The Island of the Nine Whirlpools

When the King and Queen were ready to have a child, the Queen did what all good queens do; she visited the local witch. But she forgot to specify the King wanted a boy child. On the Princess' 18th birthday, the King, who was a very disagreeable King, banished the Princess to an island surrounded by nine whirlpools and guarded by a dragon AND a gryphon. There she would spend eternity sewing her wedding dress and waiting for a Prince clever enough to free her. Edith (E.) Nesbit was a master at weaving imagination and real life into timeless fairy tales, with fantastic mythical creatures, princes and princesses, magic, and just the right touch of silliness.