also little in my appearance that was palatable; and, in short, I risked my life to preserve yours."
Ravagio hunted in vain; he could neither find the lover nor his mistress. He was as tired as a dog; he retraced his steps to the cavern. "What! hast thou returned without our prisoners?" exclaimed Tourmentine, tearing her bristling hair. "Don't come near me, or I shall strangle thee!" "I saw nothing," said he, "but a dwarf, a pillar, and a picture." "By my head," continued she, "it was them! I was very foolish to leave my vengeance in thy hands, as though I were too little to undertake it myself. Here! here I go! I will put on the boots this time, and I shall not speed worse than thou." She put on the seven-leagued boots, and started. What chance have the Prince and Princess of travelling so quickly as to escape these monsters, with their accursed seven-leagued boots! They saw Tourmentime coming, dressed in a serpent's skin, the variegated colours of which were wonderful. She carried upon her shoulder a mace of iron, of a terrible weight; and as she looked carefully on all sides, she must have seen the Prince and Princess, had they not been at that moment in the thickest part of a wood. "The matter is hopeless," said Aimée, weeping; "here comes the cruel Tourmentine, whose sight chills my blood: she is more cunning than Ravagio. If either of us speak to her, she will know us, and eat us up without more ado. Our trial will be soon over, as you may imagine." "Love, Love, do not abandon us!" exclaimed the Prince. "Hast thou within thy empire fonder hearts or purer flames than ours? Ah, my dear Aimée," continued he, taking her hands and kissing them fervently, "canst thou be destined to perish in so barbarous a manner?" "No," said she, "no; I have a certain feeling of courage and firmness that reassures me. Come, little wand, do thy duty. I wish, in the name of the royal fairy, Trufio, that the camel should be a tub, that my dear prince should become a beautiful orange-tree, and that I, metamorphosed into a bee, should hover around him." As usual, she struck three blows for each; and the change took place so suddenly, that Tourmentine, who had arrived on the spot, did not perceive it. The horrible fury was out of breath, and sat down under the orange-tree. The Princess Bee delighted in stinging her in a thousand places: and although her skin was so
