Dancing Princesses for?
It is written at Peabody level 10, a grade 5 reading level, so most children at that level can read it alone. Younger children can listen to it read aloud.
Do the children need to read it before the meeting?
No. Each child can read it free on Peabody, before the meeting or together at it, and the questions work either way. The sheet's short version gives the ending away, so keep it for the leader.
How do I use the questions?
Start with the story's own questions, which have answers in the leader's notes, then move to the open ones and listen for reasons. There is no wrong answer to an open question. Stop when the group runs out of things to say.
Club kits for stories like this
- Beauty and the Beast (level 10)
- Rapunzel (level 10)
- Sleeping Beauty (level 10)
- Cinderella (level 9)
- Hansel and Gretel (level 9)
- Puss in Boots (level 9)
How this kit is made
The short version, the facts and the first questions with their answers are the story's own, written for its page in Peabody's library and checked against the sources named there. The open questions, the activity and the plan are Peabody's, written for this kind of story. No part of it is written by a computer model.
Running the meeting: the meeting plans (30, 45 and 60 minutes) and the sign-up sheet.