previous consent." "Beautiful Princess," said the Dwarf, suddenly flinging himself at her feet, "I flatter myself that her choice will not displease you when I inform you that it is I who am destined to enjoy such happiness." "My mother would have you for her son-in-law!" exclaimed Toutebelle, recoiling some paces; "was there ever any madness like yours?" "I care very little about the honour," said the Dwarf angrily. "Here come the lions, in three bites they will avenge me for your unjust disdain."
At the same moment the poor Princess heard the prolonged roars of the approaching monsters. "What will become of me!" she cried: "must I end my young days thus!" The wicked Dwarf looked at her, and laughing contemptuously said, "You will have at least the glory of dying a maiden, and of having escaped the mésalliance of a person of your dazzling worth with a miserable Dwarf like me." "For mercy's sake be not angry," said the Princess, clasping her beautiful hands, "I would rather marry all the dwarfs in the universe than perish in so frightful a manner." "Look at me well, Princess, before you give me your word," replied he, "for I do not wish to take any advantage of you." "I have looked at you more than enough," said she. "The lions are approaching; my terror increases; save me! save me! or I shall die of fright." In fact, she had scarcely uttered these words before she fainted; and without knowing how she got there, found herself, on recovering from her swoon, in her own bed, in the finest linen in the world, with the most beautiful ribands on her dress, and a little ring made of a single red hair, which fitted her finger so closely that the skin might have been taken off sooner than the ring.
When the Princess saw all these things, and remembered what had taken place that night, she fell into a melancholy which surprised and pained the whole Court. Her mother was more alarmed than anybody, and asked her hundreds of times what was the matter; but the Princess persisted in concealing from her the adventure. At length, the great estates of the kingdom, impatient to see the Princess married, assembled in council, and afterwards proceeded to have an audience of the Queen, whom they petitioned to choose a husband for her daughter as soon as possible. She answered them, that she desired nothing better; but that her daughter
