Chapter 11 Summary

The King arrives home. When the girls see him, they realize that his hand is injured, but it wasn't an injury listed in the paper. The King finds out that the girls have been dancing even though they are not supposed to be because they are in mourning. When he asks for them to reveal where they've been dancing, he finds out that they swore on silver—the silver thread of their mother's handkerchief—not to tell him. The King throws their dancing slippers into the fire and grounds the girls to their room.

Chapter 11 Analysis

The King realizes that the secrets he and their mother have been keeping from the princesses are starting to unravel. While he tries to stop the girls from doing what he has forbidden them to do—dance—he also knows that they are...